The 8 | March 9, 2018

1. Frantastic: Brands across the board—both in franchising and outside of the industry—are tapping into the power of country music. Given that the number of adults who listen to country music has jumped by 13 percent since 2015, brands are recognizing that using country stars as spokespeople and influencers allows them to reach a new demographic. KFC is one of the brands that’s paving the way with this trend. The brand enlisted Reba McEntire as its first woman—and first musician—Colonel Sanders.

2. Franlebrity: 1851 Franchise kicked off a new issue that highlights emerging franchises to watch. One of those concepts is Pokéworks, which is why our latest Franlebrity is co-founder and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Peter Yang. In our interview with Yang, he explains how Pokéworks has become the fastest growing poke restaurant both in the U.S. and internationally and highlights how the brand is moving toward sustainability as well as healthy eating and living.

3. Frash Money: Are you looking to make some Frash Money by breaking into the franchising industry? If you’re not sure where to start, 1851 has you covered. From the detox wave to pet care, we’re breaking down five emerging segments of the industry that are expected to build on impressive momentum in the months and years to come. These segments are all backed by climbing consumer demand, making them markets that shouldn’t be overlooked by businesses and entrepreneurs.

4. Frant of the Week: There’s a common misconception about the franchise PR industry—it’s not lead generation. As No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills points out in his latest Frant, franchise PR is instead lead awareness. Powills breaks down ways that brands can grow by leveraging all of their communication efforts, including understanding that not all PR is good PR, ensuring that your content is being sent out to your lead lists and looking for credibility through content marketing that goes beyond traditional company blogs.

5. Franch Forward: Chipotle is no longer Franching Forward with its burger concept, Tasty Made. After less than two years in business, the brand decided to close its only Tasty Made location in Lancaster, Ohio. This isn’t the first time that Chipotle has scrapped the idea for a non-burrito concept—Chipotle previously closed its Southeast Asian chain ShopHouse Kitchen. Now, Pizzeria Locale is the only existing non-burrito chain from Chipotle that’s still open.

6. Fran Funny: I used to be afraid of hurdles, but then I got over it.

7. Franspiration: “Technology by itself is not the big disrupter that people often think it is, but being non-customer centric is.” – Realty ONE Group President Vinnie Tracey on why the brand is agent-centric.

8. Franemies vs. Frands: The franchising industry may have found a new Franemy on Capitol Hill. Both the Justice Department and Democratic lawmakers are looking into the legality of non-poaching agreements that prevent franchise brands from hiring workers from other locations within their systems. Right now, these agreements are included in up to 56 percent of large franchises, which is up about 20 percent from two decades ago. The International Franchise Association is defending the use of these clauses, saying that they allow franchise owners to “protect the significant financial investments they make to train employees the skills and methods necessary to deliver the product or service to customers.”