Does Focalpoint Coaching have sole control over the geographic placement of advertising funded by the Advertising and Development Fund?
Focalpoint_Coaching Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisor will direct all programs that the Fund finances, with sole control over the creative concepts, materials, and endorsements used and their geographic, market, and media placement and allocation. The Fund may pay for preparing and producing video, audio, and written materials and electronic media; developing, implementing, and maintaining an electronic commerce Website and/or related strategies; administering regional and multi regional marketing and advertising programs, including, without limitation, purchasing trade journal, direct mail, and other media advertising and using advertising, promotion, and marketing agencies and other advisors to provide assistance; and supporting public relations, market research, and other advertising, promotion, and marketing activities.
Source: Item 22 — Contracts (FDD pages 56–57)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Focalpoint Coaching's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Focalpoint Coaching directs all programs that the Advertising and Development Fund finances, maintaining sole control over the geographic placement of advertising. This includes creative concepts, materials, endorsements, market placement, and media allocation. The Fund can be used for various advertising and marketing activities, such as preparing video, audio, and written materials, developing websites, administering marketing programs, purchasing media advertising, and supporting public relations and market research.
This means that as a Focalpoint Coaching franchisee, you will not have control over where the advertising dollars from the fund are spent. While the franchisor intends to maximize recognition of the Focalpoint Coaching brand and patronage of franchised businesses, they do not need to ensure that fund expenditures in any geographic area are proportionate or equivalent to contributions from franchisees operating in that area. This could mean that some franchisees benefit more or less than others from advertising efforts, regardless of their contribution to the fund.
Focalpoint Coaching may provide franchisees with samples of advertising materials at no cost and sell additional copies at their direct cost of production, plus shipping, handling, and storage. However, the franchisor has the right to defer, reduce, or suspend fund contributions and operations, or even terminate the fund altogether, with unspent monies distributed to franchise owners and the franchisor in proportion to their contributions over the preceding twelve-month period. This highlights the importance of understanding that while franchisees contribute to the fund, Focalpoint Coaching ultimately decides how those funds are used and can change or discontinue the program.