By: Matt Haller
Published on Franchising.com: December 22nd, 2025

When people hear the word “franchise,” a majority of people still picture big fast-food chains, corporate headquarters, or impersonal national brands. Those of us in franchising know how far that is from the truth, and an image that we need to replace. With the launch of IFA’s “Franchise Means Local” campaign this fall, we have a unique opportunity to reframe how the public, policymakers, and media see franchising – by making a strategic investment to tell the stories of local franchisees making a difference in their communities every day.

Facts and data matter – no question. The fact that franchised businesses employ nearly nine million Americans and generate hundreds of billions in economic output is impressive and critical to reinforcing the power of the franchise model on a national scale. But numbers alone don’t move hearts or cut through assumptions or biases – storytelling does.

When we share real stories of franchise owners – people in your community, your neighbor, a local veteran, a female entrepreneur, someone who grew up in your town – we allow audiences to see themselves in those narratives. They stop seeing a “franchise” as a faceless brand and start seeing real people making meaningful contributions. That shift in perception is the core goal of “Franchise Means Local.”

One of the powers of local narratives is that they anchor franchising not in abstraction, but in place. A franchise is not just a name on a storefront. It’s someone’s livelihood, someone’s property taxes, someone’s charitable giving, someone’s job for a neighbor. This campaign highlights how franchise owners invest in their communities: sponsoring local events, hiring and sourcing locally, supporting nonprofits, and returning those profits to the areas that raised them.

When we position franchising as inherently local, we reclaim the narrative. We say: yes, franchises have a familiar brand – but that doesn’t erase the fact that each location is a small business, run by individuals who live, lead, and care where they operate.

One of the biggest myths we face is that franchising equals “big business.” That misconception is damaging – not only for public perception, but for policymaking. If legislators think we’re just corporate giants, they may be more comfortable subjecting franchise businesses to unfair rules or the game – such as blanket regulation without nuance or understanding. That’s why it’s important that we replace myth with narrative: real-life stories of small business owners in communities across America.

As IFA has sought to take advantage of the political climate to go on offense to protect the business, this is another tool to tell our stories to those who need to hear it most. These are real people whose businesses can be “make or break” by decisions made in Washington or their state capitals. Whether it’s elected officials at any level of government, customers in your hometown, even skeptics of a brand at scale, Franchise Means Local is designed to give voice and visibility to the authentic local impact of franchise owners. It lets us shape the narrative on terms that resonate broadly.

“Franchise Means Local” isn’t just a slogan. It’s a call to change how we depict the franchise model – and what we want others to understand about its power and the people behind the business. This is only the beginning of Franchise Means Local, and we want every person in franchising to spread the message that behind every brand name is a person, a family, a community. And when people understand that, perceptions change. Let’s remind America: franchise means local.

Matt Haller is president and CEO of the International Franchise Association.

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