factual

What is the Brand Development Fund for Bang Cookies?

Bang_Cookies Franchise · 2024 FDD

Answer from 2024 FDD Document

[Item 11: FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING]

Brand Development Fund We may control and administer a brand development fund (the "Brand Development Fund") (Franchise Agreement, Article 9.A.).

As disclosed in Item 6 of this Disclosure Document, you must contribute a weekly sum not to exceed 2% of weekly Gross Sales to the Brand Development Fund.

We may use the Brand Development Fund for market studies, research, service development, product development, testing, research studies, technology development, advertising and public relations studies or services, creative production and printing of advertising and marketing materials, advertising copy and commercials, tracking costs, agency fees, administrative costs, which may include reimbursement for direct administrative and personnel costs associated with advertising and public relations, and any other costs associated with the development, marketing and testing of advertising, marketing and public relations materials, and the purchase of media placement, advertising time and public relations materials in national, regional or other advertising and public relations media in a manner determined by us, in our discretion, to be in the best interest of the franchisees and the System.

Our company and/or affiliate owned Shops may but are not required to contribute to the Brand Development Fund.

The Brand Development Fund will maintain unaudited financial records detailing its expenditures and will make available to you, no more frequently than one time in any 12 month period, an unaudited accounting of how monies contributed to the Brand Development Fund were spent each year.

We are not required to segregate the Brand Development Fund from our general operating funds and we are not a fiduciary or trustee of the Brand Development Fund.

The Brand Development Fund will not be used to directly promote your Shop or the marketing area in which your Shop will be located. (Franchise Agreement, Article 9.A.).

We may use the Brand Development Fund to develop and test various media and technologies for potential use and/or improvement of the operations of Shops and the marketing of Shops.

These technology developments and/or improvements may relate, among other things, to our website and to the interaction and potential enhancement of web offerings that may or may not be implemented on behalf of Shops.

You may or may not benefit from these technology developments and improvements.

The Brand Development Fund will be uniformly imposed upon all franchisees. (Franchise Agreement, Article 9.A.).


[Item 11: FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING]

You may or may not benefit from these technology developments and improvements.

The Brand Development Fund will be uniformly imposed upon all franchisees. (Franchise Agreement, Article 9.A.).

We may use the Brand Development Fund to compensate ourselves for administrative fees associated with managing the Brand Development Fund and for our internal employee salaries, expenses and overhead associated with or reasonably allocated to managing the activities of the Brand Development Fund and performing services on behalf of the Brand Development Fund including, but not limited to, directing, developing and managing media of the Brand Development Fund. We will not use the Brand Development Fund to directly market the sale of Shops, but may do so indirectly by requiring and including information as to the availability of Shop franchises for sale and contact information for franchise inquiries on and within advertising, marketing and brand development materials, including the System website, developed with the Brand Development Funds.

We have not established and do not currently require any contribution to a Brand Development Fund;

Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 29–36)

What This Means (2024 FDD)

According to Bang Cookies's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Brand Development Fund is controlled and administered by the company and may be used for various marketing and development purposes. Franchisees may be required to contribute up to 2% of their weekly gross sales to this fund. However, the document also states that Bang Cookies has not established and does not currently require any contribution to a Brand Development Fund.

The Brand Development Fund can be used for market studies, research, service and product development, testing, advertising, public relations, and the creation of marketing materials. It also covers administrative costs, agency fees, and the purchase of media placement. Bang Cookies may use the fund to develop and test new technologies related to the website and other operational improvements, which may or may not benefit individual franchisees.

Bang Cookies and its affiliate-owned shops may contribute to the Brand Development Fund, but are not required to do so. While the fund maintains unaudited financial records, franchisees are only entitled to an unaudited accounting of expenditures once per 12-month period. The fund will be uniformly imposed on all franchisees, but it will not be used to directly promote an individual franchisee's shop or marketing area. Bang Cookies is not required to segregate the Brand Development Fund from its general operating funds and is not considered a fiduciary or trustee of the fund.

Bang Cookies may use the Brand Development Fund to compensate themselves for administrative fees and internal employee salaries related to managing the fund's activities. While the fund will not be used to directly market the sale of franchises, it may indirectly do so by including franchise availability information in its advertising and marketing materials.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.