Is a My Salon Suite franchisee required to participate in a local or regional advertising cooperative?

According to My Salon Suite's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not required to participate in any local or regional advertising cooperatives. This means that franchisees have the autonomy to manage their advertising and promotional efforts independently of any mandatory cooperative structure.

My Salon Suite does, however, maintain a Brand Building Fund, which is used for various advertising and marketing activities at the franchisor's discretion. These activities can include creating and placing advertisements in different media, conducting public relations campaigns, and market research. The FDD specifies that My Salon Suite is not obligated to ensure that these advertising expenditures directly benefit each franchisee on a pro rata basis or at all.

While franchisees are not mandated to join an advertising cooperative, they are still subject to certain advertising restrictions. Franchisees must obtain written approval from My Salon Suite before establishing or maintaining any online presence related to the franchised business, including websites or social media profiles. If permitted to have an online presence, franchisees must adhere to My Salon Suite's standards and utilize any templates provided by the franchisor.