Mr Rental franchise scores top marketing accolade

The national white goods rental franchise, Mr Rental, has just been awarded the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) National Award for Excellence in Marketing for 2009.

 

This award was judged for excellence in strategy and execution of a marketing program within a franchise system.

 

The Mr Rental network, consisting of over 60 stores across Australia and New Zealand, was also this year awarded a Certificate of Merit for the Franchisor of the Year category.

 

Organised by the Franchise Council of Australia, the MYOB Excellence in Franchising Awards recognise and reward excellence, and provide a platform for companies and individuals to showcase the amazing work they are doing in the franchising sector.

This is the second year in a row Mr Rental has been awarded a significant FCA Award. Last year, the network was awarded the Emerging Franchise System of the Year 2008.

 

According to General Manager, Alan Payne, the award is a credit to the National Support team, as well as the franchisees who support the network’s marketing campaigns so enthusiastically.

 

“Overhauling an entire brand, which we did in 2007, is not an easy decision, and it requires a lot of time and commitment by the entire group. We are hugely motivated by the response by our franchisees across Australia and New Zealand who got behind it and continue to support our marketing strategies moving forward.”

 

He said that keeping ahead of a changing market requires the provision of leading edge systems and support to franchisees, and this includes regular review of marketing strategies to ensure they are achieving the best possible result. 

 

The FCA submission was based around the recent improvements to the marketing campaign that was designed around the rebranded business. Since launching the rebranded business in mid 2007 with a national campaign combining television, radio and catalogues, Mr Rental has closely monitored brand awareness and lead generation to ensure significant return on investment for the network.

 

With annual research undertaken by third-party firm Colmar Brunton, Mr Rental’s marketing team has been able to identify significant areas of opportunity on which to focus, while being able to accurately measure year-on-year improvements in the campaign.

 

Ultimately this marketing campaign was pursued to increase brand awareness and drive sales and market share.

 

Individual Mr Rental franchisees also shone in the FCA Awards, with Mr Rental South West achieving 2009 Awards Regional Single Franchisee category, and Mr Rental Rockingham achieving second place in the same category.

 

Mr Rental Toowoomba and Mr Rental Ipswich were named 2nd Runner Up in the Franchise Council Australia (FCA) 2009 Awards Multi-Unit Franchisee category for Queensland and Northern Territory, while Mr Rental Ballarat and Mr Rental Bendigo were announced finalists in the Franchise Council Australia (FCA) 2009 Awards Multi-Unit Franchisee category.

 

Mr Rental was founded in 1991 by Glen and Kerrianne Hickman, on Bribie Island, just an hour north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland.

 

It was here that they started their first business venture, opening a local video library. They started renting appliances such as VCRs and TVs from their store and soon realised they were making more from appliance rentals than video rentals.  They sold the video store and opened Mr Rental.

 

For ten years, this enterprising husband and wife team built their business in their local community, developing and optimizing their Mr Rental systems.   In 2001 they took the bold move to start franchising, with a vision for Mr Rental to become ‘the world’s first choice in home appliance renting’.   

 

Within two years they had over 30 stores throughout Australia and New Zealand, growing to over 60 stores today. 

 

“Our franchisees supply fridges, TV’s, washers, dryers, televisions, sound systems, game consoles and even furniture and exercise equipment within 24 hours and look after any repairs or issues with any of the appliances,” Mr Payne said.

 

Renting is an attractive option for families looking to maximise their cashflow by not having to purchase big ticket items outright, while ensuring they’re not denying their family’s basic needs.”