Uniformity

According to Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation “uniformity” (pg.5) is the key to a successful franchise. Uniformity is having the overall sameness of a product or service and coming together (as to uniform) with different businesses and pitching that idea to numerous locations. Uniformity has an interchangeable approach with a deficiency in variation; it is easily executed throughout many franchises and smaller businesses.

Having distinguished products and services at a cluster of businesses is an advantage for both consumers and franchisors. An advantage for consumers because they’re at a comfort ability level where they can spend their money at different companies in different locations knowing they purchased the exact same product without any regrets. They trust the brand being sold and serviced everywhere because it’s the same product. It is said “customers are drawn to familiar brands by instinct to avoid the unknown”, “a brand offers a feeling of reassurance when its products are always and everywhere the same” (Schlosser.5) And it’s an advantage for businesses because their bringing in clientele and making money, at the same time taking advantage of consumers by having an alluring and amiable deposition hoarding on the naïve minds of impulsive shopping.

Ray Kroc stated that he cannot trust people who are nonconformists, and will make conformists out of them in a hurry, “the organization cannot trust the individual; the individual must trust the organization” (pg.5). By being a nonconformist one is not being obedient and isn’t complying with the standards of business making it detrimental for businesses alike. In turn it’ll lead to the enhancement of similar businesses thriving or plummeting one another. In order for uniformity to remain successful people must conform and businesses must perpetuate this method into every brand.

An example of uniformity is the brand Gucci; although they have multiple locations by them expanding their brand with selling and servicing their products in various locations including stores such as boutiques and major department stores such as Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, etc. they’ve maintained a sense of stability and accuracy, they're uniforming as a brand. They're making their numbers larger and customers wider in the aspect of creating more business for the company.