Christina Clarke: CMO of Sport Clips Haircuts on Franchise Marketing Strategy

Christina Clarke’s career spans several major national brands and consumer-focused organizations. Franchising, she says, has allowed her to combine her love for strategy with her passion for supporting local business owners. Her leadership is marked by a commitment to elevating unit-level economics, strengthening brand relevance and ensuring Sport Clips continues to stand out in a crowded, highly competitive industry.

Christina Clarke: What I love most about franchise marketing is the unique blend of strategy and partnership. Every decision we make directly impacts local business owners, their teams and their guests. Marketing isn’t just about creativity — it’s about building systems that franchisees can execute confidently, consistently and profitably.

The work we do matters because it helps real people build successful businesses and deliver an experience that guests rely on. That responsibility is something I truly enjoy.

1851: What is the single most important thing franchise marketing pros can do to impact franchisees’ unit-level economics?

Clarke: Focus on clarity. Franchisees don’t need noise — they need simple, actionable direction tied directly to results. When marketing teams take the time to explain the “why” behind initiatives, provide training and ensure franchisees understand how a program drives traffic, ticket and frequency, they’re far more likely to adopt it.

Unit-level results improve when franchisees trust the system and feel confident in the tools provided.

Clarke: Brand distinctiveness. With so many choices in every category — especially in personal services — brands need to stand for something unmistakable. At Sport Clips, we lean heavily into what makes us unique: the experience, the atmosphere and the connection between stylist and client.

Franchise brands that articulate a memorable value story, and deliver it consistently across every location, will win loyalty in a crowded landscape.

Clarke: Personalization powered by data continues to evolve, but the real shift is toward contextual relevance. Guests expect brands to understand when, where and how to communicate with them without being intrusive.

We’re also seeing a strong push toward experience-driven marketing. People want simplicity, convenience and authenticity. Brands that invest in elevating the real-life guest experience will see stronger retention than those focused solely on digital tactics.

Clarke: Marketing will increasingly be judged by its ability to influence operations. The walls between marketing and operations will continue to dissolve. The best marketing in the world can’t fix inconsistent execution, and the strongest operational model can’t scale without compelling storytelling and clear demand-generation strategy.

The future belongs to franchise systems that align marketing and operations so tightly that they function as one seamless discipline — focused entirely on delivering an exceptional guest experience at every touchpoint.