Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns the marketing budget in a franchise: the franchisor or franchisee?
Typically both. The franchisor manages national brand marketing funded by mandatory franchisee contributions (often 1 to 4 percent of revenue paid into a national ad fund). Each franchisee then manages local marketing for their territory using their own budget. The franchise agreement defines what’s covered nationally vs locally and any approval rules for local creative.
How do franchises handle local SEO across multiple locations?
The franchisor usually provides a master multi-location strategy: standardized Google Business Profile schemas, NAP consistency tools (Yext, Moz Local, Uberall), corporate location pages with shared content, and franchisee-controlled local pages. Franchisees handle review responses, local citations, and community-specific content. The best programs use a centralized dashboard that pushes updates to all locations at once.
Can franchisees run their own Google Ads campaigns?
Usually yes, but with limits. Most franchisors require franchisees to use a pre-approved Google Ads agency or in-house team to keep brand bidding, ad copy, and landing pages consistent. Some franchisors fully manage Google Ads centrally and bill franchisees through co-op funds. Always confirm rules in your franchise agreement before launching solo campaigns.
What’s the role of a brand portal in franchise marketing?
A brand portal is a centralized library where franchisees access approved creative assets (logos, images, video, ad templates), order printed marketing materials, request co-op funds, and download market-specific templates. Strong brand portals (HubSpot, Brandkit, Frontify) reduce off-brand creative, accelerate local campaign launches, and centralize legal compliance.
How do franchises balance national brand campaigns with local activation?
Use a layered approach: national campaigns drive top-of-funnel awareness across all markets at once; regional campaigns handle multi-state promotions; local franchisees activate bottom-of-funnel offers (free consultations, grand opening promos). Sync the messaging calendar so local activations amplify national pushes rather than competing with them.