In multi-location marketing, you’re not just managing campaigns—you’re managing complexity. Every day, you’re faced with the challenge of ensuring consistent brand messaging, driving growth across diverse markets, and hitting aggressive KPIs—all while juggling the unique demands of each location. But there’s a constant force adding pressure to your already overflowing plate: competition.
You know the stakes. Whether it’s a well-established national brand eating into your market share or a scrappy local upstart making waves with undercut pricing or exceptional community building, competition is relentless. It’s not just about who has the biggest budget anymore; it’s about who can adapt the fastest, who can outsmart the market, and who can stay one step ahead.
The pressure to deliver results, often with limited resources and time, is immense. You might feel like you’re fighting a battle on multiple fronts—trying to innovate while also defending your turf from new and existing competitors. The reality is, in this hyper-competitive environment, even small missteps can have significant repercussions. But with the right strategies and support, you can turn these competitive pressures into opportunities for growth and success.
Today, we’ll dive into the specific challenges multi-location marketers face when it comes to competition. We’ll explore how competitors are raising the bar and what that means for your strategy. Most importantly, we’ll discuss how you can not only keep pace with the competition but actually use these challenges to drive your business forward. And, of course, how partnering with a multi-location marketing agency like seoplus+ can provide the strategic insights and agility you need to win—no matter who’s nipping at your heels.
The competitive landscape
As a multi-location marketer, you’re navigating an environment where competition comes in many forms, each with its own set of challenges.
National brands
These established giants have the resources, brand recognition, and market dominance that can make it difficult for your locations to carve out their space. Their sheer size allows them to launch extensive campaigns, leverage economies of scale, and maintain a significant presence both online and offline. You might even be the national brand, and in some ways you’re envious of the dexterity of smaller competition.
Local challengers
While they may not have the budget of a national brand, local upstarts can disrupt your market by offering something niche, innovative, or hyper-targeted. These competitors often fly under the radar until they start capturing significant market share, leaving you scrambling to respond.
Raising the bar
Today’s competitors are not just playing the same game—they’re constantly evolving. Whether it’s investing in cutting-edge marketing technology, receiving a cash infusion from venture capital, or launching a groundbreaking digital tool, competitors are finding new ways to outmanoeuvre you. Staying static is not an option, and the pressure to innovate is constant.
A great example is the mattress industry, illustrated in the graphic above. Here in Canada, we have several national chains, with the marketing might to appear in every commercial break during the Toronto Maple Leafs game, or between Sabrina Carpenter songs on the radio. Many customers prefer to shop with these established, recognized national brands based on factors like price and availability.
Then you have your regional or local brands, which often have established roots in the community and a reputation for service and quality. They may not have the selection or turnaround time of bigger competitors, but they make up for it with reliability and after-purchase care.
The mattress industry, of course, has been turned on its head by the introduction of e-Commerce, direct-to-consumer brands like Endy and Casper. Not only have they improved the buying experience for customers (you can buy a bed from bed!), but the model cuts out the middle man and operating costs like retail space, allowing them to offering mattresses at a lower price point. (For the record, Sleep Country Canada purchased Endy in 2018).
Key Challenges
Market share erosion
Even with a strong presence, you’re likely seeing competitors nibbling away at your market share. Whether it’s due to a superior product, more aggressive marketing tactics, or simply a better understanding of local markets, the impact is felt quickly and deeply.
Resource allocation
You’re tasked with spreading resources across multiple locations, each with unique needs and challenges. Balancing these resources effectively while facing competition that may have a more focused approach can be a daunting task. The tension between supporting underperforming locations and maximizing high-potential ones adds another layer of complexity.
Adaptability
Competitors are nimble, especially new entrants who aren’t bogged down by legacy systems or entrenched processes. For multi-location marketers, this can be a significant disadvantage. The ability to pivot quickly in response to competitive threats is critical, yet implementing changes across multiple locations can be like turning a battleship—slow and cumbersome.
Strategies to address competition
Understand the competitive landscape
Deep dive into competitor analysis
Go beyond surface-level research. Use tools that offer deep insights into competitor strategies, customer sentiment, and market positioning. Understand not just what your competitors are doing, but why they’re doing it and how it’s resonating with their audience. If you find a gap between your content and theirs, for example, you can fill this gap with even better and more resonant material.
We had this experience with a client in the mobile phone repair space. Most competitors had service pages or blogs about evaluating the value of a used phone. Most of these resources directed the reader to submit a request or visit in-store to receive their valuation, which is useful but not perfect. We worked with the client to design and develop an online calculator that provides an instant quote for hundreds of different devices and ******. The experience for users was significantly improved, and traffic, leads, and sales saw a dramatic leap as a result.
Local market insights
Each location is different. What works in one market may not work in another. Invest in understanding the local competitive landscape and tailor your strategies to address these nuances.
In our experience, often the most challenging competitors in a market are local, single city companies. With all of their marketing resources and focus directed at one single location, and often a very strong and vocal client base, your top local map competitor might not be the publicly-traded monolith but the mom-n-pop shop.
Invest in differentiation
Refine your value proposition
Clearly articulate what makes your brand and each location unique. This is not just about what you offer, but how it’s delivered, the customer experience, and the values your brand stands for.
A great example is in the fitness space. There’s practically a gym on every corner, but there’s no guarantee that one has a women’s only space, a swimming ****, or is open 24/7. By having and communicating these differentiators, your location(s) will stand apart.
Localized marketing campaigns
Develop campaigns that resonate with local audiences while maintaining brand consistency. This might involve highlighting your local roots, community involvement, or unique offerings that national brands can’t replicate.
We worked with a multi-location dental practice that runs an annual contest for free dental work. Not only is it an impactful charitable initiative, it also drives a ton of traffic and interest that sets the chain of clinics apart in a hyper-competitive industry. Where there are practically dental offices on every corner, consumers have a lot of choice. Many consumers prefer to choose a practice that aligns with their values, so even as a patient you feel like you’re giving back as well.
Enhance agility
Agile marketing strategies
Build a marketing framework that allows for rapid adjustments. This could involve setting up cross-functional teams that can quickly respond to market changes or leveraging marketing automation to roll out and test campaigns at speed.
Real-time analytics
Invest in real-time data analytics to monitor performance and competition closely. This allows for swift adjustments to campaigns, targeting, and resource allocation.
Adopt cutting-edge tools
Stay ahead by integrating the latest marketing technologies. AI-driven customer insights, advanced segmentation, and automation tools are no longer optional—they’re essential for staying competitive.
Continuous innovation
Foster a culture of innovation within your marketing teams. Encourage experimentation with new tools and platforms, and be willing to take calculated risks to stay ahead of the competition.
For our agency, the greatest example of this was the Covid-19 pandemic, which included a shutdown of all in-person retail activity. Our clients had to pivot to offering services by e-Commerce, phone, curbside, or even by mail almost overnight. This was a challenging time for everyone, but we worked with our clients to come up with creative solutions so they could still help the general public.
Why work with a multi-location marketing agency?
Navigating these challenges isn’t easy, and sometimes you need an external perspective to stay competitive. Partnering with a multi-location marketing agency like seoplus+ can offer many advantages.
Strategic expertise
We bring a deep understanding of multi-location dynamics and can help craft strategies that are both innovative and practical, ensuring they can be executed effectively across all your locations.
Local market intelligence
Our insights into local markets help you tailor your approach to meet the unique demands of each location, allowing you to outmanoeuvre competitors who may be taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Agility and flexibility
With seoplus+ by your side, you gain the agility to pivot quickly in response to competitive threats. We provide the tools and expertise to ensure that your marketing strategy is not just reactive, but proactive—putting you in the driver’s seat.
Conclusion
Competition in the multi-location marketing space isn’t just a challenge; it’s a constant reality. But with the right strategies, tools, and partners, you can turn these competitive pressures into opportunities for growth. By understanding your competition, investing in differentiation, staying agile, and leveraging the expertise of a multi-location marketing agency, your business can not only keep pace but lead the charge in your market.
Whether you have two locations or 100, whether you run a regional franchise or an international chain, we’re here to make things easier for you. Connect with us to see how we can help your business thrive.
