Newly-Launched Franchise Ignition Reunites the St. Jacques Brothers at IFPG
- IFPG acquires the new evolution of St. Jacques Marketing and brings on Michael St. Jacques, a respected franchise marketing veteran, to lead this innovative organic growth initiative.
- Franchise Ignition is designed for both emerging and established brands, whether they use brokers or want a standalone growth tool.
- The launch reunites brothers Philip and Michael St. Jacques, who are now working together again under IFPG.
- The new offering benefits both brands and consultants.
The International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) has launched Franchise Ignition, a new organic lead generation platform created through its acquisition of St. Jacques Marketing. For more than 30 years, St. Jacques Marketing has been a trusted name in franchise marketing and development, helping brands build visibility, tell their stories and connect with qualified franchise candidates.
The acquisition marks a fun reunion for two familiar faces in franchising: twin brothers Philip St. Jacques (above, left) and Michael (above, right). Known and beloved for their creativity, energy and commitment to client satisfaction, the St. Jacques brothers have earned a special place in the franchise community by bringing smart marketing ideas and genuine enthusiasm to the brands and people they serve.
Led by Michael, Franchise Ignition is designed to help franchisors build stronger candidate pipelines, enhance franchise development efforts and support growth at every stage.
The move follows IFPG’s recent acquisitions of Business Alliance Inc. and Franchise Business Review, two deals that broadened the organization’s reach across consulting, data and franchise growth support.
Organic Lead Generation
Franchise Ignition is positioned as a flexible development solution for both emerging and established brands. It is meant to help franchisors gain traction, build momentum and create a more consistent flow of qualified candidates through organic lead generation strategies that can either complement broker programs or stand on their own. This approach fits with IFPG’s broader push to meet franchisors where they are and provide more complete support as their needs evolve.
“IFPG has always focused on building tools and relationships that help franchisors grow,” said Don Daszkowski, founder and CEO of IFPG. “Our recent acquisitions and new service lines reflect that strategy. We continue to build an even more powerful platform for franchise growth.”
Brothers Reunite
Now reunited under the IFPG umbrella, the brothers see Franchise Ignition as the natural next evolution of St. Jacques Marketing and a fresh way to help franchisors grow with more intention.
Philip joined IFPG as senior vice president of marketing in 2023, and the launch of Franchise Ignition brings the brothers’ experience, creativity and shared franchise marketing roots back together in a new way.
“It’s exciting to work with Philip again and bring our experience together through Franchise Ignition,” Michael said. “We see a real opportunity to help franchisors build stronger pipelines and create growth that lasts.”
Philip believes Franchise Ignition will give franchisors something new and exciting. “It represents a major evolution in how franchisors approach growth. It’s not about choosing between brokers or organic development — it’s about having the right mix to build lasting momentum,” he said. “And yes, Michael and I still get plenty of double takes. Even though we’re actually fraternal twins, people in franchising have been mixing us up for years.”
Strengthening Franchise Development
Franchise Ignition introduces what Matt Otskey, IFPG’s chief operating officer, describes as a demand-generation layer within the IFPG growth platform. In practice, that means franchisors no longer have to engage with different companies for their broker-driven growth and organic development strategies. Instead, Franchise Ignition can complete the lead generation picture for franchisors of all sizes.
“Brands that already work with IFPG consultants can use Franchise Ignition to strengthen top-of-funnel activity and instill proper systems and structure to drive candidate conversion rates up,” Otskey said. “For brands earlier in their development journey, it provides a structured way to build awareness and pipeline momentum before fully leveraging the consultant network.”
This added flexibility is especially valuable for emerging brands that want to grow but lack the internal resources to manage consistent lead generation and early-stage nurturing. At the same time, more mature systems can benefit from improved pipeline performance, greater visibility into candidate flow and an additional layer of demand creation. Franchise Ignition is designed to support both ends of that spectrum.
Franchisor and Consultant Benefits
Otskey said Franchise Ignition offers franchisors a practical new way to bring more structure to growth efforts. “Our goal is to give brands access to a larger and more productive consultant ecosystem that can consistently introduce qualified prospects,” he said. “It also benefits franchise consultants. When a brand uses Franchise Ignition, consultants can have greater confidence that their candidates will be treated thoughtfully and professionally.”
Franchise Ignition’s services go beyond basic lead generation to organic lead generation, candidate nurturing, pipeline development, performance management and integration with existing franchise development teams. It also offers fractional franchise development support for brands that do not yet have in-house resources.
“That added support could fill an important gap for brands that have interest but not enough hands-on follow-through. Candidate flow alone is rarely enough to drive development. Franchisors also need consistent communication, pipeline visibility and support converting early interest into serious conversations and signed deals. Franchise Ignition is aimed at bringing more structure and accountability to that process,” said Otskey.
IFPG President Red Boswell said the new offering reflects what many franchisors need in today’s development environment. With the International Franchise Association’s 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook projecting more than 12,000 new franchised businesses this year, reaching 845,000 units nationwide, Boswell said the pace of franchising requires brands to keep evolving. “IFPG never sits still,” Boswell said. “Franchising is fast-paced, and we are always trying to stay one step ahead. Franchise Ignition is a win for both brands and consultants as it helps move qualified candidates forward with more confidence.”
About IFPG
Founded in 2012 as a membership-based franchise broker organization, IFPG is a franchise growth platform that serves franchise consultants, franchisors and suppliers in a collaborative, supportive community. Today, IFPG includes more than 1,500 members nationwide. The organization is regarded for its thorough Certified Franchise Consultant (CFC) program and known for connecting its members through popular year-round events, webinars and its annual Retreat. For seven consecutive years, IFPG has ranked No. 1 in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise Supplier category.
IFPG’s internal publication, Franchise Consultant Magazine, helps consultants better understand the brands in its portfolio while sharing insights and opportunities. FranchiseWire, an IFPG company, delivers timely news and feature stories spotlighting the people, brands and trends in franchising.
For more information, visit FranchiseIgnition.com or contact Michael St. Jacques at michael@ifpg.org or Philip St. Jacques at philip@ifpg.org.
