How to Plan for Your Integrated Franchise Development PR Strategy
March 25, 2025
When launching a lead generation strategy, you’ll likely see the benefits of increased brand awareness, higher engagement and stronger franchisee interest within a few months if you take the time to set yourself up well. A proactive, strategic approach is essential for keeping your brand in the spotlight year after year. But if your current efforts feel rushed or disjointed, it may be a sign that your planning needs a reset. Here’s how to get back on track and strengthen your franchise development marketing efforts to make a meaningful impact.
1. Plan as Early as Possible
Timing is everything. The best franchise development strategies are planned well in advance, with the first stage taking shape in the early parts of the third quarter of the year, when creative brainstorming is in full swing. From there, ideas are transformed into strategies by late-October – PR plans formalized, content marketing and social media calendarized and paid advertising budgeted for the year ahead. This timeline sets up proactive planning that secures effective franchise development lead generation and positioning.
When we plan a franchise development PR strategy from scratch at All Points Public Relations, we plan well in advance. Take, for instance, the work our team has done for CC’s Coffee House. To maintain the brand’s “Your Pace, Your Place” mission through its franchise launch announcement, we planned well in advance. This not only resulted in positive press, but also a steady cadence of content that emphasized CC’s Coffee House’s passion for service.
2. Be Prepared to Meet the Moment
Unfortunately, planning far in advance isn’t always an option. When time is of the essence, prioritize low-hanging fruit. The quickest way to gain traction with PR is through newsjacking and trendjacking to position your franchise as relevant and forward-thinking. Another tactic is to ensure your strategy aligns with the year’s trade show schedules and that you are actively contacting trade show attendee lists pre- and post-show about your franchise investment.
For example, our team starts prepping for the annual Multi-Unit Franchising Conference well in advance, crafting integrated strategies for our clients that tie into multi-unit growth. From blog posts that highlight multi-unit owners to social posts boosting our clients’ presence at MUFC, we make sure that we’re meeting the moment and keeping in touch with the current conversation in franchising. This flexibility, on top of an already robust PR strategy, is what delivers impressive lead generation results.
3. Follow Through on Your Brand’s Storyline
Because of the third-party validation, brand narrative and return on investment it offers, public relations (PR) is often the foundation of a thoughtful franchise development marketing strategy. Beyond earned media placements, PR provides a pathway to tell a compelling brand story that reflects values and vision across a collection of integrated PR channels. Thoughtful planning, creativity and a commitment to that story will organically drive qualified franchisees to your brand and amplify your exposure. Your brand story, in turn, should reflect your franchise development goals, whether they be increasing franchisee leads, establishing your reputation as an industry leader, building awareness for the franchise opportunity, or a combination of each of these.
Consider the work All Points Public Relations did for one of our clients, Rusty Taco. In honor of the brand’s 15th anniversary, we crafted a fully integrated franchise development campaign that celebrated the company’s direction and paid homage to its roots. From earned media to owned LinkedIn content, our media plan emphasized Rusty Taco’s status as a consistent innovator in the franchising space for the past 15 years.
Much like this campaign, an effective strategy takes a 360-degree integrated approach, ensuring all marketing channels work together seamlessly to convey the franchising value proposition. This means advancing PR efforts and carrying the compelling franchise storyline into social media, content marketing, digital marketing and more.
An impactful PR strategy starts with early and thorough planning. By setting clear goals, integrating multiple media channels and staying ahead of industry trends, franchisors can position their brands for long-term success. No matter where you are in your franchise development PR efforts, the key is to approach your marketing with both intention and creativity.
