Female Fast Risers - Brittany Johnson

Name: Brittany Johnson

Brand: Our Town America

Title: Chief Marketing/PR Officer

Age: 32

Years in franchising: 7.5

No. of units: 62

What attracted you to franchising? The Our Town America business model is what initially attracted me to franchising. The idea that local franchise owners across the nation work with business owners in their own communities to welcome new residents to the area while, in turn, helping the local economy thrive was appealing to me—and still is. So often, national brands are top of mind for consumers because of the many advertising avenues out there that require a big marketing budget, so I loved that this model gave small-business owners a chance to attract those new customers with a friendly neighborhood welcome.

What was your first job in franchising? An internship with Our Town America as the social media marketing coordinator. I’ve been lucky enough to stay with the company to this day and am now the chief marketing/PR officer.

What do you attribute your success to? Doing marketing and PR for the nation’s premier new mover direct mail marketing franchise requires you to be open to learning and applying new, current trends. While direct mail has been around for a very long time, this brand is always innovating and incorporating new technology and tools. So I’d say my success could be attributed in part to my ability to successfully convey and promote our innovation and new offerings.

What challenges and obstacles have you overcome in your career? Internet browser and social media platform algorithms are constantly changing, so it’s a fun, ongoing challenge to keep up with that and ensure that our brand is staying ahead of the curve. 

Describe your journey to your current position: I started as a part-time intern in the social media marketing coordinator role at Our Town America. Once my internship came to an end, I was asked to step into the role as a full-time employee. My position soon grew into one that encompasses not only social media, but also SEO, blogging, and marketing materials for our multiple direct mail offerings, as well as franchise development materials. I also work alongside our PR partner firm to launch and maximize coverage of local and national press opportunities.

What are your future career goals? My personal goal is to consistently excel and learn new industry trends. My short- and long-term goals for Our Town America’s marketing/PR strategy involve expansion into all U.S. cities nationwide. It has become a passion of mine to inform all businesses of our marketing offerings as I see the incredible response to our unique programs firsthand: increased foot traffic, great ROI, and local economies getting stronger.

Advice to young female executives in franchising: Keep up with current trends, innovate, network, and work with a brand that resonates with you.