Ignite Local Marketing today launched the Ignite Engine, a simple, cost-effective, web-based toolkit that educates and empowers store managers of quick-service and fast-casual restaurant systems to run more effective local store marketing campaigns through tutorials, company collateral, and customization of branded coupons, mailers, fliers, and other marketing materials.

“The Ignite LSM Engine reduces the complexity and expense of manually producing, approving, and distributing marketing materials across multiple store locations,” says James Shannon, founder and CEO of Ignite Local Marketing. “Individual stores can customize materials to reflect their local market while maintaining a consistent brand image for the chain.”

There are four key components of the Ignite Engine: 

An online library that holds branded marketing elements to build custom coupons, mailers, flyers, or other marketing materials available from a chain. A local store manager can easily drag-and-drop different coupons or add text to corporate-designed templates to create a final item.

A simple online approval process where each newly created marketing piece can be reviewed by the appropriate corporate personnel before being printed or downloaded. The process can be configured to match the workflow and approval process for a chain, including integration with fulfillment houses.

Instructive online tutorials created by 5 Mile Buzz, a branding agency specializing in local store marketing. The tutorials educate local store managers on how to make their local marketing efforts more impactful and include topics ranging from negotiating with advertising sales people to social media.

Dedicated areas for distribution of corporate collateral, such as logos and style guides, to local store managers.

The Ignite Engine is based on a toolkit that recently won a QSR magazine 2010 Applied Technology Award that honors technological innovations having a positive effect on productivity and efficiency.

The toolkit is a cloud-based web application that can be quickly implemented. Ignite provides configuration, technical and business support, and upgrades for a monthly fee.