National marketing builds brand awareness, but local activation drives real sales. This session explores how franchisors can empower franchisees to “own their turf” through effective local area marketing (LAM), community engagement, and grassroots brand-building—without sacrificing consistency or control. Through examples from leading franchise systems, the panel will discuss how to strike the right balance between national campaigns and local authenticity, and the tools, training, and guardrails franchisors must provide to help franchisees execute confidently and compliantly. 

Learning Objectives 

1. Link local activation to same-store sales and system-wide growth 

2. Balance national campaigns with authentic, high-impact local strategies 

3. Equip franchisees with the right tools, templates, and governance to execute LAM well