Marketing for franchises and networks: one growth engine for the whole network
For franchises, multi-location networks and manufacturers selling through distributors. One acquisition engine and one source of truth for the whole network.
Request my Growth AuditEvery location, franchisee or distributor measures however they can: a spreadsheet here, a pixel there, campaigns competing with each other for the same audience. You don't know which unit performs, which one wastes money or what a real inquiry costs across the network. The brand grows, but the data is broken and decisions are made blind.
We unify the whole network's acquisition into a single engine: coordinated campaigns that don't cannibalize, cross-attribution by location, franchisee and distributor, and a command center where the C-level sees the pulse of every unit with always up-to-date data. Clean, comparable, auditable data to scale the network without multiplying the chaos.
One network, one engine, one source of truth
Franchises and multi-location
Central coordination without stepping on each location's autonomy: campaigns that add up, not compete.
B2B2C: manufacturer → distributor → customer
We measure the full journey, even when a third party makes the final sale.
Per-business-unit attribution
Which location or franchisee performs and which wastes, with real, comparable CAC and ROAS.
Executive command center
Leadership sees the pulse of the whole network on a single dashboard, not in scattered reports.
Why does a network's marketing break as it grows?
With two or three locations, a network's marketing runs almost like a single company's. With ten, twenty or fifty, every decision multiplies: each location wants its own campaign, each franchisee has their own provider, each one measures their own way and headquarters gets reports that can't be compared.
The most expensive effect usually goes unnoticed: the locations compete with each other. Two locations bid on the same search, a franchisee pays for the brand name that headquarters already covers, and the same person sees three ads from the same network. The network pays several times for the same customer.
Organizing a network's marketing is, above all, a matter of rules: who decides what, who pays for what and how it's measured. With those rules clear, the technology does its job; without them, no tool can fix it.
What gets measured at each level of the network?
| Level | Metrics | Who makes decisions with it |
|---|---|---|
| Entire network | Inquiries, cost per inquiry and total sales, trend versus the previous period | Brand leadership |
| Location or franchisee | Inquiries, cost per inquiry, response time and location sales | Headquarters and franchisee, with the same data |
| Expansion | Qualified franchisee candidates, meetings and signed contracts | Expansion team |
| Distributors | Referred inquiries, follow-up and sales reported by each distributor | Manufacturer and distributor |
What costs a network the most?
Franchisees bidding on the brand
They drive up the cost of searches for the network's own name, which headquarters can cover much more cheaply.
Unmanaged Google profiles
Outdated hours, wrong phone numbers and unanswered reviews damage the reputation of the whole brand.
The fund allocated by perception
Without comparable data, the budget goes to whoever complains the most, not to whoever converts best.
A different provider for each location
Each with its own structure and its own way of measuring. Impossible to compare and learn at the network level.
A report nobody compares
If each location gets its report with different definitions, the monthly meeting argues over numbers instead of decisions.
What does the disorder look like in a real network?
Imagine a gym chain with fifteen locations. Each location has its own campaign, set up by the location manager or a local provider. Two locations in the same neighborhood compete for the same searches, headquarters bids on the brand name and three franchisees do too. The network pays several times for the same person.
Once things are organized, headquarters becomes the only one responsible for the brand, each location has a campaign with a radius that doesn't overlap with the others and every inquiry is tagged by location. In the first meeting with the unified dashboard, a data point nobody had seen comes up: two locations with the same demand sell very differently because one responds in minutes and the other the next day.
The conversation shifts from “I need more budget” to “we need to respond the same way at every location.” This is an example scenario, not a client case, but it reflects what usually comes up when a network measures every unit by the same rule.
What do the first 90 days with a network look like?
Weeks 1 to 3: rules
We agree with headquarters, in writing, on what each party decides, who pays for what and how the marketing fund is allocated.
Weeks 4 to 6: measurement by location
Every call, message and form is tagged by location, with the same definition for everyone.
Weeks 7 to 9: central structure
Campaigns by location with radii that don't overlap, cross-exclusions and the brand covered only by headquarters.
Weeks 10 to 12: network dashboard
A dashboard with the entire network and each location separately, for the monthly meeting with franchisees.
In large networks, you start with a group of locations and extend to the rest once the model is proven.
Which services make up this solution?
Every system is built to measure. These are the services we use most for this type of company, always to the extent your case needs them.
Google Ads (Search Advertising)
Google campaigns that bring inquiries from people already searching for what you sell, measured to the sale.
See serviceInstagram & Facebook Advertising
Instagram and Facebook ads that generate inquiries, not just likes.
See serviceSEO & AI Visibility (AEO/GEO)
Get found and recommended by Google, ChatGPT and Perplexity when people search for what you do.
See serviceServer-Side Measurement (GTM)
First-party measurement that survives iOS, blockers and cookies. Google and Meta see your real sales again.
See serviceExecutive Dashboards
Your business in one dashboard, with clear reports to decide where to invest.
See serviceAI Agents & Automation
AI assistants that answer, qualify and book your inquiries around the clock.
See serviceQuestions we get asked
How do you coordinate a network marketing without taking autonomy from each location?
Headquarters defines the brand, campaign structure, exclusions and measurement; each location contributes the local part: offers, hours, photos and service. Campaigns are built per location with radii that do not overlap, and the marketing fund is allocated with an explicit criterion. That way the network pulls in the same direction and each franchisee sees their own results.
How do you measure which location performs?
With the same rule for all of them: every call, message and form is tagged by location and, when there is sales data, so are sales. The report compares inquiries, cost per inquiry and response time by location. Often the difference between two locations with the same demand is not in the campaign but in how inquiries are handled.
Does it work for manufacturers that sell through distributors?
Yes. The challenge is the same: a third party makes the final sale. The journey from brand to point of sale is measured with source identifiers and reporting agreements with each distributor, and campaigns are coordinated so the brand generates demand and the distributor converts it.
How do you recruit new franchisees without mixing it with local sales?
With a separate structure: different campaigns, a different page and a different conversion. The ad talks about the business model, the initial investment and support from headquarters, without promising earnings, which Google and Meta do not allow. The form asks for available capital, area and experience, and only qualified candidates count as conversions. Since signing can take months, follow-up is measured in the CRM.
What about Google Maps and each location’s reviews?
They are half of a network’s local marketing. Each location needs a verified business profile with the right category, the same name, address and phone as on the site, real opening hours and photos. Reviews are answered to a common standard so the brand’s reputation does not depend on each franchisee. And each profile links to its location page, not to the home page.
Let's talk business.
Data-driven.
Alkimista Digital is a remote team based in Buenos Aires that works as an extension of your company: we build a team around your goal for B2B, high-value services and franchise networks. Audit first, proposal second.