What is the intended purpose of Body Brain Center's advertising fund?
Body_Brain_Center Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
r prior approval.
Advertising Fund (Sections 9.1)
We have established and administer an advertising fund. We administer a single advertising fund for Body & Brain home-based franchisees and Body & Brain Center franchisees. The advertising fund will be used for local, regional or national marketing, advertising, sales promotion and promotional materials, public and consumer relations, publicity, website development,search engine optimization and any other programs that we deem necessary or appropriate. Currently, we intend to use the advertising fund to further develop the publicly accessible Body & Brain website to promote the brand and Body & Brain Centers and Body & Brain home-based franchises. The advertising fund may also be used to pay for the creation of marketing materials that our franchisees may use for local marketing purposes.
Advertising fund fees will be kept in a separate account and revenues received will be accounted for separately from our other funds and will not be used to defray any of our general operating expenses, except for such reasonable salaries, administrative costs and overhead as we may incur in activities reasonably related to the administration or direction of the advertising fund and its local, regional or national advertising programs (which may include, without limitation: conducting market research, preparing and conducting television, radio, magazine, billboard, Internet, newspaper, digital advertising and other media programs and activities and employing advertising agencies to assist therewith, collecting and accounting for contributions to the advertising fund, and paying for the preparation and distribution of marketing materials and financial accountings of the advertising fund). None of the advertising fund fees will be used for advertisements principally directed at selling additional franchises. All funds deposited into the advertising fund that are not used in the fiscal year in which they accrue will be utilized in the following fiscal year. Any surplus of funds in the advertising fund may be invested and we may lend money to the advertising fund if there is a deficit. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, we spent the advertising fund fees in the following manner: 0% for production; 14% for media placement; 0% for administrative expenses; and 86% for other purposes.
You must pay us an advertising fund fee equal to 0.5% of your Program Sales (defined in Item 6). We will deposit into the advertising fund all: (i) advertising fund fees paid by you and other franchisees (unless we allocate the fees to an advertising cooperative); (ii) fines paid by you and other franchisees; and (iii) rebates or other payments we receive from suppliers based on franchisee purchases. Any company-owned Body & Brain Center or Body & Brain home-based business will contribute to the advertising fund on the same basis as our franchisees. However, if we modify the amount or timing of the contributions that must be
made to the advertising fund, any company-owned Body & Brain Center or Body & Brain home-based business that is established or acquired after the modification may contribute to the advertising fund utilizing the modified amount or timing. Except as stated in this paragraph, we have no obligation to expend our own funds or resources for any marketing activities in your area.
Our administration of the advertising fund isintended to maximize general public recognition and patronage of the Body & Brain System for the benefit of us and all Body & Brain franchisees and we will use our best efforts to apportion advertising to obtain the greatest benefit for all franchisees. We will direct and have complete control and discretion over all advertising programs, including the creative concepts, materials, endorsements and media used for the programs, and the placement and allocation of the programs. We anticipate that the advertising will primarily consist of Internet ads and brochures. We assume no direct or indirect liability or obligation to you with respect to the maintenance, direction or administration of the advertising fund. The advertising fund will not be a trust and we will have no fiduciary obligations with respect to our administration of the advertising fund.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE**, ADVERTISING, **COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 20–29)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Body Brain Center's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the advertising fund is intended to enhance public recognition and patronage of the Body & Brain system, benefiting both the franchisor and all franchisees. Body Brain Center has complete control over all advertising programs, including creative concepts, materials, endorsements, and media used. The FDD anticipates that advertising will primarily consist of Internet ads and brochures. The advertising fund is used for local, regional, or national marketing, advertising, sales promotion and promotional materials, public and consumer relations, publicity, website development, search engine optimization, and any other programs deemed necessary or appropriate by Body Brain Center.
The advertising fund fees are kept in a separate account and revenues received will be accounted for separately from Body Brain Center's other funds. These funds will not be used to defray any of Body Brain Center's general operating expenses, except for reasonable salaries, administrative costs, and overhead related to the administration of the advertising fund and its advertising programs. These programs may include market research, television, radio, magazine, billboard, Internet, newspaper, and digital advertising. None of the advertising fund fees will be used for advertisements principally directed at selling additional franchises.
As a Body Brain Center franchisee, you are required to pay an advertising fund fee equal to 0.5% of your Program Sales. All advertising fund fees paid by franchisees, fines paid by franchisees, and rebates or other payments Body Brain Center receives from suppliers based on franchisee purchases will be deposited into the advertising fund. Company-owned Body & Brain Centers or Body & Brain home-based businesses will contribute to the advertising fund on the same basis as franchisees. An unaudited financial accounting of the operations of the advertising fund will be prepared annually and made available to franchisees upon request.