Is a Belocal franchisee required to participate in any national, regional, or local advertising programs managed by Belocal?
Belocal Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You are not required to participate in any national, regional, or local advertising programs we manage or in any local or regional advertising cooperatives. You are not required to participate in an advertising fund. We do not have an advertising council.
We are not required to spend any money to advertise your Franchised Business, the Publication, or the BELOCAL brand generally. We are not required to spend any money for advertising in your Territory. If we choose to conduct any advertising related to the Franchised Business, the Publication, or the BELOCAL brand generally, we may use any media we choose, any source we choose (an in-house team, or local, regional, or national companies) and have total discretion to select the coverage (local, regional, or national).
You must obtain our prior approval for all advertising and promotional plans and materials that you desire to use to promote your Franchised Business and that we have not prepared or previously approved. You may only use advertising materials that you create, or have created for you, if we determine that these materials and the proposed use of these materials meet our standards. We reserve the right to disapprove at
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 37–42)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Belocal's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not required to participate in any national, regional, or local advertising programs managed by Belocal, nor are they required to participate in any local or regional advertising cooperatives or an advertising fund. This provides Belocal franchisees with significant autonomy over their advertising strategies and budgets.
Belocal is not obligated to spend any money to advertise a franchisee's business, the Publication, or the Belocal brand in general, including within the franchisee's specific territory. However, if Belocal chooses to conduct advertising, it has total discretion over the media, sources, and coverage areas used.
While franchisees have flexibility in their advertising efforts, Belocal requires prior approval for all advertising and promotional plans and materials that the franchisee intends to use but which Belocal has not already prepared or approved. Belocal retains the right to disapprove any advertising plans or materials, even those previously approved, and franchisees must discontinue their use upon notice. This ensures that all advertising aligns with Belocal's brand standards and marketing strategies.