Mainland

Are leads down for other brands in 2025? Are franchisees not buying as much? How do I compete in this crazy franchise world for more deals? What are the new franchise metrics?Before diving into each part of this complex question, let’s look at the competitive equation, as it will help you see the depth of challenge and the depth of opportunity.&nbsp;<ul><li>Every brand competes against the franchise brokers.</li><li>Franchise brokers are becoming desperate for deals – as more brokers are born each day – taking away deals; and there is an uptick to franchise sales deception (it is up to franchisors to solve this).</li><li>Go back 24 months, you won’t see many restaurant brands in the broker ecosystem. Now, there are brands populating the inventory in the restaurant space that showcase subpar numbers. The challenge isn’t overselling and hyping up a brand. It is the failure of performance once the franchisee opens and gets activated.</li><li>Failure of performance slows development agreements. Slowing developing agreements turns into a major double edged sword in that multi-unit agreements are the norm, thus, the territory is cannibalized and limited.</li><li>Investment costs are skyrocketing – and franchisors are not innovating enough to pull up the AUV. There are solutions in the construct of the business opportunity – ie, the Grand Opening Marketing costs aligned to customers acquisition cost and the lifetime value of the customer.</li><li>There are plenty of deals, just franchisors are not spending enough to create the snowball effect. The brands that spend right are the ones who gain the momentum others want. The challenge is where does the capital come from? What is the proper investment? Is it the franchise fee? Should we rework the franchise fee to be called the franchisee acquisition fee? Or onboard fee? Something that creates more transparency?</li></ul>In 2025, franchising isn’t slipping—it’s evolving. Lead volumes vary by brand and category and investment, but the overall ecosystem remains robust. Brand expansion remains real, even amid higher costs.Still, some brands are indeed finding leads more elusive. Many franchise development teams report rising cost-per-lead across platforms like Google, Meta, broker networks, and portals—and yet they’re doubling down on the same channels. In short: leads haven’t dried up, but they’ve become more expensive and competitive for some (which if you look at deal value you can get to a fair number to budget for investment).&nbsp;As for franchisees, whether they’re buying less depends on how well brands adapt. Systems that shift from quantity to quality—focusing on lead-fit over volume—are keeping pace. Broader macroeconomic headwinds may slow certain verticals, but sectors like personal services and fast-growing regions in the Southeast and Southwest are thriving.So what's the path forward in this fractious, cost-intensive franchise arena? First, diversify your lead channels. While Google remains ubiquitous, Meta growth is surging, content creation is growing the fastest, and even TikTok is gaining traction. Spread your model across content, PR, digital, localized, and referral-heavy systems to avoid overpaying for leads.Second, tighten your metrics—Franchisors are adopting more granular analytics. Key new metrics include net unit growth (accounting for closures too), territory saturation and penetration, lead-to-close ratios, and development cost per franchisee (including broker fees, salaries, and media). Capturing these will help you invest smarter, not harder.Third, pivot toward local and data-informed campaigns. National branding still matters, but local traction is king. Franchisors who empower franchisees with adaptable, data-driven marketing toolkits are capturing more wins.Fourth, lean into emerging sectors. In 2025, franchises in health and wellness, pet services, eco-friendly businesses, home improvement, and tech-enabled education are attracting investors due to rising consumer demand and strong recurrence models. If you are not in these spaces, create content that focuses on this buyer – educate then why they should consider your brand. Leverage franchisees (their backgrounds and stories) that align to those hot sectors.2025 franchising is not weaker—it’s smarter. While leads are pricier and the competition fiercer, brands that diversify acquisition, master modern metrics, localize then scale effectively, and lean into high-demand niches will stand out. It’s less about chasing volume and more about sharpening your edge.We dove in on this month’s discussion.

1851 Coffee & Analytics image with photo of Nick Powills

Franchise Growth in 2025: Strategies for More Leads & Deals

1851 Franchise

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HHxbPW3EXG8

In a fractious, cost-intensive franchise space, franchisors must adapt. Diversify lead channels, adopt new metrics, focus on data-informed campaigns and lean into emerging sectors to grow smarter.

The New 2025 Franchise Metrics: How to Invest Smarter, Not Harder

the-new-2025-franchise-metrics

INFORMATION

Contact

About Mainland

Hello by Mainland

Other Publications

Learn

Download Brochure

Visit Website

MAINLAND

Facebook

LinkedIn

Instagram

SOCIAL MEDIA

Scaling the Soon-to-Be Famous: How Layne’s Chicken Fingers Leveraged a Mainland Franchise Assessment to Fuel a 110% Growth Surge

How Mainland Sees AI Changing Franchise PR and Marketing

 How Mainland Helped Right at Home Turn Local Media Into a Franchise Development Breakthrough

MAINLAND MOST READ STORIES

1851 LOGIN

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

ABOUT MAINLAND

CONTACT MAINLAND

facebook

instagram

linkedin

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

Comments

Contact Mainland

Franchise buyers have more tools than ever to research brands, and artificial intelligence (AI) is&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/goodspark/why-franchise-brands-need-to-rethink-distribution-in-the-ai-era-2732127#featured">quickly becoming one of them</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://hellomainland.com/">Mainland</a> is already thinking about how that shift could change marketing and public relations moving forward.“You watch the news or listen to the voices of this world, there is some fear over what the future of our job force will be in a world of AI,” said Mainland co-founder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/powills/">Nick Powills</a>. “Rightfully so. Anytime a new technology pops into production, it can raise some concerns for people who don't know how to use it and how to leverage it.”As a franchise PR agency,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mainland/info">Mainland</a> works at the intersection of storytelling, media and brand visibility. That means understanding not only where media is today, but where it is headed next.“We have to be looking at what is going to evolve and change in that category and in delivery,” Powills said. “One, to make sure we're staying ahead of the curve as a business and, second, to make sure we're staying ahead of the curve for our clients.”<h2>Media Has Changed and PR Is Changing With It</h2>Social media is one of the clearest examples of how fast media can change. In the past, brands relied on newspapers, television and radio to reach audiences. Today, anyone with a phone and a platform can become part of the media conversation.“All of a sudden, we, the people, became the media,” Powills said. “And it's fascinating because it's impacted elections. It reports on breaking news faster than anything else.”&nbsp;That change has directly impacted PR. Traditional media placements still matter, but they are no longer the only path to getting seen. Podcasts, creators, influencers and digital-first storytelling have all become part of the mix. PR has to be built across multiple channels where both people and AI are getting their information.&nbsp;“In the past, it was PR, meaning ‘Let's go get in biz journals and daily newspapers and radio and TV,’” Powills said. “Then comes podcasts, then comes bloggers. And so now the availability of the message continues to heat up.”<h2>AI Is Becoming Part of Franchise Buyer Due Diligence</h2>One of the biggest shifts Mainland is watching is how&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/goodspark/ai-franchise-sales-2732234#featured">AI is changing the research process</a> for franchise buyers. Prospective franchisees can now use tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude or Google’s Gemini to ask detailed questions about a franchise before ever submitting an inquiry form.“I can go on to ChatGPT or Claude or Gemini or whatever system I use and I can say, ‘Should I buy this franchise? What are the pros and cons of buying this franchise? Who are their top franchisees?’” Powills said. “What AI is doing is acting as my Wikipedia before buying a business.”&nbsp;As AI becomes part of the research process, brands need to think about how their stories are being found, summarized and presented before a buyer ever reaches out. That means thinking carefully about where their story appears and how AI tools may interpret it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>The Future of PR Is Bigger Than Media Relations</h2>AI does not signal the end of PR. But it does change the job. Rather than focusing only on pitching journalists, PR professionals will increasingly need to think strategically about how stories are structured, distributed and understood by both humans and machines.“PR is going to change drastically,” Powills said. “We’re not going to be in the business of pitching just the media any longer because the media is going to continue to change. It’s going to be in the business of building influence around a product or a business.”Powills believes that this will raise the bar for communications professionals. PR professionals will need to raise their level of professionalism and deepen their knowledge base. “They’re going to have to have a strategic conversation,” he said. “They’re not just going to be doers.”<h2>Building Brand Stories for the AI Era</h2>At Mainland, the focus is on helping brands make their stories visible wherever people search for information, whether that is through traditional media, podcasts, search engines or AI assistants.“We have to make sure it’s machine-ready, it’s machine learning, it’s telling the good, the bad and the ugly and we’re transparent,” Powills said. “I think transparency is going to lift up even more as this gets stronger.”Now, franchise brands have to think strategically beyond earned media impressions and ask a new set of questions: How is the brand being talked about online? What information is AI pulling into answers? And what story is a prospective franchise buyer hearing before they ever speak to the development team?“When you’re looking at how to hire a PR agency, you’re actually finding one that is thinking about how do we integrate your story, not just in the Wall Street Journal, but in ChatGPT,” Powills said. “And it carries equal, if not greater, weight for what you can do for your brand.”AI is reshaping how franchise stories are found and shared, and the agencies that adapt early will be the ones helping brands stay visible in this new era.&nbsp; To learn more about working with Mainland, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://hellomainland.com/">https://hellomainland.com/</a>.&nbsp;

New developments in AI are entering franchise marketing, franchise public relations, PR strategy, and franchise marketing trends.

mainland-ai-changing-franchise-pr-marketing

Franchise candidates rarely make decisions overnight. In fact, most spend months researching, validating and looking for proof points before taking the leap. For&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennychaney">Jen Chaney</a> and the team at&nbsp;<a href="https://rightathomefranchise.com/">Right at Home</a>, one of those proof points came in the form of a regional media placement secured by&nbsp;<a href="https://hellomainland.com/">Mainland</a>.<a href="https://www.gazettextra.com/news/local/right-at-home-in-home-care-company-eyes-janesville-market/article_baad327d-db3b-49b0-bb59-77f09051d024.html">A feature in The Gazette (GazetteXtra)</a> spotlighted the brand’s expansion into the Janesville, Wisconsin market and highlighted the human stories behind the opportunity.According to Chaney, the coverage became a pivotal touchpoint for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-villa/">Katie Villa</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryjovilla/">Mary Jo Villa</a>, a mother-daughter duo in Janesville, Wisconsin who had been exploring <a href="https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/right-at-home-mother-daughter-franchisee-janesville-2732128#stories">their next chapter</a>. Katie spent years on the frontlines of healthcare, beginning as a caregiver in college and later working as a nurse, an experience deepened by personally caring for her grandfather during hospice. Meanwhile, her mother Mary Jo brought a background in human resources and operations, having held a variety of roles across newspapers and radio stations.After reading the article, they saw themselves reflected in the opportunity and ultimately decided to move forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/info">Right at Home</a> franchise.<h2>The Power of Seeing Yourself in the Story</h2>The GazetteXtra feature focused on more than just a business opening. It told a story about people and community impact.“When Katie saw this article and sent it to me, my first piece of pride was, ‘Yes, she's still reading the newspaper.’ But I told her we should absolutely explore it,” Mary Jo said. “I have been so impressed with Right at Home. They were clearly selecting us, and we were selecting them.”That approach is a prime example of what Mainland’s Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemaw1">Julie Maw</a> says is a defining PR trend for 2026:&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mainland/top-pr-earned-media-trends-2026-2731198#stories">franchisee-led storytelling</a>. “The most powerful PR asset in franchising is the franchisee, not the brand,” Maw said.For prospective owners who may be transitioning careers, these stories act as important validation. The mother-daughter duo saw a version of their own future reflected in the coverage.&nbsp; “Katie's only 30 years old, and so yes, she has me, but you need someone other than your mom validating what your mom says,” Mary Jo said. “So I’ve been extremely impressed with the expertise coming out of Right at Home corporate&nbsp;and how they bring new owners on.”<h2>Regional PR as the Conversion Catalyst</h2>Mainland knows that&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/local-vs-national-franchise-marketing-2726180">regional and local coverage</a> can play a different role than national press, especially when candidates are already weighing the benefits of a specific market.“While national credibility gets attention, local relevance drives the action,” Maw said.The GazetteXtra article served as a localized proof point. It demonstrated demand in a specific market, highlighted community need and showed how the brand operates on the ground. For candidates already in the consideration phase, that kind of visibility can accelerate decision-making. In this instance, it became the tipping point.<h2>Activating the “Buzz Factory”</h2>Mainland’s strategy centers on what Maw calls activating the&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/buzz-factory-process-mainland-franchise-growth-2731901">“buzz factory,”</a> making sure brands are consistently visible across national and local channels throughout the research cycle.&nbsp;That GazetteXtra feature, for example, was just one piece of a larger PR puzzle designed to keep Right at Home top-of-mind while candidates weighed their options across multiple touchpoints.“PR is a marathon,” Maw said. “It’s not just a flash-in-the-pan moment.”<h2>More Than a Placement&nbsp;</h2>For Mainland, this outcome reflects a larger philosophy that PR is not just about media coverage. It’s about building a strategic narrative that&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mainland/how-mainland-and-1851-franchise-impact-your-brand-story-supports-the-sales-funnel-2717348">supports franchise growth at every stage of the funnel</a>.Sometimes, all it takes is the right story, in the right publication, at the right moment.Growing and selling franchises is difficult. Want to learn more about how Mainland helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://hellomainland.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&amp;%3Butm_medium=article&amp;%3Butm_campaign=mainland-secures-nearly-10-million-in-media-value-for-franchise-clients-in-early-2025-2728648&amp;utm_source=1851franchise.com&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=top-pr-earned-media-trends-2026-2731198">https://hellomainland.com/</a> and see what we can do for you.

image of right at home pr feature acquired by hello mainland

When a mother-daughter duo came across local coverage about Right at Home’s Wisconsin expansion, the story helped push them toward franchise ownership.

right-at-home-regional-pr-franchise-development

The Buzz Factory Blueprint: How Mainland Amplifies Brand Narratives By Leaving Traditional Blanket Marketing Behind

buzz-factory-process-mainland-franchise-growth

image of 1851 franchise nick powills coffee and analytics webinar on multi unit conferences 

The Secret to Selling Franchises: You Spent Thousands at Multi-Unit. Now What?

multi-unit-franchising-conference-strategy-franchise-growth

The New 2025 Franchise Metrics: How to Invest Smarter, Not Harder

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS