Background

ReBath is a fast-growing franchise-based home remodeling company that initially focused on bath renovations for older adults and has since expanded into full-service home remodels. Each franchisee contributes fees to a national office, which provides branding, creative services, and a unified marketing strategy. In 2019, ReBath established an in-house agency, taking control of national paid media operations. Franchisees could optionally access these services at a discount. By 2024, franchisees not meeting contract standards were required to use in-house agency services to regain compliance.

Challenge

As ReBath’s network expanded, new operational and strategic complexities emerged:

• Scalable Growth: Create processes that allow all franchisees—regardless of market—to receive consistent, high-quality agency support in a “cookie-cutter” yet effective fashion.

• Agency Positioning: Establish ReBath’s in-house team as a bona fide agency, unlocking net/gross media discounts and better negotiating leverage typically reserved for agency partners.

• Vendor Management: Select and onboard vendors capable of growing with ReBath, offering scalable media solutions and favorable pricing.

• Operational Efficiency: Set up systems that maintain buying and planning quality, streamline billing, and enable easy onboarding for new franchisees and freelance support.

• Quality Control: Develop standards and templates to allow rapid, error-free expansion while minimizing manual effort and ensuring accountability across local markets.

Solution & Approach

ReBath’s transformation followed a clear, phased strategy:

Phase 1: Standardization & Infrastructure

• Established uniform buying processes and templates for duplicable, compliant media requests across all franchisees.

• Built a centralized agency-of-record (AOR) model, simplifying account transitions and vendor engagement.

• Developed a streamlined billing system: automated invoice matching, agency-friendly terms, and franchisee-level transparency.

Phase 2: Vendor & Media Expansion

• Negotiated with leading vendors across YouTube, podcast networks, and TV broadcast to secure agency-level discounts, fast onboarding/offboarding, and flexible cancellation terms.

• Onboarded vendors with minimal fees and the agility required for a growing franchise network.

Phase 3: Operational Tools & Quality Control

• Implemented platform solutions (e.g., MediaForce), along with shared login lists and robust documentation for tracking campaign activities.

• Created templated reporting systems and naming conventions for efficient, franchise-specific analytics, reducing lift for ongoing updates.

• Built resource banks for freelancers—guides, templates, and processes to ensure anyone could step in and deliver with minimal ramp-up.

Phase 4: Continuous Improvement & Growth Management

• Set up catch and reconciliation processes to rapidly identify billing errors, under-deliveries, or makegoods—ensuring franchisees promptly received credits or additions due.

• Developed custom processes for franchisees in difficult/complex markets, providing additional support where direction or data was incomplete or inconsistent.

Insights & Results

• Significant Cost Savings: Streamlined billing and media oversight enabled identification and correction of inconsistencies, saving individual franchisees 5–10% on media fees and spend.

• Faster Performance Resolutions: Achieved a 30–60 day window for identifying and recovering value from under-deliveries (makegoods).

• Market-Specific Solutions: Built new frameworks for handling challenging markets, ensuring quality and compliance even with conflicting local directives.

• Exponential Growth Managed: Scaled smoothly from supporting 10 to over 65 franchisees—all while maintaining operational quality and consistency.

• Rapid Onboarding Blueprint: Created documentation and systems that allowed freelancers or new staff to onboard quickly and effectively, supporting ongoing network growth.

Conclusion

ReBath’s investment in a scalable, process-driven in-house agency model—rooted in strategic growth and data-centric decision making—drove measurable improvements across media investment, operational efficiency, and campaign performance. From significant cost savings to seamless franchisee expansion, the new infrastructure positions ReBath to continue its trajectory as a market leader, all while retaining quality control and creative excellence nationwide.