The Franchise Ascension Initiative — working to bridge the wealth gap through diversity in franchising — is getting written up in Forbes, Savoy, and Black Enterprise. The program’s mission is clear: empower underrepresented voices in franchising and help people build success.

The integration of technology is no longer a trend, but a necessity. Among the many tools and strategies a brand can implement for their marketing efforts, marketing automation stands out as a powerful force that can reshape the way businesses connect with their consumers, location owners, and internal teams. Few understand this transformation as intimately as Brandy Zickefoose, the Vice President of Marketing for i9 Sports. As a pioneer in the sports and recreation industry, the brand continues to use innovative approaches to elevate their marketing efforts. Beyond their impressive success lies a compelling story of leveraging marketing automation to revolutionize their brand, increase franchisee adoption rates, and increase their results to a phenomenal level.

This month marks the third anniversary of the global Covid-19 pandemic and while many of us are keen to move forward, it’s important for businesses to reflect on the takeaways and build on lessons learned through our shared, global experiences.

When reviewing data from most 2023 media forecasts from eMarketer and other similar research firms, there is a consensus that while advertising spend growth will continue in 2023, it’s likely to be at a slower pace than previous years. With the economic outlook featuring lots of uncertainty, many brands and marketers have signaled that there is a renewed focus on ensuring marketing budgets are spent more efficiently this year. Every dollar counts and the adage remains; never stop marketing. So how can franchisors adapt and maximize marketing ROI this year?

The looming risk of economic recession can be tough on franchises. With more consumers cutting back on expenses, all business owners have to prepare for a possible decrease in revenue. One way of ensuring steady business to mitigate the effects of a recession is by reexamining your franchise digital marketing strategy and seeing if the marketing strategies you’re using are worth bringing into 2023.

Unless required by their franchisor, many franchisees may not have prior experience in their franchise industry. In fact, at Christian Brothers Automotive (CBA), a majority of our most successful franchisees have no prior automotive experience before signing their agreement; they simply possess the characteristics and professional background we require.