Case Study: Franchise Focus
Objective: Powerhouse Communications was retained by the Del Taco Franchise team to help generate buzz surrounding the brand’s franchise opportunities and capture the interest of prospective franchisees through strategic media relations campaigns.
Challenge: With the franchise market being heavily saturated with options, the Agency was challenged with making Del Taco stand out among the rest and be viewed as the premiere franchising opportunity.
Solution: To ensure Del Taco was putting their best foot forward in the pursuit of prospective franchisees, Powerhouse Communications built a media relations campaign, including championing one of the most successful franchisees in the brand’s system, Paul Hitzelberger. Along with being one of Del Taco’s biggest franchisees with over 30 Del Taco locations in Utah and Arizona, Hitzelberger was also a Veteran and community philanthropist. The Agency pitched Paul as a candidate for both major franchise/trade media and award opportunities to garner coverage for the brand, as well as incorporate compelling franchise key messages.
Results: As a result of internal interviews with Paul, the Agency was able to craft Hitzelberger’s unique story and strategically pitch him for various media profiles. Powerhouse secured multiple feature stories for Hitzelberger in outlets including QSR Magazine and Franchise Times. The Agency also compiled compelling nominations for several national franchise-focused awards, resulting in big wins for Hitzelberger, including the prestigious Multi-Unit Franchisee MVP Spirit of Franchising Award and the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Neighbors Award. The award wins resulted in even more press coverage for both Del Taco and their notable franchisee.