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Welcome to Creme de la Creme: Franchise Industry News - a publication that brings you the latest news from the franchise world’s most influential characters.
From AI-driven discovery to evolving franchise regulations, the landscape of franchising is shifting fast. This month’s issue spotlights how brands are adapting — and where advocacy matters most. Learn how Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is helping franchises rise to the top of AI-powered search, why streamlining your marketing tech stack can strengthen brand performance, and what the latest Hardee’s lawsuit reveals about franchisor–franchisee relations.
Sit back and relax as SeoSamba brings you highlights from the incredible world of franchise influencers, shedding light on the latest developments and achievements within the franchise industry.
Nominations Are Now Open: SeoSamba’s Top 100 Global Franchise Influencers of 2026
Do you know a standout leader shaping the future of franchising? Someone whose ideas, innovation, or advocacy make a measurable impact on the industry? SeoSamba is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Top 100 Franchise Influencers list.
Whether it’s a strategist, educator, founder, consultant, or community voice, we want to highlight the people moving franchising forward.
Nomination Deadline: January 8, 2026
Submit your nomination: seosamba.com
Help us recognize the forward-thinkers and change-makers defining the next era of franchising.
We’re thrilled to announce more innovators from the 2025 SeoSamba Top 100 Global Franchise Influencers list , spotlighting the visionaries shaping the future of franchising. This year’s honorees include Jason West-McReynolds founder of Fran Metrics which helps support franchisors and franchisees through boosting and simplifying unit-level economics by leveraging knowledge of KPI trends and benchmarking. Fernando Lopez de Castilla, Founding Partner, GNF Worldwide & Formula X / Published Author of "La Biblia de las Franquicias: ¿Acaso esta historia comenzó con una hamburguesa.” Nishant Verma, Franchise To World- Empowering individuals with expertise to own successful Franchise operations, with a focus on creating a comprehensive strategy that drives long-term success. Michael Hyam, Franchise Assembly, SalesKing101, The National Franchise Show, Your go to for "All Things Franchise". Nick Anthony Zamucen, Best Option Restoration- Serial entrepreneur, named Top 40 CEO's Under 40 from Business Diversity Magazine 2019, and 4x published author. Joel Libava, The Franchise King, Well known for his straightforward and candid approach, providing honest, practical guidance to individuals looking to own a franchise. Richard Davies, Xplorergroup, Helping clients achieve their franchise goals, whether it is launching a new concept, expanding into new markets, improving operations, or increasing profitability.
SHAKERS & MOVERS
Franchise World Updates: Who's Moving Up and Who's Taking New Roles
Congratulations to all the professionals making strides in their careers! Here's a quick look at the latest movements in the franchise industry:
Danessa Itaya, CFE- Maid Brigade
New Role: President
Company Overview: Maid Brigade is a premier residential cleaning company. Imagine yourself as a Maid Brigade franchisee. You’re not just running a business; you’re building a future, supporting your family, and contributing to the well-being of your community.
Ray Fabik- Caring Transitions
New Role: CEO
Company Overview: Caring Transitions provides families throughout the U.S. with the most trusted, respected and comprehensive downsizing, right-sizing, estate sales and online auctions, and move management solutions possible.
Jerry Eulentrop- Gateway Franchise Advisors
New Role: Managing Partner
Company Overview: Gateway Franchise Advisors helps clients identify franchise opportunities that align with their goals, lifestyle, and financial objectives, navigate the due diligence process — from discovery to funding to grand opening, and build long-term strategies for multi-unit ownership and sustainable growth.
Kara Nugent-Garcia- Ivy Kids Early Learning Center
New Role: Franchise Business Coach
Company Overview: Ivy Kids is a trusted provider and franchisor of Preschool and offers premier early childhood education programs and before and after-school programs for children.
FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT
Beyond AEO: Turning AI Visibility Into Real Franchise Growth
As franchises adopt Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and begin appearing in AI-powered answers through tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, the next phase is transforming that visibility into real growth. AI is influencing not just how people search — but how they evaluate brands and make decisions. For franchisors, this moment offers a major competitive advantage.
Consistency Builds AI Trust
AI favors brands that present clear, consistent messaging across every location. When your FAQs, services, and content align across your entire network, AI reads your brand as authoritative and reliable — boosting both corporate and local franchise visibility.
AEO Strengthens Local Marketing
Structured, question-first content helps individual locations appear for high-intent searches like “Who does mold remediation in Bethesda?” Even newer territories benefit, leveling the playing field across your network.
AEO Also Fuels Franchise Development
Prospects researching franchise opportunities now turn to AI for guidance. When your brand consistently appears in answers about profitability, industry rankings, or marketing sophistication, validation becomes easier and development teams gain momentum.
Better Insights = Smarter Decisions
Once your content is structured for AI, you unlock clearer intelligence: what customers ask, which services matter most, and which pages get cited by AI tools. These insights shape stronger national campaigns and more effective local strategies.
How Franchisors Move From AEO-Ready to AI-Dominant
• Localized AEO content for every territory
• Case studies and clear service definitions to build authority
• Corporate oversight with easy-to-execute local frameworks
• Automated content distribution across all locations
• Structured reviews, listings, and CRM data that reinforce trust signals
The Bottom Line
AI rewards clarity, structure, and consistency — strengths at the core of franchising. When applied systemwide, AEO becomes a growth engine: improving visibility, driving higher-quality leads, strengthening brand trust, and accelerating franchise development.
For franchisors ready to advance from AEO to full AI optimization, SeoSamba provides the strategy, structure, and technology to lead the way.
FRANCHISE BRAND MARKETING
Online Reviews Stats Every Franchisor Needs To Know
The numbers don’t lie: online reviews have become one of the most powerful drivers of consumer behavior. For franchisors, reviews directly affect local visibility, competitive positioning, and even systemwide revenue potential. Here’s what today’s data reveals—and why a strategic, automated approach to reputation management is no longer optional.
How Reviews Shape Consumer Decisions
1. 98% of consumers read online reviews for small businesses.
Pro Tip: Make review acquisition part of your operating rhythm. A CRM with built-in automated review requests simplifies the process and improves consistency.
2. 93% say online reviews influence their purchasing decisions.
Pro Tip: Ignoring your online reputation is the same as ignoring your sales pipeline.
3. 88% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Pro Tip: Customers want proof—consistent, authentic social proof across locations.
4. 71% won’t choose a business with an average rating below 3 stars.
Pro Tip: Fast, thoughtful responses to negative reviews help prevent long-term damage.
5. 73% only trust reviews that are less than 30 days old.
6. 70% need at least four reviews before trusting a business.
Pro Tip: Build a steady, automated stream of fresh reviews to maintain credibility.
7. 81% read Google reviews when evaluating local businesses.
Pro Tip: Every franchisee should claim, optimize, and maintain their Google Business Profile.
8. Customers spend an average of 31% more with businesses that have excellent reviews.
9. 41.7% trust third-party review sites over reviews on a company’s own website.
Pro Tip: A strong review management platform makes tracking and responding across multiple sites easy.
10. Nearly half of consumers post at least one review per month.
Pro Tip: The opportunity for review growth is constant—if you’re set up to capture it.
What This Means for Franchise Systems
When a franchisee says, “We’re slow,” one of the first places to look is their online reputation.
Ask questions like:
• Are they consistently earning 4- and 5-star reviews?
• Do they have more, fewer, or fresher reviews than competitors?
• Are they responding to reviews quickly—and professionally?
• Is there a system in place to help them generate new reviews automatically?
Struggling locations often share the same issue: inconsistent review acquisition and no centralized oversight.
Where SeoSamba Helps
This is where SeoSamba’s ecosystem makes an immediate difference.
Franchisors get:
- Automated review requests built into the CRM
- Centralized dashboards to monitor every franchisee’s reputation
- AI-assisted responses for speed and professionalism
- Integration with Google, Facebook, Yelp, and industry platforms
- Alerts and reporting so no negative review goes unnoticed
Franchisees get a simple, repeatable system that helps generate new reviews, respond to feedback, and compete more effectively in their local markets.
Strong reviews aren’t luck—they’re the result of structure. With SeoSamba, franchisors can ensure every location maintains a trustworthy, competitive, and conversion-ready online presence.
FRANCHISE ADVOCACY & LEGAL NEWS
Industry Update: Over 100 Organizations Urge Congress to Pass the American Franchise Act
Source: franchising.com (we are summarizing their reporting)
A recent article from Franchising.com highlighted a major push in Washington: the International Franchise Association (IFA), along with more than 100 business, advocacy, and diversity organizations, has sent a coalition letter to Congress urging support for the bipartisan American Franchise Act (AFA), H.R. 5267. The bill now has 51 House cosponsors.
IFA’s chief advocacy officer, Michael Layman, emphasized that this legislation is designed to end a decade of uncertainty surrounding the federal joint-employer standard—an issue that has repeatedly shifted across administrations and created legal and financial risk for franchisors and franchisees alike. According to the coalition, the AFA would establish a clear, permanent definition of joint employment specific to the franchise model.
Why this matters: franchising generates $900 billion in economic output and supports 8.8 million U.S. jobs. A stable joint-employer standard is seen as essential for continued growth, investment, and opportunity across local communities.
The letter includes signatures from 69 state associations, 33 national organizations, numerous franchisee associations (including Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, and Subway groups), and major diversity organizations such as the U.S. Black Chambers, National ACE, and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The letter was addressed to Representatives Kevin Hern (R-OK) and Don Davis (D-NC), the AFA’s lead sponsors. Both lawmakers have publicly advocated for passing the bill, citing the need to protect franchisee independence and remove regulatory instability.
The AFA was introduced on September 10, 2025 and follows years of fluctuating joint-employer interpretations—most recently the NLRB’s 2023 rule, which many in the franchise community viewed as overly broad and harmful to the franchise business model.
In its 2025 Roadmap for Small Business Growth, the IFA identified securing a stable joint-employer standard as its top legislative priority.
This article was originally published on franchising.com. The views and opinions expressed are those of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of SeoSamba or its affiliates. This summary is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
MEDIA & LEARNING
The Great Franchise Marketing Reboot
The AI revolution isn’t just about new tools—it’s about unifying your data and connecting every marketing channel so AI can actually work the way it’s supposed to. When franchises feed AI high-quality, structured text and consistent data across locations, the outputs get smarter, more accurate, and more valuable over time.
Michel Leconte, CEO of SeoSamba, joined Harvey Tuck on The Franchise Show podcast to unpack what he calls The Great Franchise Marketing Reboot—a shift that’s redefining how franchisors approach growth, visibility, and operational efficiency.
During the conversation, Michel breaks down what franchisors must understand as AI becomes embedded in every aspect of marketing. He offers clear, actionable insights into the areas where franchises are falling behind, and what systems they need in place to stay competitive.
Listeners will hear answers to questions such as:
• What should franchisors be doing differently with their marketing in 2026?
• Do you need a unified system in place for AI to function properly across your network?
• How can franchisors adopt new technology without overspending—or overwhelming franchisees?
If your brand is preparing for rapid changes in digital marketing, multi-location SEO, and AI-driven automation, this conversation is a must-listen.
And for franchisors looking to turn insight into action, SeoSamba provides the unified ecosystem needed to operationalize everything discussed in the episode—from structured content and AEO to CRM, listings, reviews, analytics, and automated multi-location marketing.
This is the future of franchise growth, and the brands that embrace it now will shape the next decade of the franchise economy.
Creme de la Creme is brought to you by SeoSamba, a marketing and sales automation software suite provider, with turnkey franchise development and franchise brand marketing solutions for emerging franchise brands. Each year, SeoSamba reviews thousands of nominees and awards the Top 100 Global Influencers in Franchising award to the most influential characters in the franchise world.
If you have news that you’d like to have published in an upcoming edition, you may submit it to influencers@seosamba.com for consideration.
Thanks for reading!
