Proposal “official-dash-newsroom-public-relations-“ (Completed)Back

Title:Official Dash NewsRoom [Public Relations / Communications]
Owner:DASHPRESS
Monthly amount: 250 DASH (7148 USD)
Completed payments: 3 totaling in 750 DASH (0 month remaining)
Payment start/end: 2020-10-14 / 2021-01-11 (added on 2020-10-10)
Votes: 874 Yes / 13 No / 5 Abstain
External information: app.dashnexus.org/proposals/official-dash-newsroom-public-relations--communications/overview

Proposal description

https://i.imgur.com/OgRwRJI.png

Requested funding is as follows:

3 month proposal
250 Dash per month ($16,500 USD @ $66 USD per Dash)
5 Dash proposal fee reimbursement will be deducted from ask.

Note: Should any funding remain, we will apply it toward future expenses and marketing efforts.

(Click here for report detailing deliverables and performance related info including metrics and links.)

What is the main objective of this proposal?

To improve Dash's communication and media outreach in an official capacity by bringing public relations (PR) efforts in-house, creating positive change and delivering results.

Who is the team behind this proposal?

This initiative and proposal is led by Mark Mason who will be directing media and PR efforts on behalf of the Dash network.

Main team consists of: Mark Mason, Amanda B. Johnson and Dan Sessoms Jr. We also have several part-time members in the team including translators and freelancers to perform jobs when required.

This proposal is funded and managed independent of Dash Core Group. We have a strong collaborative working partnership and agreement with Dash Core Group. Dash Core Group is in full support of our efforts and strategy.

“Bringing PR in-house is a long-desired goal, and I can't think of a better way to do it than with a cross-DFO collaboration with Mark Mason. I am sure that we'll get increased exposure for Dash in the media, and serve our international communities much better than we are now.”

Statement from Fernando Gutierrez Dash Core Group Chief Marketing Officer.

What does this proposal fund?

  • Dash Newsroom at newsroom.dash.org
  • New Video Series with Amanda B. Johnson.
  • Original video content for the official Dash YouTube channel.
  • External Media Coverage and PR.
  • Dash’s Official Social Media Graphic and Content Creation.
  • PR and Marketing Support for DAO funded Biz Dev teams.

Dash Newsroom

https://i.imgur.com/Gdsqb5e.png

The official Dash newsroom unifies collaborative efforts by all DFO’s including DCG performing business development by providing assistance with partners and an official outlet for announcements.

New Video Series with Amanda B. Johnson

https://i.imgur.com/b0ZFno4.png

Building on the success of the Dash Platform video series. The team is currently in the initial production stages of a new video series working on scripts and storyboards. How Dash Fixed It!  is an updated version of Dash School with a creative twist. These videos will be created to target a blockchain agnostic audience. Each video will highlight problems and limitations with blockchain technology today, and then explain how Dash has pioneered innovative solutions to solve these problems. This will be a high quality professional production with custom animations and Amanda as the host remaining on-screen at all times.

As with the Dash Platform video series, we will consult and be in close communication with Dash Core Group, and Dash community Devs such as Andy Freer to provide insight, feedback and guidance in order to perfect and fine-tune the details of the scripts.

Topics will include: decentralization, security, scalability, fees, confirmations, hard forks, 51% attacks, long confirmations, masternodes and usability.

Original Video Content For The Official Dash YouTube Channel

Dash Talk


https://i.imgur.com/doZ40cB.png

Amanda B. Johnson is the host of a show called Dash Talk where we feature and interview Dash partners to help assist and support Business Development efforts. In the past we have both created content solely directed at the community. The main objective of this weekly series is to raise awareness about Dash and new integrations by reaching new audiences outside our community channels with the goal to bring new users to Dash. With this approach we hope to growth-hack the network by utilizing and bootstrapping our partners network as they will syndicate video interviews to their social media followers. This will not only help grow our own official Dash channels but also deliver insightful Dash content that will reach new audiences with retail investors that are already involved in the cryptocurrency space.

Dash FastPass Network



We remain in close contact with the DCG Biz Dev team in collaboration to develop and produce more educational content in the future. We have developed an educational trading content strategy to expand upon ‘What is the Dash FastPass Network?’ video that will provide content not just for social media, but will also be hosted on a new section on the official Dash website that is currently in development. I’m also happy to report that the Dash Platform video series is also in the process of being added to a newly dedicated section on Dash.org. We have created a joint plan of action with the DCG Biz Dev team to create video content to highlight and support strategic FastPass partner services, with professionally produced ‘how to’ tutorial video guides on trading topics with the goal to increase awareness and exposure about trading Dash on the FastPass Network. The trading videos will be a series of content that will also appeal and be of strong interest to a blockchain agnostic audience. For example: What are Perpetual Swaps and How to Trade Them. We will use Dash in the example trade on a FastPass partner solution. This will utilize the same growth-hack strategy by bootstrapping our partners network as they will syndicate video interviews to their social media followers. It will help grow our own Dash channels but also deliver insightful content that will reach new audiences with retail and professional traders that are already involved in the cryptocurrency space.

External Media Coverage and PR

https://i.imgur.com/NHD4APP.png

I'm currently working with a team of journalists on the creation and development of concepts for unique news articles about Dash. This includes writing, pitching and lead generation securing placements on publications.

In addition Mark continues to network independently with external media and journalists as a key point of contact for Dash liaising and providing quotes for publications and arranging external guest interviews for Ryan Taylor and Dash Core Group on Podcasts, YouTube Channels etc.

(Click here for report detailing deliverables and performance related info including metrics and links.)

Official Dash Social Media

https://i.imgur.com/D8XK7Ll.png

Mark has access to official Dash social media accounts for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram via Buffer and was recently added to Blockfolio Signal. We continue to create and publish content for Dash with graphics, videos, editing support to promote partner press releases and Dash Core Group announcements.

Business Development

Mark remains heavily involved with business development for the network at large performing a crucial and fundamental role in communicating as an ambassador for Dash. This involves onboarding and introducing the DCG Biz Dev team to high-level integration opportunities for the network and also providing marketing and PR support for all DFO funded Biz Dev teams. Mark remains committed to seeing Dash succeed and is the chair and moderator of the weekly Biz Dev co-working meeting with DCG and other DFO's lending his experience, history and contacts, giving his time and efforts into helping to facilitate onboarding new partners for Dash. Big partners always want something in return for integration and Mark more often than not plays an active and vital role in the process attending DFO Biz Dev meetings upon request to liaise and work with partners marketing teams and PR firms on behalf of Dash offering announcement, media exposure and support via newsroom, video interviews, podcast appearances or simply by raising awareness on social media with video or graphical content.

Reporting and Transparency

Mark remains fully committed to reporting to Dash Watch and is in close communication with the team.

On behalf of the Dash Newsroom team I would like to give my sincere thanks to the masternode network for their continued support.

Show full description ...

Discussion: Should we fund this proposal?

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0 points,3 years ago
Dash Watch December 2020 Report on
Official Dash NewsRoom [Public Relations / Communications] by DASHPRESS
https://reports.dashwatch.org/DEC20/official-dash-newsroom-public-relations-.pdf
Reply
0 points,3 years ago
Dash Watch November 2020 Report on
Official Dash NewsRoom [Public Relations / Communications] by DASHPRESS
https://beta.dashwatch.org/r/NOV20/official-dash-newsroom-public-relations-
Reply
0 points,3 years ago
@Dashnewsroom there is some information being spread online that the privacy coin Dash was de-listed from shapeshift? Have you heard about this? There are many articles also stating this online along with youtube Ivan on tech who also reported this. Perhaps someone needs to correct this misinformation that Dash is a privacy coin like monero which is completely wrong. All Dash transactions are still visible on the blockchain even if someone uses private send feature and is not anything like monero. There is no comparison.

https://decrypt.co/47508/shapeshift-quietly-delists-monero-privacy-coin

Ivan on tech: https://youtu.be/fSdHp-rXU7g?t=1751

I thought that we had several legal first check and this and confirmed DASH should not be classed as a privacy coin and it should be in the same class as bitcoin?

DCG created the report covering the Dash position on this. If companies keep incorrectly categorising Dash as a privacy coin perhaps we need to start considering taking stronger measures to stop incorrect information circulating like this.

Proactive measures may need to be considered to educate these exchanges before Dash gets incorrectly de-listed from them. I t may even be time to start taking stronger measures - possibly legal steps because delisting and spreading factually incorrect news reports are causing unfair damage to the Dash project.
Reply
1 point,3 years ago
Dash Watch October 2020 Report on
Official Dash NewsRoom by DASHPRESS
https://beta.dashwatch.org/r/OCT20/official-dash-newsroom-communications--p
Reply
5 points,3 years ago
Thank you for doing things the right way, which is with thoughtfulness, planning and execution, while collaborating with DCG personnel closely.

No one's wearing velcro shoes at DASHPRESS ;-)
Reply
3 points,3 years ago
Thank you for your support and kind words Hilawe. It's really appreciated.
Reply
0 points,3 years ago
@DASHPRESS sorry to rain on your parade with all the platitudes that everyone else has been languishing. I'm certain you're going to downvote me after this post, along with leaving no comments whatsoever. That just tells me Mark that you are still resistant to learning new things. Well tough, my friend, I'm going there anyway.

OK, firstly what was good about the Dash Evo video series; it was educational, it gave an outline of the Dash Platform features in everyday language. AMJ as usual is a great presenter who clearly presents complex issues in simple language and the production quality was very high. That was good. Well done.

The bad : in a nutshell the videos were were not inspirational. They did not connect with the DASH values and what we stand for. You did not use our brand colours. So let me ask you guys. What does DASH stand for?

"Dash is becoming a cloud" was the message you opened with and with what you ended with on your videos. Is that it Mark and ABJ? Is that your inspirational message for Evolution of DASH? Dash is becoming a decentralized cloud?

A marketing department need to take great care how it uses any form of identity words with a brand. Identity should be linked with our values and not boring, dry, features like "cloud". Nobody really gives a hoot that Dash is using decentralized cloud technology. What is inspirational about that?

DASH is most definitely not becoming a decentralized bloody cloud - Dash is using that technology but it is not becoming that technology.

Yes, it is of value to explain the technical of the new Evolution platform but for the video series to really have an impact it needed to highlight Dash's core values and then link the tech to those values. This is what motivates people.

In addition effective marketing is not about "us" it is about making the user of DASH the hero. It is about empowering the user to be able to realise their values, the things that are important to them. Dash is a vehicle to enable others to achieve their goals, values and aspirations. This is what is inspirational and that is what makes for effective marketing.

Look guys, don't just listen to me. Learn from the greats. Take a look at these short ad clips for Apple, Nike and Virgin. You will see that the entire emphasis of these videos is on what the brand enables the user to achieve. It is about the values of their company. What they stand for. This is what inspires people. This is what makes people feel that they want to be associated with what the brand stands for.

Nike:
https://youtu.be/R-t8qPldklc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA4dDs0T7sM&feature=youtu.be


Apple:
https://youtu.be/OmqH1cWIMVY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvjbmoDx-I

Virign and Hussain Bolt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdGQ43smLoc

The ads above are inspirational because they encapsulate the values of the brand and help the customer to see that using the brand makes them the hero. They show how the brand helps them to realise their goals. The ads above don't once talk about the brand themselves they focus on the customer.

I understand the videos you created were instructional but these videos could have been so much more. They could have been instruction AND inspirational. They could have highlighted our values and shown how using DASH could help our users realise their goals.

I wrote an article on the forum about Dash Values:

https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/02-decentralised-decision-making-what-are-dashs-core-values.50310/

The post was aiming to identify and clarify Dash's core values. The importance of knowing our values cannot be underestimated in marketing because these need to be woven into every interview, every press release every video presentation.

Are we going to continue to sell features and boring tech which do not inspire anyone other than some computer geek? or are we going to start highlighting what DASH stands for and how it makes our customers realise their goals and dreams?
Reply
4 points,3 years ago
To be direct, there should not be any surprises here. I was very clear in the previous proposal description about the Dash Platform 5 Part Video Series with Amanda B. Johnson.

The Dash Platform video series is not a part of the new proposal submitted to the network.

Providing constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement is always welcome. I'm all for positive change as long as the feedback is constructive and well intentioned.

With regard to your comment - "DASH is most definitely not becoming a decentralized bloody cloud - Dash is using that technology but it is not becoming that technology."

To be clear "The cloud" refers to servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers. Dash Platform is described as working as a 'cloud' by Dash Core Group in their very own definition in documentation for - What is Dash Platform?

"Dash Platform is a technology stack for building decentralized applications on the Dash network. The two main architectural components, Drive and DAPI, turn the Dash P2P network into a 'CLOUD' that developers can integrate with their applications."

Please see here to verify - https://dashplatform.readme.io/docs/introduction-what-is-dash-platform

In all fairness I was very clear in my previous proposal description what the mission objective and outline was for the Dash Platform video series.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dash Platform 5 Part Video Series with Amanda B. Johnson

The scripts for a five part video series on Dash Platform are now completed. We are now in the storyboard phase of the process. The funding of this proposal will pay for the creation of these videos and custom animated graphics. The first video in the series will bridge the gap from when Dash Evolution was first announced and bring people up to speed today with Dash Platform. The remaining four videos will explain Dash Platform features and functionality Dash Drive, the Decentralized API (DAPI), Usernames via the Dash Platform Name Service (DPNS), and the Dash Platform Protocol (DPP).

I would like to extend a personal thank you to Amanda for doing a fantastic job on the scripts for new video series. Also a special thank you to Dana Alibrandi, Andy Freer and other Dash Devs that have helped provide insight, feedback and guidance to help our efforts perfecting and fine-tuning the details of the scripts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Please allow me to explain to leave no room for error or misunderstanding. The video scripts were meticulously vetted before we even started production. For clarity we consulted leadership and developers at Dash Core Group who are working on Dash Platform code and developer documentation to provide not only feedback but also their consent on the messaging and terminology used in the scripts. Additionally, we also sought the approval from prominent Dash community Devs including Andy Freer who wrote the Evolution whitepaper. Andy is now funded external to DCG with the Dash Platform Incubator proposal, that has bounty funding for the development of tools, resources, Dapps and Protocol enhancements for Dash Platform on EvoNet and leading to Testnet.

This is why in the previous proposal description I personally thanked them for their help. This wasn't a rush job and great care and effort went in to the terminology and messaging used in video series.

In addition the 'Dash is becoming a cloud' title was also included in an image in the previous proposal description for Dash Platform video series that showed the focus for each episode including part 1 - 'Dash is becoming a cloud'. There should have been no room for confusion or misunderstanding. It would have been more productive of you to state your objections then before the series went into production.

Please see - https://i.imgur.com/5AJe4fd.png

In the proposal description I provided clear forward guidance that the objective of the first episode was to bring people up to speed that who had not been following the project over the last few years that might be unaware that the previous project code name Evolution had been re-branded to Dash Platform to help bridge the gap.

From the script of first episode:

"The Dash network announced in late 2015 that it would undergo an Evolution.

Fast forward to today, and Dash is getting ready to deploy the largest and final installment of its evolution called the Dash Platform.

Dash Platform is made up of four components which, together, will make Dash the first peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that functions like a cloud service. This means things like standard web access via the world’s first decentralized http API, blockchain-verified storage of application data, human-readable usernames built on top of cryptographic addresses, and more."

Hopefully this series helped to bridge the communication gap between Evolution announcement in 2015 to Dash Platform today to those both new and old to Dash as a project.

It should now be crystal clear to all that 'Dash Platform' is the Blockchain 'Evolution' we've all been waiting for!

The Dash Platform Protocol allows Drive, DAPI & Usernames via DPNS to all work together via the Dash Masternode network. Masternodes are powerful servers that host full copies of the blockchain and provide a unique second layer of services to the network, facilitating advanced functions such as InstantSend, PrivateSend and usernames on the blockchain. In a nut-shell, with Dash Platform functionality added to the list, Dash is becoming a decentralized cloud!

I feel my team delivered exactly what was described and promised to the network.

If you truly felt this strongly against the direction or the messaging proposed it would have been best to mention this when the previous proposal was first put up for voting and funding. Criticizing the Dash Platform video series after the previous proposal is completed and the video series has been published is respectfully not much help at all.

I hope in the future the network will be up for creating a 30 second advert with professional high quality production such as the inspirational advertisement examples you have posted in your comment. To be crystal clear a 30 second inspirational video advert is very different to creating educational video content. I don't think it's a valid or compatible comparison.

Therefore I don't think it's fair or objective to suggest that my team should have delivered something different to what was described, voted, funded and more importantly promised to the network. It's not decent to say this after the series was published, when you had ample opportunity when previous proposal was up for funding to express those opinions. Respectfully, that really isn't helpful at all.

I will take your feedback in to consideration for future initiatives as I would like to expand upon inspirational advert concepts in addition to multiple marketing outreach campaigns.
Reply
3 points,3 years ago
Mark...great reply! DeepBlue needs to stop micro managing these kinds of things. Its called DashNews...not DASH Marketing 360 Degree Solutions Inc. That is a whole other thing all together.
Reply
-1 point,3 years ago
@Dashnewsroom, actually I had provided feedback to you about the Dash Evo videso on your last funding proposal before it was voted through on the last cycled i.e. 29 days ago. This was after the first video was released. See for yourself:

https://www.dashcentral.org/p/official-dash-newsroom-communications--p

So, I had provided you feedback before the remaining videos were released. Therefore to say that I hadn't and that my comments are not helpful at all is not accurate Mark. I invite everyone to take a look at my comments on the video series which I left in Dashnewsroom last funding cycle. You will note that it got no comment except for a down vote from someone. I wonder who?

The fact that cannot be escaped from is if we don't get someone in the marketing department for Dash that has real world experience of sales and marketing and I mean *real world* experience, not blog posters or press releases then Dash is never going to get the message out in the way we need it. We are going to keep non effective marketing messages that will not get people motivated, excited, and wanting to get involved with the Dash project - or in fact even understand what we are about.

There is another pandemic World Wide that is the lack of real world sales and marketing experience in the Dash project. And the businesses everywhere are suffering from this.

Most people are not aware that Microsoft invented the tablet way before Apple. Yet Microsoft did not know how to market their product. Steve Jobs did, and even though Apple came in way behind Microsoft they knew how to sell the product and it became a big success. Selling is a skill that can be learned but it has to be learned the hard way with real world fact to face contact and through sales interviews with people. There is no shortcut. You can't read books and just pick it up. You have to live it until sales skills becomes part of your being. There is also an important stage that all successful people in sales have to go through and that is ego destruction - I will explain later why this is important. Most people can't tolerate doing sales because they can't take the repeated rejections. This is a reason why sales is one of the top selling professions in the world. People can't handle the repeated rejections and they will pay good money for others to take it. But that is what is needed to be successful in the sales and marketing profession. Marketing is an extension of sales. But the best marketeers all have had real world sales experience. It is necessary to go through years of rejections to go through to learn how to deal with it and then finally see it as a challenge that is within your skill set to turn a "no" to a "yes".

Whenever I hear people saying "your comments aren't helpful" when, in fact, the experience I've shared is useful, I know the receiver is still not yet ready to learn, or to accept challenges to their pre-existing ideas. Sales and marketing requires that our ideas, wants, ambitions etc (we could call this ego) are broken down. It is only after this happens that we then can see clearly for the first time truly from our customer's point of view and present the information in the way that they need to hear it. That is when effective sales and marketing will begin.
Reply
0 points,3 years ago
Mark, the Dash Platform videos were great and I believe you did deliver exactly on what you described/promised to the network.

At the same time, DeepBlue does make some good points (re: "is it inspirational?")

I've shown the video series to a friend, who is technical, with passing crypto familiarity, but not "in" (any) crypto community. He is more interested in DASH now, particularly after seeing the video on DAPI (he emphasized how important/cool API's are). So that's one success (but he is a nerdgeek).

Still, he asked, "Who is the target audience for this?" It's like there's a very narrow sliver of people it could actually reach - it has to be someone who's technical enough to understand ("normies" with no technical background wouldn't get it nor care) and still open to crypto (many techies have no economic/monetary interest), yet not so deep into DASH (there's no new info here) nor already part of another crypto community (tribalism).

Basically, only people who used to follow DASH, but haven't in awhile. And perhaps a few technical, non-crypto people. Not current DASH community members. Not people who've never used crypto or new to crypto (they wouldn't understand why DAPI is needed, what Drive can be used for, nor what a protocol even is, etc.). Probably not people in other crypto communities (it's a scam until delivered). And not even technical, non-crypto people that have no idea why cryptocurrencies are needed.

So, I believe the videos were a good educational series, but the target audience was very narrow. And it's not really inspirational enough to energize current DASH holders (IMO), nor inspirational enough to make "everyday" people interested, either.

TBH, I'm not sure how you *could* have made it more inspirational, I just agree it wasn't. Educational content often isn't, so maybe that's ok. And don't get me wrong, I and my friend really liked the videos... but we're nerds that can see the importance of crypto. It's just that there's so few of us.

So, I do mostly agree with you here:

> a 30 second inspirational video advert is very different to creating educational video content. I don't think it's a valid or compatible comparison.

I'd say it's very difficult to make "educational content" inspirational. It is possible, but so rare/challenging, I'd agree it was probably out of scope for the platform series.

However, I also like DeepBlue's questions:

> Are we going to continue to sell features and boring tech which do not inspire anyone other than some computer geek? or are we going to start highlighting what DASH stands for and how it makes our customers realise their goals and dreams?

I think it's okay to inspire computer geeks sometimes lol, but I do agree with the importance of highlighting what DASH "stands" for. Sad to say, it's often difficult to see that, even for someone "in" the community.

> I will take your feedback in to consideration for future initiatives as I would like to expand upon inspirational advert concepts in addition to multiple marketing outreach campaigns.

Looking forward to this.
Reply
4 points,3 years ago
Thank you for your support.

I'm pleased we have reached a consensus that creating a short inspirational advert wasn't the goal of video series, there is no room for debate there.

However, that doesn't mean I'm opposed to the network creating video adverts in the future for Dash as a product/service or for Dash Platform.

Advertising is important for every aspect of a business. It's essential in the promotion of a product, brand or service in order to attract interest, engagement and sales or in our case new Dash users.

So I agree that inspirational, motivational video adverts promoting a product or service are all well and good, but first it's crucial there is informative content to serve as an educational resource as a reference point that explains clearly what that service or product is to support or serve as a destination link to an advertising campaign.

The problem we have right now is that we currently have nowhere suitable to direct a mainstream audience that is interested to learn more about Dash Platform from an advert campaign. There is currently no funnel or resource for Dash Platform to direct viewers. This is why it's so important that this resource must be created first.

In this particular case it was essential to communicate Dash Platform's key functionality with short explainer videos to serve as a resource for individuals that want to learn more about our product and service.

For example: It wouldn't make sense to create banner adverts for Dash Platform to be used on external websites with no landing page as a destination to link to when people click on it. Please allow me to expand upon this, as I outlined in the description of this new proposal.

There is currently a dedicated Dash Platform landing page being created for Dash.org website to serve as that resource. I have been informed that this page will go live in November. The Dash Platform video series will be embedded to serve as a resource to explain Dash Platform and its four main components.

As stated in the proposal description:

--------------------------------------------------------

We remain in close contact with the DCG Biz Dev team in collaboration to develop and produce more educational content in the future. We have developed an educational trading content strategy to expand upon ‘What is the Dash FastPass Network?’ video that will provide content not just for social media, but will also be hosted on a new section on the official Dash website that is currently in development. **I’m also happy to report that the Dash Platform video series is also in the process of being added to a newly dedicated section on Dash.org.**

--------------------------------------------------------

This is why the mission objective and goals of video series being discussed here are two very different things to what is being suggested. I'm not opposed to 30 second inspirational adverts. I'm all for marketing and advertising initiatives, but in this instance it's not wise or advised to put the cart before the horse. Especially when the need to educate and inform our community members on what Dash Platform actually is, is clearly evident from this exchange.

Once we have an insightful destination source to be used for an advertising campaign, we can then engage with producing a more broad, direct advert with inspirational messaging that links to a dedicated landing page to act as a funnel. Dash Platform Mainnet launch is set for Q1 2021 launch. Testnet is due to launch at end of year. So the only debate that really needs to be discussed right now in my opinion is when is the right time to do a big marketing / advertising push for Dash Platform. I don't want the network to fall in the trap of promoting Platform too prematurely as we have fallen victim to that in the past with Evolution. In general it's not wise to advertise and market a product/service that isn't currently available to the public. I'm sure you will agree with me there.

That doesn't meant we can't create ads for Dash itself though as I believe we Dash as a standalone product has enough merits to stand strong on its own. However, with Dashpay username alpha program currently in the works, for the expense and effort that goes into producing a high production advert I would personally prefer to opt for an advert with long-term shelf-life value. It would be more productive and cost effective to wait until Dashpay usernames are fully functional, as blockchain identities is a key differentiator and message I feel we can market to a mainstream audience very well.

I hope that this comment has been informative and provided everyone reading this with more clarity on the matter.
Reply
0 points,3 years ago
@Dashpress please note you have missed my point. Whenever we are presenting anything whether educational or not it has to be compelling or inspirational to motivate people to act or to get involved otherwise what is the point of the communication?

I did not say we should create an inspirational Ad for Dash. What I said is Quote:

"I understand the videos you created were instructional but these videos could have been so much more. They could have been instruction AND inspirational. They could have highlighted our values and shown how using DASH could help our users realise their goals."

My comments are that your videos focused *exclusively* on the *features* and the *technical* there was no connection with any of Dash's values and what we stand for as a cryptocurrency. There was no explanations what benefits these features actually bring to the target user and how that makes the user realise their goals. Therefore the videos were dry and flat videos in otherwords boring.

Think for a moment when you were at university or school did you ever have an inspirational teacher someone that had a way to make your passion for the subject come alive? Then think about the teacher that just gave out boring plain facts. Contrast those in your mind now. What's the difference in how you felt?





Before you start a y communication (including your videos) you would need to have thought and planned these points:

1. Who is your audience? Knowing your target audience first is critically important. Who are they? Without clearly identifying who your audience is you cannot create effective messages you need to get the desired result.

2. What is our key take home message/s we want to transmit to them?

3. what is the desired result, action you want to take from watching these videos? In other words what is your most wanted response from the target market watching your videos?

If you have not yet already could you read my posts on the Dash forum as it will save me time repeating myself:

Dash's Values that underpin all our technology:

https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/02-decentralised-decision-making-what-are-dashs-core-values.50310/

Dash target markets
https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/03-decentralised-decision-making-what-are-dashs-target-markets.50371/


That fact that you gave the video script and everything else to DCG members can only mean to me that everyone you showed the script to does not have any *real* world experience in Sales and Marketing. When I say "real world" experience I mean someone that made their living in Sales - selling person to person in the real world one on one with thousands of sales interviews. If Dash's wants anything to be effective it has to be sold. Not in a cheesy salesperson way. Not like a second hand car dealer type way. I am referring to professional sales. Selling an idea, a product, a service an essential part of that process is to motivate people to act, to be inspired to feel connected, dealing with objections, doubts etc to get people to want to feel part of the project of what we have to offer - but only when it truly is for their benefit. This also has to happen in educational material if you want to have a desired result from that education. I am referring exclusively about professional sales which is helping someone make the right decision and to be inspired to choose your idea / concept / product.

First you needed to decide who is this video series intended for specifically? Is it for Grandma? Is it for Techies? Is it for start ups? Is it for Venezuela devs to build a sustainable censorship resistance business? If the videos are targetted at developers where are those developers based? Who is the video series intended for exactly? In other words who is your target market?

Once you've identified who the videos are intended for then you tailor your message to that specific market. Your video almost exclusively focused on the features e.g. decentralized http, decentralize Dapps, decentralized cloud etc These do not motivate anyone – not even techies.

The way to find the benefit from a feature (which is one of the things that people buy into and start to get motivated) is to answer the question "So what's in it for me?" for each feature you mention. Then continue to ask that question for every feature until you get to the actual benefits to your target audience. Then you need to link the benefit to one of Dash's values - what we stand for.

Decentralized http - So what's in it for me?
Decentralized Apps - So what's whats in it for me?
Decentralized cloud - So what's in it for me?

Where “me” is your target audience.

Since Venezuela is a primary target market for Dash I will focus on that example as the target audience. If you target market was for Developers in Venezuela to start building a business providing uncensorable payment solutions then I will outline the strategy here. However if it was for the Venezuelan market it would have been better in Spanish.

Decentralized http: - So what's in it for me as a Venezuelan developer?

Intro:
Dash crypto empowers you with true financial freedom. With that comes the ability to control and own your own wealth for the first time in history. Dash is built from the ground up using Decentralization technology in every aspect of the payment solution. You have a sensorship resistant infrastructure that cannot be shut down, controlled or manipulated by any government, company or individual.

(e.g. Dash Help website was blocked several times )

The benefit to the developer in Venezuela would be the ability for developers to build a business by creating new business fiance payment systems and integrations that are censorship and corruption resistant maintaining people's freedoms even in dictatorship controlled countries. Dash enables you to be the true owner and custodian of your own money outside of the traditional financial systems which are currently controlled by banks and governments.

Dash has been working for 5 years to enable developers to build uncensorable payment solutions and apps. The project codenamed Evolution platform will, for the first time in history, enable developers to build new and exciting applications that are totally secure and uncensorable without knowing complicated blockchain programming languages. Build applications that cannot be blocked, censored or taken down by any government, company or individual. So what could you build with the new Dash Evolution platform? <Give some examples of ideas here>

So how do we make it possible for developers to build uncensorable application on the Evolution Platform?

Then you outline each of the aspects of the platform and explain both the feature followed immediately by the benefits to them one by one.

The videos only focused on the features. This is why they were not inspirational. The formula for inspiration is: Focus on how the person can realise their goals and aspirations first. To do this you need to know your target market and what they need. What their problems are. Explain Dash Values and then explain the features and what the benefits are for your target market in enabling them to reach their goals. This exercise needs to be done with every message, press release, educational program if you want to be effective in motivating people to get involved. It is a lot of work and it involves removing our own egos, our own needs, our own wants and looking at things from our users point of view.
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0 points,3 years ago
Some more good points @DeepBlue. Thanks for the further clarification and examples. Hope at least some of them are taken to heart by the @DASHPRESS team (Mark, Amanda, Danny, whom we all love so much).

It can be hard to hear *any* criticism of your work, especially when you put so much blood, sweat, and tears into it (which everyone can see you did @DASHPRESS). But it's also important to be humble enough to know where you can make improvements. Which I'm very much looking forward to.

We are fortunate to have such insightful and open-minded individuals in our decentralized community. Cheers all around :)
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1 point,3 years ago
P.S I wouldn't give this feedback if I did not believe you can do it.
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7 points,3 years ago
Great videos, great team, as I said in last prop a significant change of pace from Wachsmann / Shift days. Thank you for all your hard work.
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2 points,3 years ago
Thank you Ash for your continued support in bringing public relations (PR) efforts in-house. Much appreciated.
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6 points,3 years ago
I'm extremely happy with Mark and Amanda's professionalism. Dan Sessoms is also very good and will be a great asset to the team. Glad to continue to support this project
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2 points,3 years ago
Thank you for the kind words TroyDASH. Dan has been a great asset to the team, his custom animation work really takes our video content to the next level. The team is excited to start working on the next video series - 'How Dash Fixed It!'
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8 points,3 years ago
YES. I am actually for this team to ask for an excess of funding to put away for a rainy 'marketing' day. The funds could be used if needed for Dash Platform marketing, or used later down the track for marketing. DCG could perhaps hold the funds (although I would be happy to trust this team to hold the funds).
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2 points,3 years ago
Absolutely. I agree with you 100%. I'm looking to do a few marketing initiatives. I would like to personally thank you @CriticalInput for your support on Discord. You keep me motivated and your support means so much to me and the team. Thank you.
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4 points,3 years ago
Yes to continued funding, much better having this team handle PR than some 3rd party firm that has no understanding of what Dash does.
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3 points,3 years ago
Thank you. I really appreciate it.
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4 points,3 years ago
You have my support.

I have one question though : how much of the Dash Newsroom is currently directed towards Dash PR and how much is currently directed towards Dash Marketing ? Just an estimated percentage will do.
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