When Great Marketing Content Goes Unused: What Franchisors Can Do About It

What happens when a franchisor produces great marketing content, but franchisees simply don't use it? 

That question sat at the heart of a recent Encouraging Women Into Franchising (EWIF) North West and Wales event, where franchisors, marketing specialists, franchise lawyers and consultants gathered to talk through the real-world challenges of getting franchisees to actually engage with marketing activity.

Sue Moore, led the discussion and found a familiar theme running through it: Engagement problems are often less about motivation and more about friction. Admin-heavy systems and processes, the group agreed, are frequently the real blocker standing between good marketing content and a franchisee who actually puts it to use.

What the room had to say:

The conversation ranged across contracts, expectations and day-to-day practice, and a few points came up again and again:

-Franchise agreements differ widely. Most specify a national marketing fund contribution, commonly set as a percentage of revenue.

-Local marketing expectations vary too. Many franchisors set a minimum local marketing investment, but the group in the room said they tend not to specify an exact amount or percentage — instead relying on other contractual terms to set expectations.

-Franchisors shouldn't assume franchisees know how to implement marketing locally. 

-Ongoing marketing education is one of the most effective ways franchisors can support their network.

-Engagement follows collaboration. Sharing marketing results, providing training and working together consistently boost franchisee engagement — a point the group agreed on as simple fact.

-Access matters as much as content. Marketing portals that let franchisees easily access, view, edit and use marketing collateral came up as a practical way to close the gap between what franchisors produce and what franchisees actually use.

A system built to close that gap

Sue's presentation to the group focused on the benefits of the Eversource marketing portal, which she believes speaks directly to the admin-heavy blockers the group had identified. The portal lets franchisors share approved marketing collateral — from print and merchandise to social media assets and editable templates — through a single system connected to multiple marketing suppliers. For franchisors, that means visibility over marketing activity across the network; for franchisees, it means the right collateral is always within easy reach.

It's a simple idea with a clear goal: making it easier for franchisors to drive marketing and growth across their network by removing the friction that so often gets in the way.