Franchise direct mail is a shared campaign design posted to addresses in each franchisee's territory. It works when head office keeps the brand consistent and each location adds its own local details and offer.
Overview
Franchises have a built-in advantage: one proven campaign can be reused across many territories. The challenge is keeping artwork on brand while letting each franchisee mail their own area at the right time.
Agree in advance what is fixed (logo, layout, legal wording) and what each location can change (address, phone, opening offer). Each franchisee then approves their own print file before anything is printed.
When to use it
How to start, step by step
- Create a master design. Build one approved template with fixed brand elements and clearly marked local fields.
- Define territories. Use each franchisee's postcode area so mailings do not overlap.
- Localise the details. Add the location's address, phone number and offer, and check each version.
- Stagger or align timing. Send everywhere at once for a national push, or per location for openings.
- Report by location. Use a code or URL per franchisee so results can be compared fairly.
Which format to choose
| Use | Format | Why | From, per item |
|---|---|---|---|
| Territory-wide promotion | Postcard — A5 landscape | Consistent, recognisable layout. | £2.20 |
| High-volume awareness | Postcard — A6 | Lowest cost per item across a territory. | £2.15 |
| New location announcement | Letter — A4 | A personal letter from the local owner. | £1.90 |
Prices come from the live AutoLetters price list. They include printing and UK postage, are the same at any quantity, and have no VAT added because AutoLetters is not VAT registered.
Worked example
Illustrative scenario, not a customer case study. One franchisee mails 5,000 addresses in their territory with the network's seasonal offer. The design is the master template with the location's phone number and booking link.
5,000 × Postcard — A5 landscape at £2.20 each = £11,000.00, printed and posted.
Response depends on your list, offer and timing, so we do not quote response rates. Measure your own with a unique code or web address.
Mistakes to avoid
- Each franchisee designing their own, diluting the brand.
- Overlapping territories mailing the same households.
- One shared phone number, so no location-level measurement.
- Approving versions without checking local details.
Preparing artwork that prints correctly
Every format has a trim size, a bleed area and a safe zone. Extend background colours and images into the bleed so no white edge appears after cutting, and keep text, logos and QR codes inside the safe zone. Use images at 300 DPI at printed size, and leave the address area clear, because the printer adds the recipient's address there. Each product page lists the exact supplier measurements, and Lenny checks uploaded artwork against them before you approve it.
Building a list you can use
You can send to a list you already hold or to an audience of UK addresses built around a postcode. If you use your own list, include only people you have a lawful basis to contact by post, remove anyone who has asked not to hear from you, and keep a record of where the data came from. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes guidance on direct marketing under UK GDPR. Check that every address is complete and current: incomplete addresses cost money and do not arrive.
Measuring the result
Decide how you will count responses before you send. A unique discount code, a short web address, a dedicated phone number or a simple “how did you hear about us?” question all work. Divide the campaign cost by the number of responses to get a cost per response, then compare it with your other marketing. Where you can, hold back a small group from the mailing, so you can see how many of them would have responded anyway.
How AutoLetters handles it
Lenny, the AutoLetters AI campaign specialist, helps you choose a format, drafts the wording and artwork to the printer's exact measurements, and helps build the audience: either UK addresses around a postcode or a list you already hold. You review a print-accurate preview, then approve the exact print file. Nothing is printed or posted until you approve it.
AutoLetters sends addressed mail to UK addresses only and does not offer unaddressed door drops. Postal delivery timings are not guaranteed.
Questions
Does each franchisee need their own account?
Each campaign is approved by its owner before printing, so separate accounts keep approvals and payments clear.
Are prices lower at high volumes?
No. There is one price per printed and posted item at any quantity.
Plan your campaign with Lenny
Describe what you want to promote and who should receive it. Planning is free and needs no account.
Plan with Lenny See pricing