Is a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee required to pay a brand fund fee?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We may, but need not, establish regional advertising cooperatives for purposes of creating and/or purchasing advertising programs for the benefit of all Bigfoot Forestry Businesses located in the region.
We may: (a) determine the boundaries of the cooperative; (b) specify the manner in which the cooperative is organized and governed; (c) require the cooperative to be administered in accordance with written bylaws, organizational documents or other governing documents that we approve; and (d) require you to participate in the cooperative according to its rules and procedures and abide by its decisions.
You must pay a cooperative advertising fee on each royalty fee due date or such other date specified by the cooperative.
We may set the minimum cooperative advertising fee or we may allow the cooperative to set the fee based on majority vote of its members.
In either case, the fee will not exceed 2% of Gross Sales.
We may either: (a) collect
cooperative advertising fees and remit them to the cooperative; or (b) require you to pay these fees directly to the cooperative. All cooperative advertising fees you pay are credited towards your Local Marketing Commitment. We may form, change or dissolve cooperatives in our discretion.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 42–162)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees may be required to pay a cooperative advertising fee. Bigfoot Forestry may establish regional advertising cooperatives to create advertising programs for the benefit of all Bigfoot Forestry businesses in the region.
Bigfoot Forestry has the authority to determine the cooperative's boundaries, specify its organization and governance, require written bylaws, and mandate franchisee participation according to its rules and decisions. Franchisees must pay a cooperative advertising fee on each royalty fee due date or another date specified by the cooperative. The franchisor may set the minimum fee or allow the cooperative to set it by a majority vote of its members, but the fee will not exceed 2% of gross sales.
Bigfoot Forestry may either collect and remit the cooperative advertising fees or require franchisees to pay these fees directly to the cooperative. All cooperative advertising fees paid are credited toward the franchisee's local marketing commitment. Bigfoot Forestry retains the discretion to form, change, or dissolve cooperatives.