Can Beem Light Sauna use Brand Fund monies for branding studies?
Beem_Light_Sauna Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We may use monies in the Brand Fund and any earnings on the Brand Fund account for any costs associated with advertising (media and production), branding, marketing, public relations and/or promotional programs and materials, and any other activities we determine, in our sole discretion, would benefit the Brand or the Studios generally. These activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) advertising campaigns in various media; (ii) creation, maintenance, and optimization of the System Website or other websites; (iii) keyword or adword purchasing programs; (iv) conducting and managing social media activities; (v) direct mail advertising; (vi) market research, including secret shoppers and customer satisfaction surveys; (vii) branding studies; (viii) engaging advertising and/or public relations agencies and paying any related retainers and fees; (ix) paying the salaries and benefits of our marketing and brand-building personnel and any other overhead related to our marketing department; (x) purchasing promotional items; (xi) conducting and administering promotions, contests, giveaways, public relations events, and community involvement activities; (xii) marketing the sale of Franchises; (xiii) providing promotional and other marketing materials and services to our franchisees; and (xiv) reasonable administrative costs and overhead we incur related to the administration of the Brand Fund and the implementation of Brand Fund-supported programs.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 37–47)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Beem Light Sauna's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Brand Fund can be used for branding studies. Franchisees contribute up to 4% of Gross Sales to the Brand Fund, with the current contribution being 2%.
The FDD specifies that Beem Light Sauna has the discretion to use Brand Fund monies for costs associated with advertising, branding, marketing, public relations, and promotional programs. These activities may include advertising campaigns, website maintenance, social media management, direct mail advertising, market research, and branding studies.
This means that a portion of the money Beem Light Sauna franchisees pay into the Brand Fund could be allocated to branding studies, among other marketing-related activities. While the franchisee may be consulted, Beem Light Sauna retains the final decision on how the Brand Fund is used. The FDD also indicates that franchisees are not guaranteed to benefit from the Brand Fund in direct proportion to their contributions.