Franchising: Between innovation and imitation

The success of franchise systems lies in balancing the global brand consistency and continuous innovation and local customization. The aim of the paper is to analyze the importance of innovation as one of the key factors for the success of franchise systems, pointing out the need for continuous implementation of innovations within franchise systems. The first part of the paper analyzes innovations as key drivers of successful company operations. The second part is devoted to the analysis of the success factors of franchises, with particular emphasis on innovation. The third part deals with the analysis of franchising as a link between consistency and innovation, with comparative analysis of two franchise systems: Domino's Pizza and Intergamma. After a comprehensive analysis, relevant conclusions are presented.