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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Franchise Marketing Manager

💰 $95,000 - $130,000

MarketingManagementBusiness Development

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a strategic marketer passionate about empowering local business owners to succeed? We are searching for a highly motivated and results-driven Franchise Marketing Manager to join our corporate team. In this critical role, you will be the primary marketing liaison for our franchise partners, developing and executing innovative marketing programs that drive brand consistency, increase local market penetration, and boost system-wide revenue. You will be responsible for creating the tools, resources, and strategies our franchisees need to thrive in their communities while ensuring alignment with our national brand vision. If you excel at building relationships, analyzing performance, and managing multi-faceted marketing campaigns in a fast-paced environment, we want to hear from you.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Marketing Manager (Corporate or Multi-Unit)
  • Field Marketing Manager
  • Brand Manager

Advancement To:

  • Director of Franchise Marketing
  • Senior Director of Marketing
  • VP of Marketing

Lateral Moves:

  • National Brand Strategy Manager
  • Director of Digital Marketing

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, execute, and oversee comprehensive national and local marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, customer acquisition, and revenue growth across the entire franchise network.
  • Act as the primary marketing consultant and point of contact for all franchisees, providing them with guidance, training, and support to effectively market their local businesses.
  • Create and manage a robust library of marketing collateral, toolkits, and playbooks (for grand openings, seasonal promotions, local events, etc.) that are easily accessible and customizable for franchisees.
  • Spearhead the development and management of the National Advertising Fund (NAF), including budget allocation, campaign planning, and presenting performance reports to the franchisee advisory council.
  • Lead the strategy for local digital marketing initiatives, including local SEO, paid search (PPC), social media advertising, and online reputation management, providing franchisees with best practices and approved vendors.
  • Plan and execute national marketing campaigns across various channels (digital, social, PR, print, broadcast), ensuring seamless integration with local-level marketing activities.
  • Analyze marketing campaign performance, local store marketing (LSM) effectiveness, and system-wide KPIs to measure ROI and provide actionable insights for continuous improvement.
  • Manage relationships with external marketing agencies, vendors, and technology partners to ensure they deliver high-quality work on time and within budget.
  • Ensure brand consistency and compliance across all franchisee marketing materials and channels, conducting regular audits and providing constructive feedback.
  • Develop and deliver engaging marketing training programs and webinars for new and existing franchisees, covering topics from social media basics to executing a grand opening.
  • Collaborate with the franchise development team to create compelling marketing materials that attract and convert prospective franchisee leads.
  • Provide intensive, hands-on marketing support for new franchise grand openings to ensure a successful launch and strong initial customer traffic.
  • Manage and optimize the corporate and local franchisee websites, focusing on user experience, lead generation, and SEO performance.
  • Oversee regional marketing co-ops, facilitating collaboration among franchisees in specific markets to maximize their collective advertising spend and impact.
  • Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify emerging trends, consumer insights, and new opportunities for growth at both the national and local levels.
  • Develop and manage the annual franchise marketing budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources to achieve strategic objectives.
  • Create and manage a communication plan to keep franchisees informed of upcoming marketing initiatives, performance results, and best practices.
  • Work closely with the operations team to ensure marketing initiatives are operationally feasible and are supported by in-store execution.
  • Evaluate and implement new marketing technologies and platforms that can enhance franchisee marketing capabilities and improve efficiency.
  • Lead the planning and execution of marketing-related sessions and presentations at the annual franchise conference and regional meetings.
  • Serve as the voice of the franchisee within the corporate marketing department, ensuring their needs, challenges, and feedback are incorporated into national strategy.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover new marketing opportunities.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader brand strategy and long-term marketing roadmap.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional departments (Operations, Sales, IT) to translate business needs into cohesive marketing programs.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the marketing and technology teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Franchise Marketing Strategy: Deep understanding of the franchisor-franchisee relationship and experience with National Advertising Funds (NAF) and co-op models.
  • Digital Marketing Platforms: Proficiency in Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, and other social media advertising platforms.
  • Marketing Analytics & ROI: Strong ability to track, analyze, and report on marketing KPIs, translating data into actionable insights.
  • Local SEO & SEM: Expertise in optimizing for local search and managing location-based paid advertising campaigns.
  • Budget Management: Experience creating and managing complex marketing budgets and allocating funds effectively.
  • Content Management Systems (CMS): Familiarity with platforms like WordPress for managing web content.
  • Project Management Software: Competency with tools like Asana, Monday.com, or Trello to manage multiple campaigns and stakeholder timelines.

Soft Skills

  • Relationship Building: Exceptional ability to build trust, rapport, and strong collaborative partnerships with franchisees and internal teams.
  • Influence & Persuasion: Skillfully influencing franchisees to adopt marketing programs and best practices without direct authority.
  • Exceptional Communication: Superior verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex strategies clearly to diverse audiences.
  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the big picture and develop long-term plans while managing day-to-day execution.
  • Problem-Solving: Proactive and resourceful in identifying challenges and developing effective solutions in a fast-paced environment.
  • Leadership & Coaching: A natural leader and coach who is passionate about empowering others to succeed.
  • Adaptability: Highly flexible and able to pivot strategies in response to changing market conditions and franchisee feedback.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a relevant field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing
  • Business Administration
  • Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5-8 years of progressive marketing experience.

Preferred:

  • A minimum of 3-5 years of direct experience in a franchise, multi-unit retail, or restaurant marketing environment is strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated track record of developing and executing successful local and national marketing campaigns that drive measurable results.
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