Proposal “HWY_Roadtrip_Powered_by_Dash“ (Completed)Back

Title:HWY Road Trip Powered By Dash "amended & resubmitted"
Owner:MarkHWYBrand
One-time payment: 84 DASH (2714 USD)
Completed payments: 1 totaling in 84 DASH (0 month remaining)
Payment start/end: 2017-12-18 / 2018-01-17 (added on 2017-12-19)
Final voting deadline: in passed
Votes: 0 Yes / 0 No / 0 Abstain

Proposal description

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hHbHgsE4yAcNNlNxCFST_QpSvMMJt5JAaKPwKQHCgTFV2kseNn3MLPF7x8vZevgaXTM5wEH8P3QCJvIOHS6gUWz1v8drdPQJ8jc4SKQWr_yE8v6DNA2SJm-8lJ5yFA9AnEVaXugb+  https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pzKo6pk4JVQ6lf4nd7J_nQ_OE9v5zvOUahOROfNA_V8opnKZw_p5Bfm2VOPIelBsK7rFBJQwEhBZHsdMdU_feEkS8rcCYneHM3dacfTvA_-YfYSoZB6BPAl7xTsO2je3dMx6ZXvI
=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DL6RJ_bULkpGkpMBWxgqtYQHcIAUWhQTt88MXegQlLRup68hta6Tcho6MRN4M7w2t07Vxo7kdMVCwj8XTxy_uxCgumpCHwxPOFlqrJcvcDiMcpdsTX0BDW5uDFSxebDxz3q43X4m

HWY Road Trip Powered By Dash (amended & resubmitted)
Prepared by Mark RestelliDecember 2017

Notice of Revision

Hello MNO’s and Dash Community,

This is a revised proposal that takes MNO feedback into account and addresses concerns that were initially raised. We hope you like the changes. Here are the primary ones, summarized:
  1. Reduced the ask from $146,000 to $96,000.  
  2. Enumerated additional expenses to be covered by HWY Brand (roughly $141,556).
  3. More clearly communicated benefits to Dash & Dash sponsored projects.
  4. Included new info about HWY’s reach and exposure on the Marijuana Show (on Amazon Prime) and additional information on HWY’s national product.

More detail about each of these changes (and more) below:

1: Although the planned execution and cost of the Road Trip has not changed (we do not want to diminish the impact of the project), the proposed Dash funding amount has been reduced as HWY Brand will be taking on a greater share of the expense. We have reduced the asking price from $146,000 to $96,000. At the moment of this writing (12/18/17), that would be a one time payment of ~84 Dash. See “Proposal Funding” on page 9 for a detailed breakdown of costs and expenses.

2: We have more clearly outlined additional expenses that HWY Brand will incur to support the Road Trip and cover legal and liability costs. Those expenses, all included, come to a total of $141,556. That capital will be supplied fully by HWY Brand. See page 9 & 10 for detail & breakdown.

3: The benefits to Dash provided by this project are discussed in the video at the top of this proposal, but we want to stress a few of them here as well. These are in addition to the benefits cited throughout the proposal and summarized in the section titled “Benefits to Dash Enumerated” on page 9. Here are three additional benefits we feel we did not adequately stress in the initial proposal:

  • Augmenting Dash Funded Projects: The HWY Road Trip strengthens previously funded projects by both Alt Thirty Six and CannTrade. The Cannabis industry is a tough nut to crack. This project would provide personal, face-to-face introductions to 70 of the highest volume dispensaries in CA. Altogether, those 70 businesses do just under 1 billion dollars in retail sales per year--and that is before the recreational laws bring more consumers and higher prices due to taxation. It is very difficult to reach the decision-makers at these businesses, and this Road Trip project through HWY will allow agents for all three businesses (HWY, CannTrade, and Alt Thirty Six) to reach many of those decision-makers and get their foot in the door.
  • Promoting both Dash and HWY: In addition to training the HWY staff to be able to promote,“sell,” and onramp Dash/Project 36, both CannTrade and Alt Thirty Six have committed to having staff on location for most (if not all) of the HWY Road Trip events. That means that there will be an expert available to help answer higher level questions and troubleshoot any issues on-site. This will supply a blend of HWY staff, who are advocates of Dash, WITH the support of actually having a representative there to assist in promoting the product and answering tier 2 type questions. This equates to 70 events where people will be learning about Dash, downloading wallets, and businesses will be able to make on-the-spot wholesale purchases with incentives to use Dash. Not to mention the media, outreach, and marketing generated that has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands to millions more.   
  • Promoting Confidence in the Cash Alternative Solution via Video Testimonial: For the Cannabis Industry to adopt ANY alternative to cash, they will need to see the solution work with their own two eyes. Not on just a product video, marketing collateral, or via an email campaign, but in the form of video testimonial. They will need to see Dash “in action.” They will need to see people buying bars with Dash, and businesses placing orders. Part of the proposed marketing budget will pay for a professionally produced video that will show just that. Cannabis transactions made without cash, in a digital currency, on video--and the testimony that goes along with it. This will be crucial to spark momentum, and increase Dash adoption in the industry through CannTrade and Alt Thirty Six.

4: HWY Brand is one of 8 business that will be featured on Season 3 of The Marijuana Show, which is set to air in March of 2018 on Amazon Prime. The show currently has an audience of over 6 million viewers across the country, and will help to make HWY a national brand. Although our THC infused products will only be available in California for the near future, HWY Brand has a line of CBD infused bars that will be available for purchase nationally. This means that every viewer that watches the show or otherwise learns about the bars will be able to purchase HWY Bar using Dash.

*Link to Season 2 here: [b]https://www.amazon.com/The-Marijuana-Show-Season-2/dp/B01I2CNIEW[/b]

Why HWY and Dash Make a Good Team

This proposal has great potential to truly increase the adoption of Dash in the Cannabis Industry because the best advocate for any digital payment solution aiming to break into the cannabis industry is an actual cannabis company. HWY Brand has 4 distributors, together servicing over 1500 dispensaries in California, and can offer access to those dispensaries to Dash. If Dash is to be the dominant currency of the cannabis industry, it is going to take time and trust.
  
This is an amazing time to launch the road trip because California’s new regulations are about to change. The state has new licensing guidelines being implemented on 1/1/18, and many current cannabis businesses will lose their compliance. Business unable to obtain a licensure will be shut down, leaving a huge void that HWY is positioned to fill. Additionally, the “adult use” (recreational) market is set to come online, creating enormous potential for growth in California. Having already obtained municipal licenses to manufacture and distribute, HWY Brand is extremely well positioned to be licensed and ready to operate in this newly legal market.
  
Proposal Summary:

The HWY Bar Road Trip project will promote the adoption of Dash in high-volume California cannabis retail locations. The project will coincide with the launch of the HWY Bar product line and the onset of recreational use laws in CA.

The proposed funds will help offset costs for the planning and execution of the “HWY Road Trip,” a 30-day journey in a HWY/Dash/Alt36 co-branded Airstream, which will visit approximately 70 high volume dispensaries (from San Diego to the Bay Area) over the course of the trip. At each stop, the HWY team will put on a 2 hour “customer appreciation” event, where patients, recreational consumers, and dispensaries will sample and be educated on the bars. Orders will be placed and fulfilled, and the fun will be documented and disseminated on numerous media sources.

HWY Bars will be sold exclusively through CannTrade, the wholesale cannabis marketplace which has a contract with Dash (whereby Dash is the only digital currency accepted on the platform). Businesses on CannTrade will be equipped with Dash-ready accounts and be incentivized to transact in Dash, while consumers will be motivated to download a Dash Wallet and purchase using Dash.

Dispensaries will receive a 2-for-1 deal on HWY Bar boxes if they pay using Dash. To make this as easy as possible, a Dash ATM will be transported on the Airstream to ensure the transactions can happen anywhere, and with ease. Additionally, any patient/consumer that downloads a Dash Wallet will receive a “buy 1 get 1” coupon to use when they make their purchase at the dispensary counter.

As a product, HWY Bars have unique advantages, from manufacturing capacity and production costs to well-established distribution companies signed on to carry them, to flavors and nutrition otherwise unavailable in a cannabis-infused product. (See the video of High Times Top Chef and HWY recipe designer Brandon Allen below to learn more about the bars).

The last crucial element of this proposal is the marketing and media exposure this project can bring. The Road Trip is a month-long event that will require outreach and coverage via social and cannabis specific media, before, during, and after the event. This project will enlist the services of two of the most effective media companies in the Cannabis space, CFN Media (http://www.cfnmedia.com) and Cannabis Radio (http://www.cannabisradio.com), each who have a wide reach in the B2B and B2C markets.

We expect the HWY Bar Road Trip to be highly successful in moving bars and increasing awareness and adoption of Dash at both a B2B and B2C level.

We are seeking a one time payment of ~84 Dash ($96,000) to help fund this project. You can learn more about the HWY Partners Brandon Allen and Mark Restelli below (end of the proposal), and visit the HWY website here: https://www.hwybrand.com We look forward to hearing your thoughts and fielding any questions the network may have.

HWY Bar Concept and Design

Edibles are one of the fastest growing segments in the 7 billion dollar cannabis retail market,  which is projected to hit 20 billion by 2021. Much of the projected growth is based on expanding recreational legalization, which will bring new waves of consumers to the market.

Bar Packaging 
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PC8koVtGMsLaDIzmd444CJJyb_8ebwoJD9iq540z0DUJ0ZK6qODz4Dr2m9Ll46sbIq3mIJPpi_3DJ48YwNg1dDwlmmA8r6FrJObKSDEtrRwHIF3f5s90OGJnJFtSn278XMZrdiCFhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vMfpinqCqlCKK0VQHJt2dqUTCrllVXva4ZQLLrEFMSP2PTFBkmRLg8UbTharT3Ku_w4pVMQ8YBkSyi_iPsvt7O8-y97408EUvW0i453EZKEbijPlL0n1gMq5YHB3BYpzFFO1siYxhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4scLk4QXowVDYWkcp4PVmRqeGqj439Hb6m2XUEVPkPhzutQZyihNe_k-aUpgEbIa02I825kL-g9XLI_iR2MuMZ0Hs8aybEs9qFVCtV2ToKWFPZnM7qXkEXTaCoPmffkqgD59pxHB

HWY is branded as an active lifestyle brand with mass appeal, and is especially well positioned to capture the imagination of novice and experienced consumers alike. While the general population is becoming more curious about and aware of the health benefits found in compounds within cannabis, the industry has been producing edibles that pair beneficial cannabinoids with unhealthy ingredients. The central value proposition behind HWY is that the bars offers a high quality, popular class of product (Hemp-nut Granola bars) with healthy, whole ingredients that enhance (rather than detract from) the beneficial properties of cannabinoids.

As a bonus, HWY will be able to offer a superior product at a price-point significantly lower than consumers are used to seeing on dispensary shelves.

Learn about the concept, design, and flavors from the bars’ creator, High Times Top Chef Brandon Allen, in the video below:  



The Competitive Advantage -- Why the Bars will Flourish in CA

The HWY Bar’s parent company (Plant 2 Products Collective) possesses a manufacturing facility in Mammoth Lakes, CA, and has secured both manufacturing and distribution licenses from the city. Because it is already fully licensed by the municipality and in good standing, HWY is positioned to be among the earliest businesses to secure state licensure once the state of California begins issuing licenses in 2018.

The HWY Manufacturing Facility is outfitted with a fully automated continuous bar production line with the capacity to produce 2000 bars per hour. Because of production volume and automation, HWY is able to produce a bar with high quality, whole ingredients while keeping production costs down.

In a B2B market where price is king, HWY will be able to sell boxes to dispensaries at the highly competitive price of 3 dollars per bar. The MSRP in stores will be set at $6, an inexpensive price for any product at a dispensary, as generally the only items for under $10 are hard candies, akin to jolly ranchers or lollipops.  

Because the quality of the product is so high, the class of product (Infused Hemp-nut Granola Bars) is unique to the market, and the offer price is low, we expect retailers and consumers to be excited to make purchases. And we are not the only ones. After hearing the business specs, learning about the bars, and tasting the flavors for themselves, highly successful distributors  (Highlanders Distribution,  Cathedral Distribution, and Speedweed) have eagerly agreed to carry the HWY Bar products.

The Launch and Road Trip

But we want to introduce the state to HWY ourselves. We want to meet our customers face to face--and we want them to use Dash to buy.

To launch the product, HWY plans to embark on a 30 day road trip that will begin in March, 2018. The HWY team will travel the CA Coast in a wrapped and HWY/Dash/Alt36 co-branded Airstream (mock-ups below), from San Diego to the Bay Area, visiting 2+ dispensaries a day. (~70 top-notch shops over the entirety of the trip).
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GI-Hwv5XJNZFl_8xVQ8cAM4N36owd438eey_7Mhsqv5KljEQzf3ZSp5bepPgoiyEMaLU1ILXbwF-7Ah1EDORkjKbw7lv2GvE0CKCjvbYJZafITP4rYIto3wABCxmlB0dzR4xozDVhttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DGApvl_mSmQoij-5hN84woflzw00AGNuUPm9VZv4_p8Xk9DXVGjYbloLb7wVeM1imwSmGXWVHvqpDTyJM-QHmwkSrctDpTsd_nfhTwFYxKRuWO51EG8IQYPQCqW_8I-IsNxzGTYB
The team will spend ~1 week in San Diego and Orange County, ~ 2 weeks in Greater Los Angeles, and ~9 days in the Bay Area. In all regions, the trip will target high volume dispensaries.
For each visit, HWY will coordinate a “Consumer Appreciation” event, where consumers and dispensary agents will sample and be educated on the bars, Dash, and how to purchase using the digital currency. All purchases that occur will be through CannTrade, the Wholesale Cannabis Marketplace which supports Dash currency.

Incentives to Promote Dash
All wholesale buyers will be rewarded with a 2 for 1 deal ONLY if they purchase using Dash. A Dash ATM will be available on-site to make paying using Dash extremely easy. We expect many purchasers to make their initial transaction in Dash, and the 2 for 1 promotion will continue beyond the duration of the month long journey as long as supplies last. That means that any dispensary that re-orders will be incentivized to pay using Dash again (and again).  
 
We believe that once businesses begin to use Dash a few times to buy HWY bars, they will see the benefits of not having to deal in cash, and will begin making more and more purchases (for additional products beyond HWY Bars) through CannTrade using Dash currency.

On top of everything, we will also be inviting several other quality cannabis brands to join us at our Appreciation Events--and in order to participate, they will need to sell product through CannTrade. As always, buyers will be encouraged to make those payments digitally, with Dash.

This will be an excellent opportunity for brands to lock down new retail clients and reach consumers and to introduce brands to Dash.

Marketing and Media
HWY has enlisted the help of two of the most powerful cannabis specific media companies in the world, CFN Media and Cannabis Radio, to help ensure the project gets as much exposure as possible.

In addition to those channels, we will contract independent writers and social media influencers to penetrate target markets in both the B2B and B2C realms.

The marketing package will consist of the following and more:
  1. 90 Day Campaign (Month before, during, and after the Road Trip)
    • 6 original articles on the event, Dash, and brands involved. Each article includes images, call-to-action, and link to site
  • each article shared on our B2B social media
  • each article is shared with publicist to get event covered by mainstream and national press (i.e. USA Today, Huffington Post, Forbes, etc.)

  1. Fully Produced, 10 minute Corporate Film on the event, brands, and Dash, with testimonials and interviews.

  1. Multiple Social Media Promotions and Channels -- Instagram, Linkedin, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.
    • On-site reporters and influencers will produce daily content (text and video) to grow followers of the road trip and brands involved.
    • The involvement of Guest Brands will expand marketing reach by co-opting their social media channels and followers.

  1. Marketing Collateral
    • With the help of Alt 36 and CannTrade, marketing collateral will be created and disseminated to promote HWY and Dash.
 
Benefits to Dash Enumerated
  1. Exposure -- We will be in the biggest cannabis market in the world, and plenty of eyeballs will see our Airstream all over the cities. We will be talking to everyone we see, and be able to give out unmedicated samples to pedestrians and walk-ups. This is essentially a MONTH long event with 3 new audiences (and a growing media audience) every day.
  2. Each Dispensary will be heavily incentivized to 1) Sign up with CannTrade if they haven’t already 2) Download a Dash Wallet  3) Purchase HWY Bars using Dash.  4) Re-purchase using Dash on future orders
  3. Multiple quality Brands/Vendors will experience cashless transactions using Dash.
  4. Consumers will be encouraged and walked through the process of downloading a Dash wallet, educated on the benefits of paying in Dash.
  5. Additional exposure and reach through a targeted marketing campaign, including professionally produced video and testimonial showing Dash in action. (And more exposure + millions of impressions through HWY’s participation on Season 3 of Amazon’s Marijuana Show)
  6. Another strong piece of the cannabis industry puzzle...HWY combines with Alt Thirty Six and CannTrade to increase Dash awareness and adoption.

Proposal Funding (revised) (Formatting Issues with the Tables so this section is not laying correctly)
We are seeking a one-time payment of Dash ($96,000.00) to offset the cost of the production of the bars related to the Dash promotion and to fund a portion of the “road trip.”
  
Funding Breakdown    
Pre Trip Logistics/Planning & Promotion of Road Trip         $3000
Airstream + Truck
  • Rent                                       $7500
  • Wrap                                                               $5250
  • Est. Fuel                                          $1150                     
  • Driver/setup  (750/wk)                            $3215
Additional Cargo Truck (Carrying Dash ATM)
  • Rent                                                $5500
  • Est. Fuel                                    $1150
  • Driver (750/wk)                                        $3215
Staffing 
  • 2 HWY+Dash Evangelist ($3500 ea.)                   $7000   
  • 2 assistants ($2500 ea.)                        $5000
  • Food & Lodging (when necessary)                     $16500
Marketing & Media
  • 90 day Campaign Package + Film                       $29000
  • On Site Reporters/Influencers                       $12000
  • Dash Educational and Marketing Material            $3500
  • Additional Media Production & Editing                  $6000
Bar Production
  • 4000 boxes + 270 Sample Boxes                   $37,576
(42,700 bars @ $0.88 per bar)

Road Trip Cost             Total                $146556
                      Dash                   $96000
                      HWY                    $50556 + Additional HWY Brand Expenses 


Additional HWY Brand Business Expenses  
Legal & Permitting 
  • Distribution Licensing (required to transport)           $5000
  • Legal (Compliance Officer % Liability)               $3500
  • Permitting                                    $4500
Staffing Sales Support ( Including training our internal sale staff to sell dash and walk business thought how to purchase with dash)  
  • 2x employees (3-month min)                                 $21000
  • Account Manager + Dash support (6 months sale cycle)    $20000
Delivery Van (Support Pre & Post-Trip)

Marijuana Show Affiliations (estimated cost)               $25,000

Total Additional Cost (HWY Brand ONLY)                $91000

Who We Are:

Brandon Allen - Chef
Product Designer Brandon is a professionally trained Chef who studied at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and apprenticed with an Olympic Culinary Team, Master Chef. Throughout his culinary education, he competed in numerous competitions which eventually lead to his success in claiming the title as the first ever High Time’s Top Cannabis Chef Competition in the Spring of 2017.  Chef Brandon Allen is a certified “interpener” (the art of interpreting cannabis terpenes), best described as a “sommelier” of cannabis and has the ability to identify cannabis quality and effects by visual and aromatic inspection. With a complete fascination for the Endocannabinoid System, Chef Brandon Allen has become an educational resource for the cannabis community.  Ultimately, Chef Brandon Allen’s mission is to utilize cannabis as a vessel to education the world about food, while using food as a vessel to educate the world about cannabis.https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-allen-71866643/
Mark Restelli - Partner
Mark is a former professional football player who sustained a career-ending foot injury while playing for the Miami Dolphins. It took a total of 4 surgeries over a 3 year period to get his foot back into functional shape.  Realizing cannabis was the only medication that could safely relieve the pain from 20 years of football injuries, he dove headlong into the cannabis industry at the close of his professional athletic career. He soon discovered that cannabis would be his lifelong passion. Mark earned a degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Viticulture from California Polytechnic State University. He worked in the wine industry during his 4-year professional football career and was responsible for the creation of his own small production distribution company called Glasshouse Wines. After leaving the wine industry and retiring from football, Mark spent the last 5 years working in the medical cannabis industry.  He began by growing cannabis in his garage and used his skills in design and marking to develop medical cannabis products for several shops and brands. In 2014, Mark founded Plant 2 Products, a collective in California that is licensed to cultivate, extract, manufacture, and distribute cannabis products. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Restelli   https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-restelli/

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Discussion: Should we fund this proposal?

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0 points,6 years ago
you have my support. Thank you for you proposal.
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
Thank you for the support.
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
Worth a try. Yes
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
This is going to be a great launch in the industry.
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
This proposal will offer great leverage to both Alt Thirty Six and CannTrade as they continue to break into the cannabis industry in CA, AZ, and beyond. Having a very promising product company lead the way for Dash adoption in the space is unique, and I think it will have a major impact.
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
Thank you for the support.
Reply
-1 point,6 years ago
A $100,000 proposal with $37,000 going to produce bars. No escrow, no contract, no guarantees. Sorry but no.
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
The bars produced with funds tied to this proposal are some of the primary incentives to promote Dash adoption by consumers and the use of Dash for wholesale transactions. HWY will not make a profit off of those bars, as they will be given away for free in exchange for learning about and actually using Dash to pay for the bars (both retail and wholesale transactions). The promotions (2 for 1 if using Dash, etc.) will remain in place beyond the 30-day road trip, for as long as the promotional bars exist.
Reply
3 points,6 years ago
I liked it before. I like it better now. You did say that the 70 retailers you are visiting do a combined business of a Billion with a "B" dollars right? I have to think at least half of those dispensaries will be enthusiastic converts. Then you put together a highlight video of how much Dash and Highway products helped those dispensaries. A 6 minute video with 10 enthusiastic converts singing the praises of the cashless Dash solution will turn into a digital marketing tool that helps us take over the California market.

After that, the whole industry falls in our lap.

Enthusiastic yes. Carry on, have fun, win!
solarguy
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
That is exactly the plan to get the adoption jumpstarted. Thank you for the support.
-Mark
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0 points,6 years ago
Look me up if/when you make it to Santa Cruz, good luck!
Reply
1 point,6 years ago
For sure, we are going to release the schedule before the trip embarks.
Reply
1 point,6 years ago
I'm so glad you didnt give up. Thats a mutual beneficiary relationship we are creating with a exponatially growing industry. More of this kind of proposal please!
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0 points,6 years ago
Thank you for the support!
Reply
3 points,6 years ago
I kinda liked it before but now it's just awesome :)
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3 points,6 years ago
Thank you for listening to feedback and coming back with a better and more reasonably priced proposal. You have my Support..
Reply
1 point,6 years ago
Thank you. We are huge proponents of Dash and believe that we can make this industry safer and modernize it at the same time. Dash is HWY Brand's goto payment method and our team is ready to help launch it.
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
Cool idea! Who are you going through for the Dash ATM?
Reply
1 point,6 years ago
We are using product 36 ATMs that are designed specifically for the cannabis industry (Dash Only). An ATM is going to be set up in the Airstream the entire trip and we are going to have multiple units ready to be set up at retailers on the spot.
Thanks,
Mark
Reply
1 point,6 years ago
Yep. This looks even better than the first time. With the launch of Product36, getting more businesses down there using Dash is key. You guys have a great plan, good luck!
Reply
0 points,6 years ago
Thank you for the support. We are excited to lead the charge going to promote the adopting of Dash from all angles.
Reply