Prospective franchisees are increasingly using AI to discover, research and compare opportunities before they ever speak with a development team. What do they see when they search for your brand? How do you compare with competitors? Explore how AI is changing franchise discovery, what influences the information candidates find, and what franchisors can do now to improve visibility, accuracy and lead quality.

Learning objectives

1. Understand how AI is changing the way prospective franchisees discover and research opportunities.

2. Assess how your brand appears in traditional and AI-powered search.

3. Identify changes that could improve visibility, accuracy and lead quality.

Activity: Franchise Search Reality Check

Participants put themselves in the shoes of a prospective franchisee and search for their own opportunity using realistic questions such as:

- What are the best [category] franchises in Canada?

- How much does it cost to open a [brand/category] franchise?

- Is [brand] a good franchise investment?

- What should I know before buying a [category] franchise?

They compare their brand with two or three competitors and consider:

- Does our brand appear?

- Is the information accurate?

- How are we being described?

- How do we compare with other opportunities?

- What questions are not being answered well?

- What should we improve?

Workbook takeaway: Two or three changes or questions to take back to the development and marketing teams.