factual

Are Casiola franchisees required to pay fees to Franchisor's designees as part of Advertising Contributions for a Casiola franchise?

Casiola Franchise · 2024 FDD

Answer from 2024 FDD Document

  • "Advertising Contributions" means any and all obligations of Franchisee to contribute to and/or pay fees to Franchisor or Franchisor's affiliate or designees as set forth in this Agreement including, but not limited to, the Brand Development Fund Fees set forth in Article 9.A. of this Agreement and Advertising Cooperative contributions and contributions set forth in Article 9.C. of this Agreement.

  • (1) If Franchisor previously instituted or, in the future, institutes an Advertising Cooperative that includes, in whole or in part, Franchisee's Operating Market or Franchisee's Casiola Business Location, Franchisee shall participate in and make such on-going financial contributions to the Advertising Cooperative, as determined by the Advertising Cooperative;

  • (2) Franchisor may establish foundational and organizational requirements of the Advertising Cooperative including voting provisions that allows the Advertising Cooperative to make decisions based on the simple majority vote (one vote per franchisee Casiola Business located within the designated area of the Advertising Cooperative) with a quorum constituting 25% of those franchisees within the Advertising Cooperative;

  • (3) Unless otherwise authorized and approved by Franchisor in writing, each Advertising Cooperative shall be organized for the exclusive purpose of administering marketing programs and the development of media (all subject to the review and approval of Franchisor) for use by members of the Advertising Cooperative in local or regional marketing;

  • (4) If at the time of execution of this Agreement an Advertising Cooperative has been established for a geographic area that includes, in whole or in part, Franchisee's Casiola Business location or Operating Market, or if such Advertising Cooperative is established during the Term of this Agreement, Franchisee shall fully participate in the Advertising Cooperative and Franchisee shall execute, at the request of Franchisor, all documents required by Franchisor and Franchisee shall become a member of the Advertising Cooperative subject to the terms of those documents;

  • (5) Franchisee shall contribute to the Advertising Cooperative in the amounts as determined and required by the Advertising Cooperative or, otherwise in accordance with those documents governing the operation of the Advertising Cooperative; provided, however, Franchisee's contributions to the Advertising Cooperative shall not exceed Franchisee's local minimum marketing obligations set forth

  • (6) Franchisee shall submit to the Advertising Cooperative and to Franchisor such statements and reports as may be required by the Advertising Cooperative and approved by Franchisor. All contributions to the Advertising Cooperative shall be maintained and administered in accordance with the documents governing the Advertising Cooperative. The Advertising Cooperative shall be operated solely for the purpose of collection and expenditure of the Advertising Cooperative's fees for the purpose set forth in this Article 9.C.;

  • (7) No marketing materials, plans, or media may be used by the Advertising Cooperative or its members without the prior written approval of Franchisor;

  • (8) Casiola Businesses owned by Franchisor and/or Franchisor's affiliates that are located within the geographic area of the designated Advertising Cooperative are not required to make contributions to the Advertising Cooperative; and

  • (9) The Advertising Cooperative must comply with the rules and regulations established by Franchisor in the Operations Manual which may be modified by Franchisor from time to time.

As designated by Franchisor in this Agreement, the Manual or otherwise, Franchisee shall pay the following additional fees to either Franchisor, Franchisor's affiliate(s), or Franchisee's designee(s):

  • (1) Brand Development Fund Fee Franchisee shall pay to Franchisor, Franchisor's affiliates, or Franchisor's designees, the Brand Development Fund Fee as set forth in Article 9 of this Agreement.

  • (5) Quality Assurance Fees Franchisee shall pay to Franchisor, Franchisor's affiliates, or Franchisor's designees on-going weekly, monthly, and/or per use fees related to quality assurance fees assessed by Franchisor related to periodic inspections of Franchisee's Casiola Business, quality inspections related to short-term rental properties and rental customer experiences, and secret shopper type evaluations.

Quality assurance fees shall be assessed and determined by Franchisor, in Franchisor's Reasonable Business Judgment.

At all times Franchisor, in Franchisor's Reasonable Business Judgment, possesses the right to authorize, establish, designate and de-authorize a local or regional advertising cooperative within those markets that Franchisor designates (the "Advertising Cooperative"). Franchisee agrees that Franchisor possesses the sole and exclusive right to designate any geographic area in which two or more Casiola Business franchises are located as a region for the purpose of establishing an Advertising Cooperative. If Franchisee's Casiola Business or Operating Market is located within the geographic area of an Advertising Cooperative, franchisee must participate in and contribute to the Advertising Cooperative. Franchisee agrees to the following:

Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 47–209)

What This Means (2024 FDD)

According to the 2024 Casiola Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees may be required to pay advertising fees to Casiola's designees. The FDD defines "Advertising Contributions" as any obligations of the franchisee to contribute to or pay fees to Casiola, its affiliates, or its designees. This includes Brand Development Fund Fees and Advertising Cooperative contributions.

Casiola franchisees may also be required to participate in and contribute to an Advertising Cooperative if one is established in their operating market. The amount of these contributions is determined by the Advertising Cooperative, but it will count toward the franchisee's minimum local marketing obligations. All marketing plans and materials used by the Cooperative are subject to Casiola's review and approval. Casiola also has the right to authorize, establish, designate, and de-authorize local or regional advertising cooperatives.

Furthermore, Casiola franchisees may be required to pay additional fees to Casiola, its affiliates, or its designees, including Brand Development Fund Fees and Quality Assurance Fees. Quality Assurance Fees are related to periodic inspections of the franchisee's Casiola Business, quality inspections related to short-term rental properties and rental customer experiences, and secret shopper type evaluations. These fees are assessed and determined by Casiola.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.