104 Business View Magazine - May 2016
to brand the name and our image.” Fiesta’s number-
one marketing tool is its mascot, Max, a costumed
character that stands out in front of its stores engag-
ing with passersby. “You’d be surprised,” Silke says.
“If you did a search on Google images for Fiesta Auto
Insurance, you will find thousands of photos of Max.”
Not content with a mere 30 percent growth rate, year
after year, Silke outlines some of the company’s plans
for future expansion. “The main objective we have
right now,” he says, “is to grow California from the cur-
rent hundred stores. Our goal is to have 250 or more
locations in California. The ultimate goal for the organi-
zation, overall, is 2,600 locations nationwide. But the
initial focus over the next two or three years, is to get
California up to 250 plus stores.”
The company also plans to offer as many conversions
as possible to independent, mom-and-pop agencies,
specifically in California, that have been struggling and
don’t have a strong brand identity, or the economies of
scale to maintain strong commission levels. “So, we’re
going to waive the franchise fee and invest in these
conversion franchisees,” Silke says. “We’re going to
help them with the cost of building out their store and
waive the royalty fee for the first six months to help
them get up to speed and in the system. Now that we
have brand recognition in California, we expect to gain
additional growth and penetration with these conver-
sion franchisees.
In addition, Silke says that Fiesta is putting together
a plan for digital marketing. “It’s an area that we have
not tapped into and we believe it has huge potential –
not just on the insurance side, but also on franchise
recruitment,” he says. “Let’s face it: every consumer
