Under what circumstances can City Publications require that email communications to residents within a franchisee's territory be done by the franchisor?

According to City Publications' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, City Publications retains specific rights regarding email communications within a franchisee's exclusive territory. The FDD states that while a franchisee may receive email addresses of residents within their exclusive territory, the list of email addresses belongs to City Publications. Therefore, the franchisee cannot use the list without express approval from City Publications.

City Publications has the right to mandate that any email blast or similar communication to residents within a franchisee's territory be conducted by City Publications on behalf of the franchisee. In such cases, the franchisee is required to compensate City Publications based on the franchisor's fee arrangements for these services.

This stipulation gives City Publications control over the messaging and branding delivered to potential customers within a franchisee's territory. For a prospective franchisee, this means they may not have complete autonomy over email marketing campaigns and will incur additional costs when City Publications manages the email communications. It is important for potential franchisees to understand these fee arrangements and how they might impact their marketing strategies and budget.