GNF Worldwide, a global franchise consulting firm headquartered in Madrid, and InnoVision Marketing Group, a national bilingual advertising agency headquartered in San Diego, have announced a partnership to extend their respective capabilities and brand reach. The full-service agency will add global franchise development to its growing list of in-house divisions and services, which currently includes brand strategy, advertising, digital media, creative services, film production, talent and casting, social media & reputation management, traditional media, public relations and marketing.
With established relationships in all corners of the globe and a proven track record, GNF Worldwide is the leading franchise development and internationalization firm, also specializing in mergers and acquisitions of business chains. GNF Worldwide offers franchise development and sales outsourcing services to new, emerging and established franchisors and franchisees with a unique global mindset and focus. They’ve helped develop over 2,900 franchise systems in 40 different countries worldwide.
InnoVision Marketing Group will serve as the U.S. agent for GNF Worldwide to identify and represent current U.S.-based franchises that have global expansion aspirations and appeal. InnoVision will also serve as a resource for GNF’s existing clients, assisting global brands with any of their marketing needs, and newer brands with marketing and advertising strategies that will enable them to grow their franchise into multi-unit mega brands. InnoVision’s unique proposition to this equation is their advanced and proprietary digital technologies, which allows them to historically and effectively identify existing users of any brand’s products and develop large marketable digital databases with over 400 data points to serve ads to before the brand enters any new market.
“We are incredibly honored to partner with Fernando and his team at GNF Worldwide,” says Ric Militi, CEO/ Executive Creative Director of InnoVision Marketing Group. “They are a renowned organization that is built on integrity, relationships, strategy and results. Together, our two companies can offer brands incomparable global expansion and growth strategies.”
With a proven track record, InnoVision has helped fast-casual brands develop into nationally recognized brands who are experiencing rapid growth. Their creative strategies, along with InnoVision’s proprietary digital capabilities, catapulted one fast-casual restaurant brand from a handful of stores in 2017 to nearly 50 current locations with over 225 sold in just five short years.
Fernando López de Castilla, Founding Partner at GNF Worldwide, believes that the global franchising industry needs to evolve and that only a new generation of players can make this happen. “The industry’s marketing best practices are the same as they were 70 years ago. They are no longer ‘best’ practices; they are just ‘old’ ways of doing things,” López de Castilla says. “With this partnership with InnoVision, we want to bring franchising to this century and prepare the industry for the next one. Franchisors and franchisees, as well as investors and entrepreneurs from around the world deserve it.”
InnoVision Marketing Group, which has trademarked the term, the Anti-Agency®, differentiates itself by continuing to deliver sticky and strategic innovative marketing, proprietary and highly effective digital technologies and impressive turnaround times without sacrificing quality. Their 24/7 client availability is part of a highly detailed service philosophy, modeled after the Ritz-Carlton, which often leaves clients wondering if they are InnoVision’s only client.
The Anti-Agency® offers everything under the marketing umbrella, with all services performed in-house and tailors the pricing and scope of each client partnership based on what stage of growth the company is in. Representing brands in multiple categories, including airports, automotive, fast-casual dining, food & beverage, healthcare, soft drinks, casinos, retail, tribal government, economic development and nonprofits, the agency serves clients across the U.S.
