CMO Roundtable with Heather Cates, Chief Marketing Officer of Home Franchise Concepts

“In what ways are you using AI technology in the marketing department to enhance your data analysis of trends, performance, and more?” Heather Cates Chief Marketing Officer Home Franchise Concepts AI has become an important part of how our consumer and franchise development marketing teams operate at Home Franchise Concepts. It’s a tool that can meaningfully enhance our operations and future work, and it would be a missed opportunity not to put it to good use while still preserving the human element of how we communicate and connect with our target audiences.

Today, one of the many ways we are using AI tools is for analytics. AI can organize large volumes of data and identify trends that help us target prospective franchisees and consumers more effectively through paid media, public relations, SEO optimization, and more. Because these tools analyze information much faster, our teams can zero in on the key insights that surface and make informed decisions that drive leads and sales.

This level of visibility can ensure every initiative contributes to reach, efficiency, and ROI. It also allows us to learn from past campaigns. AI high-lights what drove success, where drop‑offs occurred, and what adjustments will maximize impact moving forward.

Beyond analytics, we’re leveraging AI for organic visibility. The world of search has drastically changed, shifting from traditional SEO to a very dynamic and interconnected web between search engines and LLMs. Not only do we use AI to understand these constantly changing dynamics, but also to ensure we show up in the right channels and with the right message for consumers.

At the same time, our team is constantly in search of ways to unlock innovation and new ways of reaching the consumer in a meaningful way, but this takes capacity. To build that capacity, our team is in a relentless stage of experimentation with AI tools to automate time-consuming tasks. Finally, we’ve been exploring new creative approaches to broaden our library of brand assets.

This allows the consumer to expand their imagi-nation of what’s possible while remaining true to the amazing options available within the Home Franchise Concepts portfolio brands.