Malaysia Franchise Digital Transformation (DX) Strategy: Starting from a Data Vacuum

Absence of marketing experts

1. Project Background & Challenge

We are currently conducting an F&B Franchise & Digital Marketing Infrastructure Construction Project for CIDO-GROUP in Malaysia. CIDO-GROUP possesses strong local brand power and product competitiveness (Taste & Quality), successfully operating a stable revenue structure and F&B business through the sale of Halal-certified Korean dishes such as Jajangmyeon and Jjamppong. However, the following limitations in the digital environment were identified:

• Digital Zero-Base: Absence of a website and absolutely no digital assets (data).

• Lack of Expertise: Internal staff lacks experience in online operations and professional expertise.

• Operational Void: Absence of a systematic marketing operation process.

Recognizing that general approaches like "High-Cost Website Development" and "Broad Ad Spending" would be inefficient given the local market environment and the specific nature of the franchise industry, we established a customized strategy focused on Localization and Efficiency.

Strategic Pivot

2. Strategic Pivot

Target Audience Redefinition

We refined the target audience from the initial hypothesis of "people hoping to immigrate/obtain visas" to "Professional Investors with Business Experience."

• Before: General public dreaming of vague immigration life and stability (B2C Approach).

• After: Prospective entrepreneurs and experienced individuals looking for concrete business visions and growth strategies (B2B/Investment Approach).

Insight: We confirmed that actual franchise agreements and inquiries originate from a demographic possessing capital and business acumen. Therefore, we adopted a persuasion strategy using Business Language and Data rather than emotional appeals.

Execution Strategy

3. Execution Strategy

A. Channel Optimization:

Community-Based Hyper-Local Marketing Instead of Mass Media Advertising (ATL) targeting an unspecified majority, we targeted local Korean and business communities with high target audience density.

• Action: Directly operating banners and content within touchpoint communities.

• Effect: Lowered ad fatigue and maximized Conversion Rate (CVR) compared to reach through an authentic approach.

B. Content Strategy:

Information vs. Experience Since this is the initial phase, we judged that brand trust and awareness were lacking. We avoided a supplier-centric "listing of franchise information" and brought "Actual Customer Experience (Testimonials)" to the forefront.

• Content Mix: Increased the proportion of content featuring actual store visit reviews; minimized recruitment information.

• Effect: Mitigated resistance to commercial ads and built Brand Trust.

C. Infrastructure Construction: Lean Startup Method Instead of hiring a web agency requiring an excessive budget from the start, we chose an Agile construction method using Google Sites.

• Action: Built a one-page landing site applying Mobile-First UI/UX.

• Benefit: Shortened construction period (1 day), reduced costs, secured ease of maintenance, and enabled immediate market response testing.

D. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): 'Call-First' Process Design Analyzing the behavioral patterns of the target persona (older business people with capital), we set "Immediate Call" as the top conversion goal rather than text-based messengers.

• UI/UX: Placed 'Call Connection' CTA (Call To Action) buttons in key areas of the website.

• Process: Built a hybrid consultation process that naturally induces form filling during the call.

E. Lead Management: Google Forms & CRM For on-site staff with low proficiency in digital tools, we adopted the most intuitive Google Forms as a CRM tool.

• Logic: Designed a survey structure containing persuasive logic to screen for Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) rather than simple inquiries.

• Stability: Easy management of stable data collection and access rights without separate server construction.

Measurement & Analytics

4. Measurement & Analytics

We eliminated "gut-feeling based" marketing and established a Data-Driven decision-making system.

• Tracking: Applied UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters to all channels and creatives.

• Visualization: Built a real-time dashboard using Looker Studio.

  • Analysis of device distribution (Mobile vs. PC).

  • Identification of customer-preferred brands and interest regions (City).

  • Real-time monitoring of ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) by channel/creative.

Conclusion & Roadmap

5. Conclusion & Roadmap

[Insight: Reconfirming the Nature of High-Involvement Products] 

Franchise affiliation is not a simple consumer good but a High-Involvement Product on which the founder's livelihood depends. Analysis of actual operational data confirmed a pattern where Qualified Leads are steadily flowing in, but this does not lead to immediate contract signing.

Customers were going beyond the simple inquiry stage to perform Brand Reputation Verification (Fact-Checks) and their own marketability analysis. They exhibited a "Deliberate Purchase Journey," reaching the final decision of a franchise contract only after multiple in-depth consultations and continuous communication, rather than a single decision. Data verified that a period of trust-building is essential rather than one-off traffic.

[Next Step: Strengthening Relationships via Retargeting] 

We plan to upgrade the Funnel Marketing using secured Pixel data and the potential customer DB.

• Retargeting: Executing ads to remind website visitors and those who dropped off early consultations of the brand value.

• Nurturing: Going beyond simple exposure to continuously provide success stories and business insights to enhance brand reliability.

• Conversion Cycle: Completing the ideal virtuous cycle (Flywheel): Awareness → Interest → Relationship Building → Contract.