Under what condition is a Crave franchisee exempt from obtaining approval for advertising and promotional materials?
Crave Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
All advertising and promotional materials, signs, decorations, paper goods (including menus and all forms and stationery used in the Franchised Business) and other items we designate must bear the Marks in the form, color, location, and manner we prescribe. In addition, all your advertising and promotion in any medium must be conducted in a dignified manner and must conform to the standards and requirements in the Manual or otherwise. You must obtain our approval before you use any advertising and promotional materials and plans if we have not prepared or approved them during the 12 months before their proposed use. Any advertising and promotional materials you submit to us for our review will become our property.
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 26–30)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Crave's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee does not need to obtain approval for advertising and promotional materials and plans if Crave has prepared or approved them during the 12 months before their proposed use. This means that if Crave has already created or given the green light to specific advertising content within the past year, a franchisee can use those materials without seeking additional permission.
This policy aims to streamline the advertising process for franchisees while maintaining brand consistency. By pre-approving certain materials, Crave ensures that franchisees have access to compliant and effective marketing tools. This can save franchisees time and effort, as they don't need to submit every single advertisement for review.
However, it's important for franchisees to understand the limitations of this exemption. It only applies to materials that Crave has explicitly prepared or approved within the specified timeframe. Any new or modified advertising content, or any materials that haven't been reviewed recently, would still require franchisor approval. Additionally, all advertising must still be conducted in a dignified manner and conform to the standards and requirements outlined in the Manual or otherwise.
It is also important to note that any advertising and promotional materials submitted to Crave for review become their property. This is a common practice in franchising, allowing the franchisor to maintain control over brand messaging and potentially reuse successful campaigns across the franchise system.