What costs and expenses of the Franchisor can the Casiola Brand Development Fund be used to pay?
Casiola Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
sed Marks and general public brand recognition and awareness of the Licensed Marks. The Brand Development Fund will not be utilized to directly or indirectly market or promote the Franchised Business or, unless otherwise directed by Franchisor, in Franchisor's Reasonable Business Judgment, pay for media placements that may benefit or include any media market that includes Franchisee's Administrative Office or Operating Market;
- (5) Franchisee agrees that the Brand Development Fund may be used to pay various costs and expenses of Franchisor for such reasonable salaries, wages, administrative costs and overhead as Franchisor may incur in activities reasonably related to the administration, activities and/or the brand awareness goals of the Brand Development Fund including expenses incurred by Franchisor for advertising, advertising councils, franchisee advisory councils, marketing, product and service testing, product and service development, maintenance, evaluation and monitoring of the Bookings and Management Systems, upgrades to the System Website, development of Digital Media and creative development that is
internally administered or prepared by Franchisor and other marketing activities made by Franchisor, provided, however, that salary expenses for Franchisor's personnel paid by the Brand Development Fund shall be commensurate with the amount of that time spent by such personnel on Brand Development Fund matters. Franchisor shall not use contributions to the Brand Development Fund to defray any of Franchisor's general operating expenses, except for such reasonable salaries, administrative costs and overhead as Franchisor may incur in activities reasonably related to the administration and activities of the Brand Development Fund and creation or conduct of its marketing programs including, without limitation, conducting market research, preparing advertising and marketing materials and collecting and accounting for contributions to the Brand Development Fund. Franchisor may spend in a fiscal year an amount greater or less than the aggregate contributions of all Casiola Businesses to the Brand Development Fund in that year;
- (6) Franchisee agrees to participate in all advertising, marketing, promotions, research and public relations programs instituted by the Brand Development Fund;
- (7) Casiola Businesses owned by Franchisor or Franchisor's affiliates are not required to pay any Brand Development Fund Fee or contribute to or make any contribution to the Brand Development Fund;
- (8) Franchisee and Franchisor acknowledge and agree that (a) the Brand Development Fund is not a trust, (b) Franchisor is not a trustee or fiduciary of the Brand Development Fund, and (c) Franchisor may deposit and maintain any and all funds of the Brand Development Fund Fee in Franchisor's general accounts. Brand Development Fund Fees are not required to be segregated from other assets or accounts of Franchisor. The Brand Development Fund is not required to expend Brand Development Fund Fees in the year that they are collected and the Brand Development Fund may borrow from Franchisor or other lenders at standard commercial interest rates to cover deficits of the Brand Development Fund, and Franchisor may cause the Brand Development Fund to invest any surplus for future use by the Brand Development Fund. All interest earned on monies contributed to the Brand Development Fund will be used to pay costs of the Brand Development Fund before other assets of the Brand Development Fund are expended. A summary statement of monies collected and costs incurred by the Brand Development Fund for Franchisor's immediately preceding fiscal year shall be made available to Franchisee upon Franchisee's written request. Franchisor will have the right to cause the Brand Development Fund to be incorporated or operated through an entity separate from Franchisor at such time as Franchisor deems appropriate, and such successor entity shall have all rights and duties of Franchisor pursuant to this Article 9.A.;
- (9) Although Franchisor will endeavor to utilize the Brand Development Fund to develop advertising and marketing materials and programs, Franchisor undertakes no obligation to ensure that expenditures by the Brand Development Fund in or affecting any geographic area are proportionate or equivalent to the contributions to the Brand Development Fund by Casiola Businesses operating in that geographic area or that any Casiola Businesses will benefit directly or in proportion to its contribution to the Brand Development Fund from the development of advertising and marketing materials. Franchisor may use the Brand Development Fund to promote or benefit any type of Casiola Businesses in the System. Franchisor may use the Brand Development Fund to promote or benefit Casiola Businesses located within a particular region of the United States. Franchisee agrees that Franchisee's failure to derive any such benefit will not serve as a basis for a reduction or elimination of its obligation to contribute to the Brand Development Fund. Franchisee agrees that the failure (whether with or without Franchisor's permission) of any other franchisee to make the appropriate amount of contributions to the Brand Development Fund shall not in any way release Franchisee from or reduce Franchisee's obligations under this Article 9, such obligations being separate and independent obligations of Franchisee under this Agreement. Except as expressly provided in this Article 9, Franchisor assumes no direct or indirect
liability, responsibility, or obligation to Franchisee with respect to the maintenance, direction, and/or administration of the Brand Development Fund; and
(10) Franchisor, in Franchisor's Reasonable Business Judgment, may establish a council to provide guidance respecting the administration of the Brand Development Fund and marketing matters concerning the Brand Development Fund.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 47–209)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Casiola's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Brand Development Fund can be used to cover various costs and expenses incurred by Casiola. These include reasonable salaries, wages, administrative costs, and overhead that Casiola incurs while administering the Brand Development Fund. These expenses must be reasonably related to the administration, activities, and brand awareness goals of the Brand Development Fund.
Specifically, the fund can cover expenses related to advertising, advertising councils, franchisee advisory councils, marketing, product and service testing, product and service development, maintenance, evaluation and monitoring of the Bookings and Management Systems, upgrades to the System Website, development of Digital Media, and creative development. The Brand Development Fund will not be used to directly or indirectly market or promote the Franchised Business or pay for media placements that may benefit or include any media market that includes Franchisee's Administrative Office or Operating Market, unless otherwise directed by Casiola.
Casiola has sole discretion over the strategic direction, creative concepts, materials, and endorsements used by the Brand Development Fund, as well as the geographic, market, and media placement and allocation thereof. Franchisees are required to participate in all advertising, marketing, promotions, research, and public relations programs instituted by the Brand Development Fund. Casiola may use the Brand Development Fund to promote or benefit any type of Casiola Businesses in the System, including those located within a particular region of the United States.
It's important to note that Casiola Businesses owned by Casiola or its affiliates are not required to pay any Brand Development Fund Fee or contribute to the Brand Development Fund. Additionally, the Brand Development Fund is not a trust, and Casiola is not a trustee or fiduciary of the fund. Casiola may deposit and maintain the Brand Development Fund Fees in its general accounts and is not required to segregate these funds from other assets. All interest earned on monies contributed to the Brand Development Fund will be used to pay costs of the Brand Development Fund before other assets of the Brand Development Fund are expended.