24 April 2025 – Day 1 of the International Franchise Conference
Organised by Franchise Asia Philippines 2025
Theme: “Building Success Together.”
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What a vibrant, high-energy start—brilliant speakers, bold conversations, and practical topics ranging from branding and tech to operations and strategy. A true gathering of minds and hearts.
But what did I really gather? What did I truly receive?
Insights. Direction. Clarity on just how fast the world is shifting.It’s no longer enough to read newspapers, journals, or financial magazines. Today, we have to set our VPNs to other countries just to grasp the trends, absorb the culture, and understand the mindset.
Because the world is no longer shaped by us alone. It’s being defined by 15-year-olds who already know your brand before you even introduce it. They are your future customers, collaborators, and content creators.
As franchisors, we must be intentional in our communication. There can be no generation gap in our message.
Franchising is no longer just about scaling—it’s about building real connection.
As Dr. Benjamin Litalien so passionately shared in his keynote, this is the age of “social networking.” Not just media. Not just marketing. But relational business. He repeated it often—and rightly so.
We must not only market, but also relate.
Not just sell, but truly understand.
The consumer’s habits, lifestyle, values, emotions—they all matter.
In a noisy world, relevance is your greatest advantage.
And that brings us back to priorities.
Marketing is not an expense—it’s an investment. It shapes perception, drives growth, and keeps your brand relevant in a saturated market.
But the playbook has changed.
The era of mega influencers? That’s behind us. Today, it’s the age of the nano-influencer.
This was brilliantly articulated by Mr. Pong Thongcharoen, the man behind Potato Corner.
Nano-influencers are everyday social media users—100 to 10,000 followers. They don’t pitch products—they share life:
Family, food, faith, laughter, cats, coffee, community.
They are the man on the street, the aunty at the market, the housewife with neighbourhood influence. They’re real. And authenticity beats celebrity—every time.
As we scale across borders, we must also localise.
Every market has its own culture, rhythm, taste, and language.
To connect, your brand must speak with people, not just at them.
And through it all, one non-negotiable remains:
Consistency in customer experience
Franchising is a promise—and that promise must feel the same whether in Manila, Melaka, or Miami.
In my upcoming book, The Franchise Code: Start, Structure & Scale Your Franchise in Malaysia in Chapter 18: The Franchise Journey.
“Open and transparent communication is the foundation of a successful franchisor-franchisee relationship. Establishing advisory councils, regular feedback sessions, and dedicated support channels allows franchisees to voice concerns, share best practices, and contribute to the brand’s strategy. Collaboration builds trust—and with it, a resilient and thriving franchise system.”
A special shoutout to our Malaysian franchise and business owners, such as Terry Lim from Global Art and Venon Tien of Zus Coffee, for their valuable insights into the franchise experience.
Terry, in particular, shared powerful lessons on the importance of relying on brand experiences. In his session on Brand Growth Strategies, he emphasized how Global Art has successfully focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences—not just products or services—to grow their brand. According to Terry, when you create a memorable, consistent, and engaging experience for customers, you build long-term loyalty that fuels growth, especially in a competitive franchise market.
A key takeaway from Terry’s session was the importance of getting parents on board—especially in a brand like Global Art, which is heavily centered around children’s educational experiences. Parents are the decision-makers when it comes to investing in extracurricular activities, and by focusing on providing a positive and rewarding experience for both the children and the parents, Global Art has built a community of loyal customers. Parents feel confident when they see the value in the learning experience, not just the product being offered.
Venon, on the other hand spoke about how ordering coffees through the Apps works. Though ambience is important, but some what digitisation and data are the keys. Now over 700 in Malaysia and 120 + in Philippines.
Lastly, let’s not get distracted by what we can’t control. Let’s focus on what we can:
Your product
Your values
Your brand
That is your strength. That is your compass. That is where your legacy begins.
A sincere thank you to the Philippine Franchise Association for the warm hospitality and world-class organisation.
Let’s keep building, sharing, and growing—together.