Can I advertise my Alloy business on the internet without Alloy's permission?
Alloy Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We alone may establish, maintain, modify or discontinue all internet, world wide web and electronic commerce activities pertaining to the System. We may establish one or more websites accessible through one or more uniform resource locators ("URLs") and, if we do, we may design and provide for the benefit of your Facility a "click-through" subpage at our website for the promotion of your Facility. If we establish one or more websites or other modes of electronic commerce and if we provide a "click-through" subpage at the website(s) for the promotion of your Facility, you must routinely provide us with updated copy, photographs and news stories about your Facility suitable for posting on your "click-through" subpage. We reserve the right to specify the content, frequency and procedure you must follow for updating your "click-through" subpage.
Any websites or other modes of electronic commerce that we establish or maintain, including the Alloy App or any app we create for the public, may – in addition to advertising and promoting the products, programs or services available at Alloy Facilities – also be devoted in part to offering Alloy franchises for sale and be used by us to exploit the electronic commerce rights which we alone reserve.
In addition to these activities, we may also establish an intranet through which downloads of operations and marketing materials, exchanges of franchisee email, System discussion forums and System-wide communications (among other activities) can be done. You may not maintain your own website; otherwise maintain a presence or advertise on the internet or any other mode of electronic commerce in connection with your Franchised Business; establish a link to any website we establish at or from any other website or page; or at any time establish any other website, electronic commerce presence or URL which in whole or in part incorporates the "Alloy" name or any name confusingly similar to the Marks.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 31–42)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Alloy's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are significantly restricted in their ability to independently advertise online. Alloy maintains control over all internet and electronic commerce activities related to the Alloy system. Alloy may establish websites and provide a "click-through" subpage for individual franchise locations. Franchisees are required to provide updated content for these subpages as specified by Alloy.
Specifically, the FDD states that franchisees "may not maintain your own website; otherwise maintain a presence or advertise on the internet or any other mode of electronic commerce in connection with your Franchised Business." This means franchisees cannot create their own websites or engage in any independent online advertising for their Alloy business. They also cannot establish links to Alloy's official website from any other website.
Furthermore, franchisees are prohibited from using the "Alloy" name or any confusingly similar name in any URL or electronic commerce presence they might attempt to create. This restriction ensures that Alloy maintains brand control and consistency across all online platforms. Therefore, a franchisee must rely on Alloy's approved online presence and advertising strategies, and has very limited autonomy in this area.