1851

Name: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/berrycolin/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-colin-berry-vice-president-of-brand-development-childrens-lighthouse-2729305" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Colin Berry</a> Role: Vice President of Brand Development Brand: Children’s Lighthouse Early Learning Schools Brand Website: <a href="https://childrenslighthouse.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-colin-berry-vice-president-of-brand-development-childrens-lighthouse-2729305" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://childrenslighthouse.com/</a>With almost six years at&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/childrens-lighthouse/info">Children’s Lighthouse</a> and a career spanning leadership roles at iconic restaurant brands like TGI Fridays, Mr. Gatti’s Pizza and MOOYAH, Colin Berry is no stranger to the fast-paced, people-driven world of franchise marketing. Now as vice president of brand development for Children’s Lighthouse, Berry is helping shape a marketing strategy that balances system-wide consistency with local market nuance — all while helping franchisees build sustainable, high-performing businesses.“What I love most about franchise marketing is watching a plan come to life that has both an immediate impact on traffic and a long-term impact on the bottom line,” said Berry. “You find common ground with a lot of small business owners, especially in smaller systems, where the franchisor and franchisee win together.”Berry’s approach combines cutting-edge tools with human insight. He champions local marketing support, hyper-personalization and immersive technology as the keys to creating high-value experiences for both franchisees and their customers.<h2>Q&amp;A With Colin Berry, VP of Brand Development, Children’s Lighthouse</h2>1851 Franchise: What do you love most about franchise marketing?Colin Berry: What I love most about franchise marketing is watching a plan come to life that has both an immediate impact on traffic and a long-term impact on the bottom line. Oftentimes, franchise owners come into a system with little knowledge of franchise ownership or marketing experience. Helping people invest their life savings in this business makes it even more important to succeed. You find the common ground with a lot of small business owners, especially in small systems, where the franchisor and franchisee win together.1851: What’s the most important thing franchise marketers can do to improve unit-level economics?Berry: One is to provide support and tools. As franchise marketers, we need to recognize that local marketing is just as — if not more — important than national marketing. That includes offering those resources for a local franchisee to be successful. That might be a strong support network, strong social media tools, social listening tools or custom creative help.Also, the ability to not just provide consultation, but also to create and execute a full-scale, multi-layer marketing plan. If a franchise pro can provide these things, they will have an immediate impact on top and bottom line.1851: What do you see as franchise brands’ largest marketing opportunity today?Berry: With the many brands I’ve been with over the past 15 years, it’s all about leveraging data and analytics. If done correctly and often, you can tailor messaging and content to specific audiences. The truth in franchise marketing — and not a lot of people want to say this — is that no two units are the same, no matter how good branding or operations may be. We strive to create a seamless experience across all locations, but that can be impossible because of locales and demographics. When a franchise pro can understand that and tap into it, that alone makes a brand more successful.1851: What marketing trends are you watching closely for 2025?Berry:<ul><li>Hyper-Personalization: For a long time, personalization was really just done with things like CRM and emails. But as AI gets better, brands will be able to personalize experiences across all content points, including content, recommendations, and unique interactions.</li><li>Voice and Visual Search Optimization: My kids can sit at the kitchen table and use our Amazon Echo to search for things. That behavior is only going to grow, and brands need to optimize for it with strong keywords, high-quality images, and video.</li><li>Subscription and Membership Models: More brands are following the path of streaming services and gyms. I think we’ll see more franchise concepts lean into that recurring revenue model.</li></ul>1851: What is one bold prediction you have for what’s next in marketing?Berry: One thing that is increasingly becoming a reality is full-scale, immersive experiences. AI is moving at speeds most of us can’t understand. As tech becomes more accessible, brands are going to be able to create super, highly immersive experiences. A world where you aren’t just on your phone or in a physical store — you can attend a virtual place where you try products, meet people, attend events. In our business, for example, you could tour a potential school in an immersive experience. That is becoming more possible as time goes on.Growing and selling franchises is difficult. No great franchise did it alone. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.1851growthclub.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-colin-berry-vice-president-of-brand-development-childrens-lighthouse-2729305" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and see what we can do for you.

Colin Berry — Vice President of Brand Development, Children’s Lighthouse

Colin Berry: Building Smart Franchise Marketing at Children’s Lighthouse | 1851 Franchise

1851 Franchise

Berry brings nearly two decades of marketing leadership to Children’s Lighthouse, using data, personalization and immersive tools to drive franchisee success across the early education brand.

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Colin Berry — Vice President of Brand Development, Children’s Lighthouse

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-colin-berry-vice-president-of-brand-development-childrens-lighthouse

Mathnasium

The Steps To Becoming a Mathnasium Learning Centers Franchisee

the-steps-to-becoming-a-mathnasium-learning-centers-franchisee

Happy Joe’s Franchising

Happy Joe’s: A Proven, Resilient Business Model That Stands the Test of Time

happy-joes-a-proven-resilient-business-model-that-stands-the-test-of-time

Preservan

Preservan Franchisee Stephen Eppling Celebrates One Year of Growth and a Major Preservation Award in Athens, Georgia

preservan-franchisee-stephen-eppling-celebrates-one-year-of-growth-and-a-major-preservation-award-in-athens-georgia

Paris Baguette

Photo of person in Paris Baguette café passing cake over countertop

How Much Does It Cost To Open a Paris Baguette Café?

paris-baguette-franchise-cost-2025

Fresh Coat

Photo of two Fresh Coat franchisees and their family

How Fresh Coat Franchisees Build Business With Authentic Reviews

fresh-coat-painters-franchise-reviews

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Rising Jobless Claims Could Signal Challenges — and Opportunities — for Franchising

rising-jobless-claims-affect-franchising

Hardee’s Lawsuit Highlights the Risk of Going Off-Model in Franchising

hardees-franchise-lawsuit-paradigm-investment-group

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

Dave’s Hot Chicken Sold to Roark Capital in $1 Billion Deal to Fuel Global Expansion

daves-hot-chicken-sold-to-roark-capital-in-1-billion-deal-to-fuel-global-expansion

Homebuyers Keep Buying — And That’s Good News for Home Service Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Homebuyers Keep Buying — And That’s Good News for Home Service Franchises

homebuyers-keep-buying-and-thats-good-news-for-home-service-franchises

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

The Ultimate Guide To Selling Franchises: How to Leverage Franchise Expos

how-franchisors-can-leverage-franchise-expos-to-drive-success

Darshan Gad - CMO - KidStrong - Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Darshan Gad — Chief Marketing Officer, KidStrong

kidstrong-marketing-leader-darshan-gad

The Ultimate Guide To Selling Franchises: How To Budget Properly

how-franchises-can-budget-their-finances-properly

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ed Holmes and Papa Murphy's logo

Thirty Years of Take ‘n’ Bake: Ed Holmes Reflects on a Lifetime With Papa Murphy’s

papa-murphys-franchise-ed-holmes-30-years

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise Built on Heart and Community

paris-baguette-franchise-rockaway-new-jersey-vishal-junjea

From Personal Care to Purpose-Driven Business: Why This Couple Is Bringing Griswold to Houston

from-personal-care-to-purpose-driven-business-why-this-couple-is-bringing-griswold-to-houston

Design with outline of three houses and people working on laptops within them

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Colin Berry — Vice President of Brand Development, Children’s Lighthouse

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS