How Ducklings Increased Website Engagement by 25%
How a 31-year legacy childcare brand modernized their franchise development with authentic storytelling that connects prospects emotionally—without managing a single shoot.
The Challenge: Invisible Brand Syndrome
Ducklings Early Learning Centers had 31 years of proven operations, 18 locations, and a compelling founder story. But their franchise development was stuck in neutral.
No Emotional Connection
Prospects couldn't feel the brand experience through static materials and phone calls.
Invisible Brand Story
31 years of legacy and founder journey buried in documents nobody was reading.
Pipeline Paralysis
Qualified leads getting stuck in research mode—unable to move from interest to commitment.
Trust Validation Gap
Prospects needed proof beyond development team promises—real franchisee and parent voices.
Internal Production Chaos
Team drowning in production logistics they weren't equipped to handle effectively.
“Video seemed cost prohibitive as an emerging franchise brand. We were self-funded through corporate locations and had to decide where to put our money carefully.”
— Kim Collier, Chief Development Officer
6-9
Months Average Cycle
Before video implementaion
“Video seemed cost prohibitive as an emerging franchise brand. We were self-funded through corporate locations and had to decide where to put our money carefully.”
— Kim Collier, Chief Development Officer
The Breakthrough: The One Deal ROI Formula
By applying our simple formula, Ducklings saw that a single deal’s revenue was far greater than the cost of video production.
Annual Franchise Fee Revenue > Video Investment Cost
$
Kim's Exact ROI Calculation
“Our franchise fee alone is a whole lot more than the cost of filming. That value proposition sold my mother immediately.”
The Results: The Compound Effect of Strategic Video
25% Increase
in website engagement
50% Reduction
in sales cycle length
Significant Boost
in active users lead quality
“We have marketing data that shows people ended up spending 25% more time on this particular page once we added the video.”
— Kim Collier
01
Strategic Alignment
Mapped content to Ducklings' unique ICP: high net worth couples where one spouse has business experience, the other education background
02
Full-Service Execution
10-hour filming day capturing brand story, franchisee testimonials, parent testimonials, curriculum highlights, and operational footage
03
Omnichannel Deployment
5 core videos plus 3 social media cutdowns, strategically distributed across every touchpoint
The Solution: Complete Story Ecosystem in One Day
The Complete Video Collection
From one filming day, FranchiseFilming delivered content optimized for different stages of the franchise development funnel:
Watch the Full Story
Webinar: Why Most Franchise Brands Fail at Video (and What Actually Works)
Kim Collier joins Franchise Filming founder Trevor Rappleye for an in-depth discussion on the specific video content that delivered these results.
Webinar: Why Most Franchise Brands Fail at Video (and What Actually Works)
Their Franchisee story became their most powerful sales tool
- Sept 17, 2024
- 7 min read
Ducklings Early Learning Centers on Working with FranchiseFilming
“I love FranchiseFilming. They work for us in a couple different areas. That works for us, for all kinds of social media uses and developing the brand, and then also for franchise testimonials for franchise sales. So I can’t say enough good things about FranchiseFilming.”
Catherine Monson
CEO, Propelled Brands
“FranchiseFilming guided us step by step, bringing out the emotion and personal stories of our franchisees, and their videos have absolutely helped us close more deals.”
Mark Jameson
Chief Development Officer, Propelled Brands
“Franchise Filming offered far more value than competitors, and the team kept us on schedule, held us accountable, and made us a true part of the process—it’s been terrific.”
Kim Collier
Chief Development Officer
A Meticulous Process for a Flawless Result
Kim on the working relationship:
“The working relationship with Franchise Filming has been terrific. The way that you guys lay out a schedule, stick to it, hold us accountable. It’s been terrific to make sure that we’re also a part of the process.”
Franchise Filming’s meticulous process made a daunting task simple, from call sheets and storyboards to making the team comfortable on camera.
How to Avoid Common Video Mistakes
Based on analyzing over 200 projects, here are the four most common ways brands sabotage their video ROI:
1. The DIY Mistake
Mistake: “Our marketing person can handle this”
Reality: Video production requires 15+ specialized skills to succeed.
2. The Cheapest Option Mistake
Mistake: Choosing based on price alone
Reality: Video quality directly correlates to perceived brand value and trust.
3. The "Set It and Forget It" Mistake
Mistake: Creating video without a deployment strategy
Reality: Video needs to be strategically distributed and optimized across all channels.
4. The "Talking Head" Mistake
Mistake: Just filming interviews without lifestyle footage
Reality: Prospects need to visualize themselves in the business to connect emotionally.
Ready to Transform Your Franchise?
Book a quick strategy call to see how video can attract high-quality prospects and speed up your sales process.
