DO NOT RENEW YOUR MARKETING VENDOR AGREEMENTS UNTIL…

Vern Nicholson

Alright—let’s pivot from the numbers side to something that hardly gets enough love: your creative. Now, I can’t count how many brands, honest to goodness, are stuck running last year’s static ads like they’re on autopilot. But I’ll tell ya—creative is where you can score huge wins, fast. That’s just...I mean, it’s night and day. Video content creates a stickier, more personal touch, and audiences are way more likely to hit pause, watch, and actually reach out. Here’s a gut check—when’s the last time you audited your creative library? Are your suppliers rolling out fresh assets developed from actual campaign data, or are they sending over the same template ads they gave three other brands? If you wanna compete, your creatives need to evolve and, frankly, so should your approach to vetting partners. In a previous episode, we dove into how storytelling and video accelerate the funnel—if you missed it, that’s a good one to revisit.

Vern Nicholson

So, let’s say you’re vibing with what you see so far—good numbers, creative that doesn’t make you cringe. Don’t stop there! This is where the contract comes in, and frankly, most franchisors give away all their leverage right at the start. You wanna bake in clear, measurable benchmarks—specific KPIs like leed qualification rate, response times, and minimum agreed creative refreshes. Spell it out in the contract. No gray areas. And, if your agency fights you on that? It might be time to look elsewhere. Here’s another crucial thing—build in flexibility clauses. Markets change, and so do your needs. You should reserve the right to renegotiate or adjust terms based on performance, not just grumble your way through another stagnant year. Data reporting, too—absolute transparency. You want access to the raw stuff: the actual campaign data, CRM insights—not just slide decks with a bunch of “up and to the right” charts. Without those, you’re not just flying blind, you’re basically handing over your marketing budget and hoping for the best. And...I might be going on a bit of a tangent, but, honestly, transparency is what separates a supplier from a real growth partner.

Vern Nicholson

Last but not least, don’t fall into the trap of “set it and forget it.” I always recommend a routine for performance reviews—monthly, maybe even bi-weekly if you’ve got a fast-moving campaign. Agency contract says quarterly? Great. Do double that. You want to catch issues early, not at year’s end when it’s too late to pivot. And, don’t just look at what's working on paper. Talk to the franchisees and sales teams. Are these “qualified” leads really showing up ready to sign, or are they just folks ticking the wrong box online? Their boots-on-the-ground feedback can reveal a ton about campaign quality the numbers might not show. Let’s not forget A/B testing—run head-to-head versions of your creative. Maybe one message hits, maybe the next falls flat. The point is to let real data, not hunches, guide your tweaks. This constant iteration, these feedback loops, are what drive smarter growth. Building on what we discussed in earlier episodes—continuous optimization isn’t a buzzword; it’s the only way to stay ahead when everything’s evolving by the month. Alright, that’s a lot to digest, I know. But you nail these five steps, and you’re in the driver’s seat—not just renewing contracts out of habit, but actually fueling your next year of expansion. That’s it for today’s episode. Don’t forget—smarter contracts mean smarter growth. See you next time on Franchise Fuel, where we keep pushing for better. Stay sharp, everyone!