If you’re looking for fresh insight into what it takes to market and grow a franchise brand in 2025, the latest episode of Franchise Marketing Radio is a must-listen.

Franchise Now is proud to feature Dawn Perry, Chief Brand Officer at CertaPro Painters, in this new release—and she doesn’t disappoint. Perry brings clarity, practicality, and seasoned experience to a complex topic: how to scale while staying true to your brand’s roots, community, and values.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here:

From Entrepreneur to Executive: Dawn Perry’s Unique Perspective

What makes this episode especially valuable is Perry’s professional arc. She’s sat in nearly every seat—from corporate marketing strategist to hands-on franchise owner. Her firsthand experience running a location of The Little Gym gave her a ground-level view of the very challenges she now solves from a national brand perspective.

This dual perspective allows Perry to speak directly to the realities franchisees face, including the pressure to grow, the complexity of local marketing, and the operational nuances that make or break the customer experience. Her solutions are not just theory—they’re tested.

Key Themes from the Episode

1. Local Voice, National Reach
CertaPro’s ability to maintain a strong national identity while encouraging localized execution is no accident. Perry explains how her team builds out brand campaigns with a flexible framework that allows for personal touches. Local franchisees receive toolkits, training, and support to ensure their marketing reflects the brand's core messaging—but also speaks directly to their community. This creates customer confidence and strengthens the brand’s perceived authenticity at every level.

2. Marketing and Operations: One Strategy, Shared Execution
Too often, franchise marketing and operations operate in parallel rather than in sync. CertaPro flips that narrative. Perry describes regular joint planning sessions, collaborative training initiatives, and aligned performance goals between both departments. This isn’t just about better communication—it’s about building operational marketing intelligence into every campaign and ensuring customer experience doesn’t break down between lead generation and job completion.

3. Capturing Lost Leads in Real-Time
One of the most actionable tactics shared by Perry involves reclaiming partially completed estimate forms. Where most systems see an abandoned form as a lost lead, CertaPro saw potential. Their system now automatically identifies these incomplete entries and triggers immediate outreach by local franchisees. This approach has led to a notable uptick in conversions, showcasing how timely response—paired with smart data flow—can transform overlooked details into measurable wins.

4. Responsible AI Adoption
Rather than jumping on the AI bandwagon blindly, CertaPro has approached this trend with discipline. Perry stresses the importance of not outsourcing your brand’s voice to AI tools. Instead, her team uses AI to surface content ideas, support local SEO, and aid in personalization. But all public-facing materials still go through brand-led creative oversight. It’s a model for how franchise brands can benefit from automation while protecting the equity and consistency of their messaging. 

5. Brand Development Through Franchisee Empowerment
Perry believes that marketing doesn’t just come from headquarters—it thrives when franchisees take ownership of it. That’s why CertaPro invests heavily in training its owners on storytelling, social media engagement, and community involvement. From highlighting painters who go above and beyond to sharing photos of local sponsorships, franchisees are given the framework—and the freedom—to bring the brand to life in ways that resonate with their audience. This deepens community trust and builds long-term loyalty.

Innovation Rooted in Simplicity

Much of what Perry shares is cutting-edge, but also highly implementable. Her guidance isn’t built on trendy tactics or big-budget campaigns—it’s about clarity, collaboration, and using the tools available to their full potential. Whether you’re an emerging brand or a legacy franchise system, there’s plenty here to adapt and apply.

She also underscores the importance of staying customer-focused. Every campaign and process—from lead capture to service delivery—is designed to enhance how customers perceive and engage with the brand.

Industry-Wide Impact: A Call for Marketing Collaboration

In a notable moment, Perry emphasizes a gap in the franchising world: while there are industry groups for operations and development, franchise marketers often work in isolation. She calls for a new kind of cross-brand marketing forum—where marketing leaders can share ideas, test collaborative programs, and raise the bar on franchise communications as a whole.

It’s a reminder that collaboration and community-building aren’t just buzzwords—they’re growth strategies.

This episode is more than a behind-the-scenes look at a top-tier franchise—it’s a leadership case study on how to unify brand, technology, and local ownership to drive meaningful growth.

What resonated with you most? Are your operations and marketing teams aligned? Are your franchisees empowered to tell your brand story?

For more industry leader insights and updates on franchise innovation, visit https://franchisenow.media.