CX Marks the Spot

Welcome to the first Franchise Update magazine now under the banner of the International Franchise Association following the merger of the two organizations this summer. Our editorial team is excited about what the future has to offer with this new partnership. As IFA President & CEO Matt Haller said, “IFA and FUM have had a robust partnership for years, working together on the Franchise Customer Experience Conference and the Franchise Leadership Development Conference and providing the franchise community with trusted, informative, and reliable sources of information. This new development will allow IFA and FUM to serve the franchise community and strengthen the franchise business model for generations to come.” I couldn’t agree more.

Now on to the Q3 issue of Franchise Update magazine. As you will see, this issue is characterized by the dynamic intersection of technology, innovation, marketing, and franchise leadership. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

Technology is constantly changing and so are the ways franchise brands handle site selection. Managing Editor M. Scott Morris looks into how technology is transforming franchise site selection, making it more data driven, efficient, and predictive. His feature explains how brands are replacing guesswork with insights, giving them the ability to choose locations with greater confidence and success potential.

Elsewhere, Colleen McMillar explores how franchisee innovations have helped shape system-wide best practices as franchisors recognize the value of frontline insights. Drawing from several examples, she explains how these innovations underscore how strong franchisor-franchisee collaboration can lead to scalable innovation and enhanced brand performance.

The 2025 Annual Franchise Marketing Report (AFMR) has also been released, and Helen Bond explains some of the key findings. There’s no question that CX is now the driving force behind franchise growth with AI and local marketing playing increasingly critical roles. The data illustrates how brands are shifting from siloed efforts to cross-functional collaboration, investing in tech-powered personalization, reputation management, and smart local outreach to meet rising consumer expectations. 

Finally, June’s FCXC brought together some of franchising’s top marketing minds who spent three days learning and sharing about customer experience, operations, technology, branding, and consumer marketing. The Franchise Innovation Awards were a big part of the conference, and the finalists and winners of the two Overall Innovation Awards were recognized. You can read all about the conference and Innovation Awards in this issue.

As you’ll discover throughout these pages, franchising’s competitive edge is rooted in innovation: leveraging tech, amplifying franchisee ingenuity, and optimizing marketing and CX through data. Whether you’re seeking smarter expansion strategies, breakthrough technologies, or marketing benchmarks, this issue delivers.

We hope you enjoy the read, and let us know which stories fuel your marketing leadership journey.

Kerry Pipes
Executive Editor