Does Brain Balance require franchisees to participate in a mandatory advertising cooperative?

According to Brain Balance's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not required to participate in an advertising cooperative. Brain Balance does not recommend or endorse advertising cooperatives. However, franchisees are permitted to participate in one voluntarily. Brain Balance will not govern or mediate disputes within an advertising cooperative.

Brain Balance does have a Franchise Advisory Board that may provide input on marketing and advertising strategy, as requested by Brain Balance.

Franchisees are required to engage in local marketing and promotional activities. Franchisees should anticipate that significant expenditures on local advertising are necessary to achieve profitability. In addition to contributing to the Advertising Fund, franchisees will jointly determine with Brain Balance the appropriate monthly expenditure for local marketing and promotional activities. This expenditure will be no less than 9% of gross revenue or $6,000 per month, whichever is higher. Franchisees must allocate these expenditures according to Brain Balance's recommendations for spending levels by marketing channels and must use the national advertising materials that Brain Balance produces locally.