Using PR and Thought Leadership to Grow a Franchise Brand

Thought leadership is a way of positioning yourself or a brand as a trusted authority in a specific industry. This means sharing perspectives through different media outlets to help other people learn about specific trends or ideas. When combined with public relations (PR), thought leadership pieces can be a great way to get more eyes on a franchise brand.

“Building my personal brand as a founder has helped humanize the EverLine brand,” said John Evans, founder and CEO of EverLine Coatings. “People want to feel connected to something they understand, and I think a founder’s story can make the opportunity feel more real and relatable. My personal brand centers on achieving the dream of entrepreneurship against the odds, showing that consistent execution over time leads to compounding success. That is the same mindset I want our franchisees to bring into their own businesses.”

Building that credibility can also help attract franchise owners who share a similar mindset and who will execute the model well in their own market.

Public relations and media exposure play a major role in building credibility because there is a lot of content and a lot of stories flying around about almost everything today. A basic press release is not enough to build real trust with prospective franchisees.

“People want to see third-party validation,” Evans said. “They want to see that the brand, the opportunity and the stories behind it are being recognized beyond our own walls. That is where PR can be powerful.”

PR helps celebrate the everyday wins across the system, especially the local stories that show franchisees building something meaningful in their own markets. It gives prospective franchise owners a chance to see behind the curtain and better understand the opportunity behind the model. It helps them picture what is possible and, more importantly, what they could build themselves.

Thought leadership should include sharing insights that reflect real-world experience, not recycled ideas.

“My advice to founders is to be authentic and use your real ideas,” Evans said. “Thought leadership only works when people can feel the actual person behind it. In a crowded market, generic content or ‘AI slop’ will not build trust, because it sounds like everyone else.”

The goal should be to create connection through lived experience. When founders do that, they can attract people who understand their mission and are aligned with the brand. Although it’s fine to take some inspiration from others, when properly cited, the important thing is to put a personal spin on it.

“AI can be a powerful thought partner, but I also believe it is making genuine human connection even more valuable,” Evans said.

As more and more content gets automated, franchise candidates will gravitate toward leaders who feel real.