January 20, 2025 • 9 mins
In this episode, host Vera Shafiq returns to the podcast with a fresh focus on franchise marketing. She discusses the unique challenges and opportunities within the franchise sector, highlighting the importance of consistent branding, local marketing strategies, and data utilization. Vera emphasizes the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming marketing practices, sharing actionable tips on implementing AI effectively and ethically. The episode also delves into recent social media developments, including TikTok's brief ban and Meta's removal of fact-checking, offering strategic advice for franchise marketers to adapt and pivot in response to these changes.
00:00 Welcome Back to the Podcast
00:27 Focusing on Franchise Marketing
01:32 The Role of AI in Franchise Marketing
02:55 Ethical Implications of AI
04:23 Social Media Developments in 2025
04:51 The TikTok Ban: What Now?
06:35 Meta's Free Speech Shift
09:02 Final Thoughts and Action Plan
09:30 Closing Remarks
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Vera (00:10):
Hey, everyone.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm your host Vera Shafik.
And it's been a minute since Irecorded this, but I am back and
I'm really excited to be back.
These are still going to be verymuch real and relevant
discussions on doing marketingthe right way.
But I'm going to start focusingin specifically on franchise
(00:30):
marketing now.
I really wanted to niche down onan area of marketing that's been
near and dear to my heart for awhile now.
I've been fully immersed infranchise marketing over the
past few years.
And let's be honest, there are alot of challenges franchisors
and franchisees in the marketingspace, and it's a very unique
(00:52):
set of challenges that require aunique approach.
So, I want to talk about some ofthese, and I really do think
that the franchise world is ripefor disruption right now.
We have a lot of volume of dataavailable to us, and the need
for consistent branding acrossmultiple locations.
The complexities of localmarketing strategy.
(01:15):
There's so much to navigate andsift through.
And I really do think thisdeserves a shift in the way we
do things.
So instead of doing things theway we've always done them,
let's start to think of new waysthat we can do things,
innovating and trying newthings.
And yes, AI is going to be oneof those things that I think we
(01:35):
all need to try.
So over the coming weeks, wewill talk about all things
franchise marketing, andthere'll be a pretty heavy focus
on AI and how we can use it todo faster, better, and smarter
marketing.
And I think the key there isbetter.
We'll go beyond the hype.
So I want to get away fromtalking about the theory and the
why we should, or what we couldbe doing with AI.
(01:59):
And start to talk about how weactually implement it today.
So I will keep it practical andactionable and give you some
relevant day to day, tips andtricks on how to solve for some
of the challenges that you arefacing.
And provide you with some toolsthat you need to succeed.
And then on top of that, we'llalso be talking about developing
(02:21):
a strategic roadmap for your AIinitiatives within your
franchise.
So we'll talk about identifyingkey business objectives and how
we can use AI to solve for theseobjectives and then measure the
success.
So I really want to also moveaway from blindly jumping on the
AI bandwagon.
(02:42):
Instead of doing random acts ofAI, as I like to call them,
let's start to do thingsmeaningfully and cohesively with
a plan in place.
So we'll talk about all of thatin weeks to come.
And finally on the topic of AI,I really do think we cannot
ignore the ethical implicationsof using AI.
So we will dive into issues suchas data privacy, algorithmic
(03:07):
bias, and responsible AIpractices.
Is it safe to share ourproprietary business data with
chat GPT?
Things of that nature.
And we also want to make surethat we maintain trust with our
consumers, right?
We want to use AI in a way thatthey feel good about.
They, you know, we want todisclose that we're using AI.
But make them feel like it's agood thing, right?
(03:30):
So that we're still delightingour consumers and customers.
And then finally, how to get ourinternal teams on board with
using AI.
I know a lot of people are stillworried that AI is going to take
away their jobs.
And I really don't think that'sthe case.
AI is going to help us to do ourjobs differently.
So our jobs are going to changedramatically over the next few
(03:52):
years.
The way we do things and what wedo as marketers will change, but
we're not losing our jobs in anyway.
We're just going to be doing ourjobs better and AI is going to
be enhancing that for us andreally being our thought partner
and our assistant in doing, ourjobs better.
So all of that to come.
(04:12):
I want to also stress that notevery episode will be directly
related to generative AI.
I want to give attention to allof the topics that we are
currently, immersed in.
And so, So with that, let'ssegue into today's episode and
let's dive deep into two massivesocial media developments that
could reshape the way thatfranchise marketers engage with
(04:35):
their audiences in 2025.
The two headlines are the TikTokban, and is it a ban or is it
not a ban?
And then Meta removing factchecking from their platform.
So let's unpack.
Segment one, the TikTok ban.
What now?
Well, TikTok was banned for aday and then it came back.
(04:58):
So as I record this, it isJanuary the 20th and TikTok was
banned on Saturday night in theUS and then it came back again
pretty quickly, within 24 hoursor so.
So this was, a result ofPresident Trump vowing that he
will, Allow TikTok to remain astaple social media platform
(05:18):
here in the U S and it's stillpretty unclear as to what the
future of TikTok is, but I don'tthink it's going anywhere.
I think it's just going tochange.
Maybe management of it willchange, but, it's still going to
be a platform that we are goingto be able to advertise on and,
expose our brands on asfranchise marketers.
So I think the key takeaway fromthis is really just make sure
(05:41):
That you don't have all youreggs in one basket.
I know a lot of franchisemarketers do lean in on TikTok,
especially for influencermarketing tactics.
And you can still continue to dothat, continue to make that
short form content, which isstill super important, but just
make sure that you arediversifying across other short
(06:01):
form content platforms, such asInstagram reels.
YouTube shorts, and even,Snapchat spotlight, right?
That would be another example.
And then, with the influencerside of things, just make sure
that the influences that youare, Partnering with also do not
have their eggs in one basket.
So they should be diversified towhere they're also present on
(06:23):
other platforms other thanTikTok.
And I think, you know, as longas you keep that in mind and
make sure that you have yourmedia budgets earmarked
correctly for 2025, I think youshould be in a good spot.
Moving on to the second topic,meta's free speech shift.
And is it now going to be thenew Wild West on the meta
(06:43):
platform?
Well, I think that Meta'sdecision to remove fact checking
and rely on community notesposes some new challenges I
think one of the things could bethe managing of reputation.
So, with the new rules, we couldstart to see more Negative
speech about our brand showingup on the meta platform.
(07:04):
People could start to say thingsabout our brand that we really,
don't want to see out there.
So I think the key here is goingto start to be paying attention
more to reputation management.
Using social listening toolsmore and really making sure that
we are responding favorably tocomments that are being made
about our brand on social media,just kind of having our ear to
(07:28):
the ground and being aware ofwhat's being said.
So I think this could be apotential risk.
I think that we could see moreengagement now on the meta
platform, just because this hasbeen opened up to, more, Free
speech and so we could start tosee more people on the platform
Maybe different audiences on theplatform and we may start to see
(07:51):
ad costs go down on the platformthat remains to be seen But I
think it's just a matter ofkeeping our finger on the pulse
of what's going on there and Ithink with the risks of
misinformation now, and withoutthat traditional fact checking,
you should just adapt into,doubling down on your own
(08:11):
content, right?
So instead of relying on socialmedia platforms, and again, this
is going back to having all youreggs in one basket, just start
to use your official website,your blog, your social media
pages.
Keep those as the authoritativesources for your brand.
And then, finally, I think youcan use what I call the case
(08:34):
study approach is look at X andwhat's happened on X.
Elon Musk did a similar move towhere he removed fact checking
and, if you've been using X as asocial media advertising
platform, you probably alreadyknow.
What kind of changes that couldinvolve.
And so just use that as a casestudy and use it to learn and
(08:56):
drive decisions, that you makefor Instagram and Facebook.
With that, I think finalthoughts and action plan would
be the key takeaway forfranchise marketing executives
here is don't panic.
Just pivot.
TikTok is likely here to stayand the demand for short form
content isn't going anywhere.
(09:17):
It's just shifting.
So just adjust your strategiesaccordingly.
And future proof your strategyby balancing your social media
presence with direct audienceengagement on your brand
controlled platforms.
That's it for today's episode.
I want to hear from you though.
I want to hear how yourfranchise marketing team is
adjusting to these changes.
(09:39):
Please send me an email at helloat Vera Shafik.
com or hit me up on LinkedIn atVera Shafik.
Thanks for tuning in.
If you found this episodevaluable, be sure to subscribe
and leave a review.
Until next time, keep innovatingand adapting.
Hey, everyone.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm your host Vera Shafik.
And it's been a minute since Irecorded this, but I am back and
I'm really excited to be back.
These are still going to be verymuch real and relevant
discussions on doing marketingthe right way.
But I'm going to start focusingin specifically on franchise
(00:30):
marketing now.
I really wanted to niche down onan area of marketing that's been
near and dear to my heart for awhile now.
I've been fully immersed infranchise marketing over the
past few years.
And let's be honest, there are alot of challenges franchisors
and franchisees in the marketingspace, and it's a very unique
(00:52):
set of challenges that require aunique approach.
So, I want to talk about some ofthese, and I really do think
that the franchise world is ripefor disruption right now.
We have a lot of volume of dataavailable to us, and the need
for consistent branding acrossmultiple locations.
The complexities of localmarketing strategy.
(01:15):
There's so much to navigate andsift through.
And I really do think thisdeserves a shift in the way we
do things.
So instead of doing things theway we've always done them,
let's start to think of new waysthat we can do things,
innovating and trying newthings.
And yes, AI is going to be oneof those things that I think we
(01:35):
all need to try.
So over the coming weeks, wewill talk about all things
franchise marketing, andthere'll be a pretty heavy focus
on AI and how we can use it todo faster, better, and smarter
marketing.
And I think the key there isbetter.
We'll go beyond the hype.
So I want to get away fromtalking about the theory and the
why we should, or what we couldbe doing with AI.
(01:59):
And start to talk about how weactually implement it today.
So I will keep it practical andactionable and give you some
relevant day to day, tips andtricks on how to solve for some
of the challenges that you arefacing.
And provide you with some toolsthat you need to succeed.
And then on top of that, we'llalso be talking about developing
(02:21):
a strategic roadmap for your AIinitiatives within your
franchise.
So we'll talk about identifyingkey business objectives and how
we can use AI to solve for theseobjectives and then measure the
success.
So I really want to also moveaway from blindly jumping on the
AI bandwagon.
(02:42):
Instead of doing random acts ofAI, as I like to call them,
let's start to do thingsmeaningfully and cohesively with
a plan in place.
So we'll talk about all of thatin weeks to come.
And finally on the topic of AI,I really do think we cannot
ignore the ethical implicationsof using AI.
So we will dive into issues suchas data privacy, algorithmic
(03:07):
bias, and responsible AIpractices.
Is it safe to share ourproprietary business data with
chat GPT?
Things of that nature.
And we also want to make surethat we maintain trust with our
consumers, right?
We want to use AI in a way thatthey feel good about.
They, you know, we want todisclose that we're using AI.
But make them feel like it's agood thing, right?
(03:30):
So that we're still delightingour consumers and customers.
And then finally, how to get ourinternal teams on board with
using AI.
I know a lot of people are stillworried that AI is going to take
away their jobs.
And I really don't think that'sthe case.
AI is going to help us to do ourjobs differently.
So our jobs are going to changedramatically over the next few
(03:52):
years.
The way we do things and what wedo as marketers will change, but
we're not losing our jobs in anyway.
We're just going to be doing ourjobs better and AI is going to
be enhancing that for us andreally being our thought partner
and our assistant in doing, ourjobs better.
So all of that to come.
(04:12):
I want to also stress that notevery episode will be directly
related to generative AI.
I want to give attention to allof the topics that we are
currently, immersed in.
And so, So with that, let'ssegue into today's episode and
let's dive deep into two massivesocial media developments that
could reshape the way thatfranchise marketers engage with
(04:35):
their audiences in 2025.
The two headlines are the TikTokban, and is it a ban or is it
not a ban?
And then Meta removing factchecking from their platform.
So let's unpack.
Segment one, the TikTok ban.
What now?
Well, TikTok was banned for aday and then it came back.
(04:58):
So as I record this, it isJanuary the 20th and TikTok was
banned on Saturday night in theUS and then it came back again
pretty quickly, within 24 hoursor so.
So this was, a result ofPresident Trump vowing that he
will, Allow TikTok to remain astaple social media platform
(05:18):
here in the U S and it's stillpretty unclear as to what the
future of TikTok is, but I don'tthink it's going anywhere.
I think it's just going tochange.
Maybe management of it willchange, but, it's still going to
be a platform that we are goingto be able to advertise on and,
expose our brands on asfranchise marketers.
So I think the key takeaway fromthis is really just make sure
(05:41):
That you don't have all youreggs in one basket.
I know a lot of franchisemarketers do lean in on TikTok,
especially for influencermarketing tactics.
And you can still continue to dothat, continue to make that
short form content, which isstill super important, but just
make sure that you arediversifying across other short
(06:01):
form content platforms, such asInstagram reels.
YouTube shorts, and even,Snapchat spotlight, right?
That would be another example.
And then, with the influencerside of things, just make sure
that the influences that youare, Partnering with also do not
have their eggs in one basket.
So they should be diversified towhere they're also present on
(06:23):
other platforms other thanTikTok.
And I think, you know, as longas you keep that in mind and
make sure that you have yourmedia budgets earmarked
correctly for 2025, I think youshould be in a good spot.
Moving on to the second topic,meta's free speech shift.
And is it now going to be thenew Wild West on the meta
(06:43):
platform?
Well, I think that Meta'sdecision to remove fact checking
and rely on community notesposes some new challenges I
think one of the things could bethe managing of reputation.
So, with the new rules, we couldstart to see more Negative
speech about our brand showingup on the meta platform.
(07:04):
People could start to say thingsabout our brand that we really,
don't want to see out there.
So I think the key here is goingto start to be paying attention
more to reputation management.
Using social listening toolsmore and really making sure that
we are responding favorably tocomments that are being made
about our brand on social media,just kind of having our ear to
(07:28):
the ground and being aware ofwhat's being said.
So I think this could be apotential risk.
I think that we could see moreengagement now on the meta
platform, just because this hasbeen opened up to, more, Free
speech and so we could start tosee more people on the platform
Maybe different audiences on theplatform and we may start to see
(07:51):
ad costs go down on the platformthat remains to be seen But I
think it's just a matter ofkeeping our finger on the pulse
of what's going on there and Ithink with the risks of
misinformation now, and withoutthat traditional fact checking,
you should just adapt into,doubling down on your own
(08:11):
content, right?
So instead of relying on socialmedia platforms, and again, this
is going back to having all youreggs in one basket, just start
to use your official website,your blog, your social media
pages.
Keep those as the authoritativesources for your brand.
And then, finally, I think youcan use what I call the case
(08:34):
study approach is look at X andwhat's happened on X.
Elon Musk did a similar move towhere he removed fact checking
and, if you've been using X as asocial media advertising
platform, you probably alreadyknow.
What kind of changes that couldinvolve.
And so just use that as a casestudy and use it to learn and
(08:56):
drive decisions, that you makefor Instagram and Facebook.
With that, I think finalthoughts and action plan would
be the key takeaway forfranchise marketing executives
here is don't panic.
Just pivot.
TikTok is likely here to stayand the demand for short form
content isn't going anywhere.
(09:17):
It's just shifting.
So just adjust your strategiesaccordingly.
And future proof your strategyby balancing your social media
presence with direct audienceengagement on your brand
controlled platforms.
That's it for today's episode.
I want to hear from you though.
I want to hear how yourfranchise marketing team is
adjusting to these changes.
(09:39):
Please send me an email at helloat Vera Shafik.
com or hit me up on LinkedIn atVera Shafik.
Thanks for tuning in.
If you found this episodevaluable, be sure to subscribe
and leave a review.
Until next time, keep innovatingand adapting.
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