Does City Wide require franchisees to obtain approval before using the City Wide marks in their advertising materials?
City_Wide Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
on (SEO), and search engine marketing (SEM) to drive awareness and leads. The coverage of advertising is regional and national. CITY WIDE provides pre-approved marketing collateral for your usage. If you chose to produce additional materials for your use, at your own cost, you must consult with CITY WIDE and CITY WIDE must approve the advertising or collateral materials in advance which includes obtaining approval from CITY WIDE to utilize the marks before you produce or distribute anything. CITY WIDE will review and approve or disapprove all promotional and advertising materials prior to franchisee's use and within three business days of CITY WIDE's receipt of such materials. If CITY WIDE does not respond to your request within that time, your proposed materials will be deemed disapproved. From time to time CITY WIDE will provide you with local marketing materials, including without limitation, merchandising materials, sales aids, special promotions, and similar marketing materials, at a price equal to their cost, including allocable overhead, to CITY WIDE plus 10%.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 29–36)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to City Wide's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must obtain approval from City Wide before using the company's marks in their advertising materials. City Wide provides pre-approved marketing collateral for franchisee use. However, if a franchisee chooses to create additional materials at their own cost, they must consult with City Wide and receive approval before producing or distributing anything. This includes obtaining approval from City Wide to utilize the marks.
City Wide will review and either approve or disapprove all promotional and advertising materials within three business days of receiving them. If City Wide fails to respond within this timeframe, the proposed materials are considered disapproved. This process ensures that all advertising aligns with City Wide's brand standards and marketing strategies.
Furthermore, franchisees are prohibited from advertising or using City Wide's marks or commercial symbols without including the appropriate registration marks or designations (TM or SM, where applicable). All advertising and promotional use of the marks must conform to the guidelines set forth in the Operating Manual and other documentation provided by City Wide. This requirement helps maintain brand consistency and protects City Wide's intellectual property.