Top 5 Ad Tech Tools for Franchise Growth

Cindy Stewart

Welcome to Franchise Fuel: Smarter Growth, the podcast where we explore the tools, tactics, and tech driving the future of franchise marketing and development. I’m your host, and today I’m joined by Vern Nicholson, VP of Strategy and Growth at Vet-tro Media. Vern, welcome back to the show.

Vern Nicholson

It really is. You know, AI is revolutionizing campaign targeting and personalization in ways we couldn’t have imagined even a decade ago. For example, McDonald’s has been deploying predictive analytics in their drive-thru menus.

Vern Nicholson

Ah, they use AI to suggest items based on factors like the weather, time of day, or even the traffic in a specific area.

Cindy Stewart

So, let’s jump right in. We’re breaking down five ad technologies every franchise brand should be paying attention to, whether they’re focused on national development or local unit-level marketing. And no surprise here: we’re kicking things off with AI and machine learning.

Vern Nicholson

Absolutely. AI is the engine behind smarter campaigns......It powers platforms like ai-ADZ, Performance Max, and Meta Advantage+, which help optimize budget, creative, and audience targeting in real-time. Whether you're attracting new franchisees or driving foot traffic to local units, AI can predict what content converts—and deliver it to the right audience at the right moment.

Cindy Stewart

It’s become essential for scaling without wasting spend. Now, let’s talk about something close to your wheelhouse—CRM integration.

Vern Nicholson

Yeah, this one’s critical. Tools like FranConnect and ClientTether are made for franchising. They bridge the gap between marketing and sales, tracking a prospect from the first ad click all the way to discovery day and beyond. Ah, for franchisees, CRM data can also power local follow-up campaigns, making it easier to engage leads and convert them into loyal customers.

Cindy Stewart

Next up—an often underused tactic that’s surprisingly powerful: lookalike audiences and contact matching

Vern Nicholson

This one’s gold. Franchise brands sit on rich first-party data—past franchise buyers, top-performing locations, and loyal customers. Platforms like Meta, Google, and LinkedIn let you upload those lists to create custom and lookalike audiences. Um, it’s a cost-effective way to find more people who behave like your best candidates or customers. And when layered with geographic or behavioral filters, the targeting gets even sharper.

Cindy Stewart

That’s next-level audience building. Now, what about marketing automation and retargeting?

Vern Nicholson

Consistency is everything in nurturing franchise leads. Automation tools like AdRoll allow you to create sequences that respond to user behavior. Abandoned form? Trigger a follow-up. Engaged email reader? Serve a related ad. It’s all about staying top-of-mind without being intrusive, and automation makes it scalable.

Cindy Stewart

And of course, none of this works if you’re not tracking what’s actually driving results.

Vern Nicholson

Exactly. Tools like GA4, Meta Events Manager, and Looker Studio help you understand what’s working and what’s not. In franchise systems, it’s especially important to track performance by location or region. That way, you can optimize campaigns not just globally, but locally, where it really counts.

Cindy Stewart

So to recap: AI & Machine Learning, CRM Integration, Lookalike Audiences & Contact Match, Automation & Retargeting, Conversion Tracking & Analytics. All working together to drive smarter, more scalable growth.

Vern Nicholson

Exactly, and when you align these tools with a clear strategy, the result isn’t just more leads. It’s better-qualified leads, stronger franchisee engagement, and better ROI. I have had the unique experience of witnessing these strategies working for the two leading marketing suppliers to the franchise industry.

Cindy Stewart

Vern, thank you, as always, for the insights. And for our listeners—if you're ready to power up your franchise marketing, check out VetroMediaUSA.com, and stay tuned for more tech-forward episodes of Franchise Fuel: Smarter Growth. We’ll catch you next time!