Is Aunt Millies Bakeries obligated to conduct any advertising for the franchise system?

According to Aunt Millies Bakeries's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Aunt Millies Bakeries is not obligated to conduct any advertising for the franchise system. This means that franchisees cannot rely on Aunt Millies Bakeries to provide system-wide advertising or marketing support to promote the brand or attract customers to their specific territory. Franchisees are also not required to contribute to any advertising or marketing fund, and they are not obligated to conduct any advertising or marketing themselves. There is also no advertising council.

However, the FDD states that franchisees have the option to enter into an Advertising Agreement with Aunt Millies Bakeries. If a franchisee chooses to enter into this agreement, Aunt Millies Bakeries will pay the franchisee $60 per week to display their decals or other advertising materials on the outside of the franchisee's vehicle and $60 per week to advertise on the franchisee's clothing. This provides a small, optional avenue for franchisees to earn some compensation for promoting the brand, but it is not a mandatory requirement.

In the franchise industry, it is common for franchisors to conduct advertising for the franchise system, and franchisees are often required to contribute to an advertising fund. The fact that Aunt Millies Bakeries does not have these requirements may be seen as a benefit by some franchisees, as they have more control over their marketing efforts and are not required to pay into a system-wide fund. However, it also means that franchisees must be proactive in their marketing efforts to attract customers to their territory.