Proposal description
We are excited at the prospect of having DASH as the title sponsor and official payment partner of the 41st San Francisco Marathon! The event will take place on July 29 with more than 27,000 runners and 60,000 spectators – attracting people from all over the Bay Area, California and around the world.
We will be answering questions on the forum throughout the proposal phase, but here’s the most important information about the sponsorship. (We invite you to check out our video as well: https://vimeo.com/253510228).
Why The San Francisco Marathon?
What does it mean to be a title sponsor?
How will the sponsorship benefit DASH?
Budget Summary
DASH title sponsorship of The San Francisco Marathon 1800 DASH
We have agreed to a 100% escrow with Jeremy Segal at Green Candle
Forum Pre-Proposal discussion:
https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/pre-proposal-the-dash-san-francisco-marathon-2018-title-sponsor-official-payment-partner.28738/
Note: This is the first proposal out of three total that we will be presenting to DASH. Proposals 2 and 3 for supplementary deliverables will be presented early May and end of May respectively.
If the sponsorship is approved, we will also keep the forum updated on the latest developments.
Thank you for considering this sponsorship!
Cindy Myers
Vice President
The San Francisco Marathon
We will be answering questions on the forum throughout the proposal phase, but here’s the most important information about the sponsorship. (We invite you to check out our video as well: https://vimeo.com/253510228).
Why The San Francisco Marathon?
- The San Francisco Marathon is a top-tier race. The sponsorship would build broader awareness of DASH, including to new potential users and merchants
- Bay Area/Silicon Valley influencers make up the majority of TSFM runners and spectators, and it’s a good opportunity to reach core/desired potential users for DASH – college educated (94%); aged 23-39 (64%); (73%) earn +$75K or more in annual income; from California (78%).
- This sponsorship is an opportunity to position DASH as a cryptocurrency leader to a broader audience, including to the influential tech crowd in the Bay Area – a core target for potential new users and merchants.
- The San Francisco Marathon is one of the nation’s premier races - it is a qualifier race for the Boston Marathon and the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. ESPN has named it among the world’s “best marathons.”
- Clearly, the US is the primary audience for DASH, and TSFM has a pre-existing audience in a state with more than 40 million residents. California is the 6th largest economy in the world, close to overtaking the UK (currently ranked 5th.)
What does it mean to be a title sponsor?
- The race would be called The DASH San Francisco Marathon which means the DASH brand would be front and center on all TSFM materials and signage (final logo design TBD).
- DASH would have wide exposure among TSFM’s vendors, partners, participants, and supporters.
How will the sponsorship benefit DASH?
- DASH will be in the news!
- If approved, DASH would be the first cryptocurrency to sponsor a major sporting event. The novelty of this first would generate broad positive news coverage of DASH both locally and nationally. It would also be the first major sporting event to accept cryptocurrency for a sponsorship
- For the first time ever, runners can pay for race registration, along with other merchandise and apparel, with DASH
- TSFM works with a public relations firm to promote the event, and every year, Bay Area media cover the event extensively. National media outlets like ESPN, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, New York Times and the Today Show have also covered the event.
- Introduce DASH to a wide audience beyond media
- As title sponsor of TSFM, DASH will build awareness of its offerings and the community among Bay Area tech influencers, regional residents and mainstream media - core target audiences - through the various promotional elements.
- “The DASH San Francisco Marathon” branding will be splashed on all race merchandise, advertising and pre-race and onsite footprint assets.
- Encourage use of DASH
- Runners will be able to purchase products and services with DASH - introducing DASH to a new category and caliber of merchants.
- Through our planned ‘Merchant Outreach' we will engage with TSFM Supporting Sponsors about accepting/integrating Dash as new payment provider via e.g. AnyPay.
- TSFM will accept DASH as race registration payment, and for the purchase of merchandise. This provides a platform to showcase the technology and benefits of DASH transactions.
Budget Summary
DASH title sponsorship of The San Francisco Marathon 1800 DASH
- Race Weekend branding (website takeover, social media, prominent signage and banners including the Starting and Finish line arches, Finish Line Festival banners, Expo entrance welcoming banners and DASH-themed signage throughout the exhibit hall located on the San Francisco Waterfront’s Fort Mason.)
- PR (outreach to top national and Bay Area media)
- Merchant outreach to encourage acceptance of DASH cryptocurrency
- E-commerce integration for race registration and merchandise
- Incentives (comps, discounts, and amenities to incentivize DASH payments)
We have agreed to a 100% escrow with Jeremy Segal at Green Candle
Forum Pre-Proposal discussion:
https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/pre-proposal-the-dash-san-francisco-marathon-2018-title-sponsor-official-payment-partner.28738/
Note: This is the first proposal out of three total that we will be presenting to DASH. Proposals 2 and 3 for supplementary deliverables will be presented early May and end of May respectively.
If the sponsorship is approved, we will also keep the forum updated on the latest developments.
Thank you for considering this sponsorship!
Cindy Myers
Vice President
The San Francisco Marathon
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Discussion: Should we fund this proposal?
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However I sadly think that this proposal will not pass in advance, it was asking for quite a lot of money when our budget is pretty low. I'm going to vote yes here to show my support.
I would really love for this proposal to come back next year. Evolution will be out as well and might make a better first impression on people.
I like that you have Dash usage, but without discounts, at this stage, I doubt many would use it.
I see the reference to the local Coinbase integration notion. Very clever.
The budget is sky high for this one off event. Yes, try next year.
Beyond Any Pay, we're also prepared to offer incentives like exclusive access to hospitality area and other perks to encourage adoption.
Taking title sponsorship (also called "naming rights") is indeed a bold proposition but there are just not many events of this scale available.
We understand this is a substantial investment at a time when the treasury has many credible proposals for consideration.
We do not take this lightly and would not move forward if we did not believe this would deliver on not just one but FIVE key initiatives: a history-making announcement, national media coverage, brand awareness in a key market, access to influencers and adoption.
Thank you for your consideration.
This is actually an amazing proposal. I would actually really like to see it pass, however it was made when Dash was at it's lowest value of the last year and we might just not have the budget for it this month.
Can you imagine guys? "The DASH San Francisco Marathon". Wow, just wow.
Re: Green Candle
Here is a link to their comments in the pre-proposal forum acknowledging they will be providing escrow services if our proposal receives the requisite number of yes votes:
https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/pre-proposal-the-dash-san-francisco-marathon-2018-title-sponsor-official-payment-partner.28738/page-2#post-176553
We'll offer both discounts and perks for transactions with Dash and we're in conversations with Any Pay on the incentive model now.
Thank you for your consideration.
I would like some clarification on what exactly is included in this proposal if you will be seeking supplementary proposals at a later date.
Race Weekend branding (website takeover, social media, prominent signage and banners including the Starting and Finish line arches, -Finish Line Festival banners, Expo entrance welcoming banners and DASH-themed signage throughout the exhibit hall located on the San Francisco Waterfront’s Fort Mason.)
PR (outreach to top national and Bay Area media)
Merchant outreach to encourage acceptance of DASH cryptocurrency
E-commerce integration of DASH for race registration and merchandise
Incentives (comps, discounts and amenities to incentivize DASH payments)
If this proposal is approved we would prepare subsequent proposals for additional items to amplify your sponsorship and brand to include a concentrated outdoor and digital media campaign to drive awareness adoption.
Here is one such article by the HuffPost: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/emily-lyons/experiential-marketing-2017_b_15518374.html
If it works we can call it the "Coinbase Dash Marathon" and it will still pass.
Otherwise I think it will be too expensive for this current budget. Good luck!
Otherwise people will just read the name and won't even think it's a sponsor.
In general I like this proposal.
In fact, we're already breaking new ground! Today, April 11, 2018, the San Francisco Marathon sent a Dash transaction, thus becoming the world's first marathon to transmit a cryptocurrency transaction.
The opportunity to gain both awareness of DASH and acceptance among key influencers and adopters by aligning with one of the nation’s most premier races is both rare and timely.
As a first-of-its-kind sponsorship, this partnership will establish DASH as an innovator and trailblazer in the crypto market in the most tech-savvy city in America. We are committed to providing the promotional support (PR, advertising, etc.) to ensure this news makes a huge splash.