Is Deck Medic required to ensure that all franchisees benefit from technology developments funded by the National Advertising Fund?
Deck_Medic Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
We may utilize the National Advertising Fund to develop and test various media and technologies for potential utilization and/or improvement of the operations of Deck Medic Businesses and the marketing of Deck Medic Businesses.
These technology developments and/or improvements may relate, among other things, to our website and to the interaction and potential enhancement of web offerings that may or may not be implemented on behalf of Deck Medic Businesses.
You may or may not benefit from these technology developments and improvements. (Franchise Agreement, Article 9.A.).
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 24–29)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Deck Medic's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not guaranteed to benefit from technology developments funded by the National Advertising Fund. While Deck Medic may use the National Advertising Fund to develop and test various media and technologies to improve the operations and marketing of Deck Medic businesses, there is no assurance that these developments will be implemented on behalf of all franchisees.
This means that even though franchisees contribute to the National Advertising Fund, they may not directly or immediately see the benefits of technology improvements or developments that are funded by it. The decision to implement these technologies for individual Deck Medic businesses rests with the franchisor.
This lack of guarantee could be a point of concern for potential franchisees, as they are required to contribute up to 2% of their monthly Gross Sales to the National Advertising Fund, as disclosed in Item 6. Franchisees should inquire about the criteria and process Deck Medic uses to determine which technology developments are implemented and how these decisions are made to ensure fair distribution of benefits among all franchisees.