PROPOSED: Fund a trial run of "Ignore Dash," a display-based ad campaign scheduled to run in May on websites within the Google Display Network. "Ignore Dash" ads can advertise any number of Dash attributes and integrations, but this run will focus on branding Dash as the coin for "Instant Confirmations."
(Note: The "Watch" button in these ads will link to a trackable landing page at Dash.org which features a short video of someone making a real, in-person purchase with InstantSend. This InstantSend-themed landing page will link to instructions on how to buy/spend as an end user, and how to integrate as a merchant.)
Why "Ignore Dash"?
For years, Dash has been ignored by much of the crypto-buying market. The "Ignore Dash" ads, then, capture attention with reverse psychology and attempt to reverse this situation.
We posit that the primary reason Dash has been largely ignored is a failure to brand ourselves appropriately. When most of us are asked what Dash is, we gush about "governance!" and "second tier of infrastructure!" and "treasury system!" and practically every other thing that Dash does well -- which is a lot of things.
But that's not what works -- you already know what works. Bitcoin? "Digital gold." Litecoin? "Silver to Bitcoin's gold." Ethereum? "Smart contracts." Monero? "Privacy." We suggest that at this time, Dash brand itself with "Instant Confirmations."
We'll say it again: Dash? "Instant Confirmations."
Who is making this proposal?
A three-way collaboration of Amanda B. Johnson (concept design & market selection), Nathan Pettijohn (strategy & production), and Pat McKenna (ad buy & testing/optimization). Mr. McKenna represented by colleague Jason Nesbitt in the team introduction video below.
What does Fernando Gutierrez, CMO of Dash Core Group, think of this campaign?
Fernando has been consulted throughout the creation of this campaign. He's expressed excitement about the boldness of the "Ignore Dash" approach, and agrees that Dash should be branded with a single, core selling point at this time.
Fernando has also offered to coordinate the creation of the custom, trackable landing page(s) at Dash.org to be the click-through destinations of the ads.
Is this campaign still viable if/when a Google ad ban happens in June?
While the first month of the "Ignore Dash" campaign is indeed slated to use the Google Display Network for distribution, we are not limited to it.
Should Google go through with its cryptocurrency ad ban in June, and not offer exemptions to proven projects like Dash, the "Ignore Dash" campaign can be distributed through other ad networks. Partner Pat McKenna has the necessary relationships with alternatives to make such a transition happen, should it become necessary.
What countries will the ads be shown in, and to whom?
Ads will be shown in the U.S. and Canada to those whose web profiles indicate that they're already
interested in cryptocurrency (using both their Google search terms and their domains visited). Better still, "Ignore Dash" ads will largely run as a "re-market" to a portion of the 5,000,000+ people who've already viewed the "What is Dash?" video, as it was uploaded and advertised by Pat McKenna in this proposal.
If "Ignore Dash" is deemed successful, we will make a future proposal to expand it to more geographical regions.
How will we know if the ads are working?
We will compare the reported engagement statistics of the "What is Dash?" video with the forthcoming engagement statistics of "Ignore Dash" ads to determine if things are moving in the right direction -- if we are gaining or losing engagement. If we are gaining, we can have confidence that a link is being formed in users' minds between Dash and "Instant Confirmations", and that the campaign should continue (either with more "Instant Confirmations" messaging for another month, moving on to another message, or both).
A performance report of the "Ignore Dash" ads -- as generated by the Google Display Network administrative tool -- will be publicly posted on this proposal's dash.org/forum thread at the end of the 30-day run.
Finally, though it would be difficult to directly credit back to this or any other campaign, a Dash price increase (a literal return on investment) is naturally the ultimate and necessary end-goal of this campaign.
What does this cost?
30 days of ads on Google Display Network websites = $92,000
Labor (layout & strategy) = $8,000
Labor (testing & optimization) = $8,000
TOTAL = 314 Dash (subtotal of $108,000 [309 Dash @ 30-day SMA of $350/Dash] + 5 Dash fee reimbursement)*
*In the event of a price decrease, we hope the buffer currently created by the 30-day SMA fills the gap. In the event of a price increase, however, the excess will either be set aside and put toward decreasing the asking price of a future campaign, and/or held in reserve to protect against a price decrease in a future campaign.
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Please post any questions you might have below.
Thank you for your consideration,
Amanda, Nathan, Pat, & Jason
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