National Franchise Development
The Challenge: Turning Promotions into a Brand Story
When Ziebart announced the promotion of Larisa Walega to Chief Growth Officer and Thomas A. Wolfe to CEO, the news offered more than an internal leadership update – it was a pivotal opportunity to showcase the strength and continuity of Ziebart’s executive team. The challenge was transforming a traditional promotion press release into a national narrative about how long-term leadership development fuels franchise success, brand consistency, and sustained growth.
The Solution: Promoting Leadership, Promoting Growth
Rather than treat the announcement as routine, the PR strategy positioned both promotions as a testament to Ziebart’s commitment to developing talent from within. By highlighting Larisa’s rise through the marketing department and Thomas’s decades-long leadership journey, the story became a powerful example of franchise system stability and internal succession planning. Media outreach emphasized how a cohesive, experienced leadership team drives strategic growth, positioning Ziebart as a brand franchisees can trust for the long haul.
The Outcome: Lasting National Visibility & Brand Impact
What began as a pair of leadership promotion announcements evolved into a compelling, long-term brand narrative. Their promotions proved that storytelling is an essential part of the PR strategy, even for something that seems as simple as a promotion announcement. By telling the stories of their long-term journeys with Ziebart, Fishman PR secured media interest across franchise, business, and leadership verticals. The news of their respective promotions left a lasting impression on reporters, to the point where some journalists are still reaching out – over a year and a half later. It helped cement Ziebart’s reputation as a franchise system that invests in its people and plans for sustainable growth, solidifying the importance of promoting from within. The thought-leadership angle created a roadmap for turning future leadership milestones into broader brand-building opportunities – extending the value of internal updates far beyond the moment of the initial announcement.
This resulted in coverage in franchise trade publications, local and national business outlets, automotive industry publications, as well as Authority Magazine under the appropriate topic of Succession in Business. Larisa’s position as a female leader in marketing secured her an original piece that’s part of the launch of a new series of stories featuring women in franchise marketing. In all, Fishman PR’s proactive outreach resulted in 164.4 billion impressions for Tom, more than 581,000 impressions for Larisa, as well as another 724,000 impressions for our pending opportunities – even over a year and a half after their initial announcements.