Franchise marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and your franchisees aren’t, either. To drive meaningful adoption and results, franchisors need to understand the core personalities that exist across their network. From tech-savvy go-getters to hands-off operators, each franchisee requires a different kind of support. By tailoring your marketing strategies to these personas, you’ll empower your entire network to succeed. 

The three franchisee personalities

1. Do It Themselves (DIY)

These franchisees are proactive, tech-savvy, and independent. They often have prior marketing experience or a strong willingness to take initiative, and they prefer to manage their own campaigns rather than rely on corporate support. While their independence is a strength, it also comes with a challenge: without the right structure, they may unintentionally go off-brand or adopt inconsistent messaging.

To support DIY franchisees effectively, franchisors should provide autonomy, but with guardrails. This means offering brand-approved, self-serve marketing tools that allow them to take control while still operating within the bounds of the brand’s standards. Equip them with editable templates that offer creative flexibility while maintaining design and messaging consistency. In addition, give them access to real-time dashboards and performance reports, so they can monitor results and make data-driven decisions on their own.

By giving DIY franchisees the tools they need to succeed independently (and the guardrails to stay aligned with your brand) you’ll turn their self-direction into a strategic advantage.

2. Do It With Them (DIWT)

These franchisees are motivated but unsure. They’re eager to market their business and understand its importance, but they may lack the confidence, experience, or time to execute campaigns effectively on their own. Without proper guidance, this group can fall into patterns of inconsistent or incomplete marketing, which dilutes results and weakens brand impact.

To help these franchisees thrive, franchisors should focus on collaboration and guided support. Start by scheduling live onboarding calls to walk them through tools and expectations. Then, work side by side to co-create marketing campaigns, using pre-built templates and shared content calendars to make execution easier. Incorporate approval workflows and light automation to give structure without overwhelming them.

Regular coaching sessions and performance reviews are also key, as these help build confidence over time and gradually transition them toward more independent execution. With the right balance of training and shared ownership, DIWT franchisees can become some of your strongest marketing partners.

3. Do It for Them (DIF)

These franchisees are often hands-off, focused more on day-to-day operations than on marketing. In many cases, it’s not just a matter of relying on corporate — they may not even realize marketing needs to happen at the local level, know who to ask for help, or understand where to start. While this approach can work for some, the biggest risk with DIF franchisees is inactivity, when marketing falls by the wayside altogether, or poor execution if not properly supported.

To successfully engage this group, franchisors should take a fully managed approach. Set up their marketing systems centrally, including account configuration, branding, and contact imports. Launch and maintain evergreen campaigns on their behalf, and make light customizations by adding location-specific information like store hours, event details, or testimonials. 

While DIF franchisees may not be deeply involved in marketing, it’s still important to keep them in the loop. Share simple, digestible performance reports each month, and encourage small contributions, such as sending in a photo or review quote. Even minimal local input can enhance campaign relevance and results. 

By handling the heavy lifting while encouraging occasional, easy wins, franchisors can maintain brand consistency and ensure that even the least-engaged franchisees stay visible and active in the market. 

Why it matters

Understanding these personalities ensures you’re not over- or under-supporting any franchisee. It also improved adoption, marketing performance, and brand consistency, without adding complexity to your team’s workload. 

Want to dive deeper into franchisee personas and how to support them at scale? Watch the full webinar “Empowering Every Franchisee: A Persona-Based Approach to Scalable Digital Marketing” on-demand, below.