ABSTRACT
This is the 2nd iteration of our draft proposal. We received invaluable feedback from the community and implemented updates to the 1st version of the draft - found here.
Additionally, we have captured and shared the questions received from the community as well as our responses. For privacy purposes, we’ve removed the names of those who asked the questions Ennova Q&A.
Ennova recognizes the importance of community wear and how it can benefit business and organizations. As such, we would like to facilitate a global 7-month phygital merchandise marketing campaign via a phygital t-shirt design contest to further foster a sense of community among Decentraland (DCL) members and onboard new users. The winning design will be made into the official DCL phygital t-shirt that will be given away and shipped for free to DCL community members globally. We will also distribute the t-shirts at an in-real-life (IRL) event to share information about DCL and onboard new users as well as donate to students in tech / coding schools. The winning design will also be converted into a limited-edition DCL wearable. The community will also have the opportunity to vote on the developer who will convert the winning design into its wearable version. By leveraging the power of community wear, Ennova will boost DCL’s brand recognition, create word-of-mouth advertising, and promote a greater sense of unity among the DCL community.
Ennova’s execution team has experience in professional services, consulting, and web3 has helped us successfully assist individuals and businesses with their marketing and growth strategies as well as plan and facilitate phygital and web3 events. Ennova is well positioned and experienced to bring this project to fruition.
DESCRIPTION
Given Decentraland’s position as a leading metaverse platform, it has immense potential to revolutionize the way we interact, socialize, and conduct business in the digital world. It is vital to invest in marketing strategies that promote growth, brand awareness, and user onboarding to fully realize this potential and remain competitive in this market. Sponsoring the Decentraland Official 2023 Phygital T-Shirt & Wearable Design Contest, combining phygital t-shirts with embedded NFC technology, presents an innovative approach to addressing these objectives. Below are benefits this project will bring to Decentraland using the $117,800 requested:
1. Cost-effective Marketing:
Our Phygital Merchandise Marketing Campaign is an affordable and effective marketing strategy. Phygital t-shirts are cost effective and can be produced in large quantities, making it an accessible method to promote DCL globally. When people wear the Decentraland t-shirt in public, they will be walking billboards for the platform leading to word-of-mouth advertising and increased exposure for the brand. According to a BCG report, word-of-mouth marketing is up to 10 times more effective than paid ads. Furthermore, McKinsey & Co reported that the importance of word of mouth marketing is only likely to grow with Gen-Zers as 82% of them trust their family and friends for advice on products more than any other source. What better way to empower our community members to market and promote DCL than to give them a product they’d love to wear and leverage to encourage their friends, family, acquaintances, and colleagues to join DCL.
2. Enhanced Brand Recognition and Promotion:
The creation and distribution of t-shirts featuring DCL’s logo and branding can significantly boost brand recognition. According to a survey by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), 85% of people remember the brand or business that gave them a branded or promotional product. Ennova will offer these t-shirts to both newly onboarded and existing DCL community members effectively creating a network of individuals who will feel further empowered to promote DCL, ultimately increasing its visibility and reach.
3. Innovative User Experience:
Incorporating NFC tag technology into the t-shirts offers users a seamless and interactive experience. Scanning the embedded NFC tag can instantly direct them to DCL’s website removing barriers to engagement and increasing the likelihood of onboarding new users. This innovative approach will not only attract attention but also demonstrate DCL’s commitment to cutting-edge technology and user experience.
4. Community Building and Engagement:
Our phygital t-shirt design contest will foster community involvement and pride, as members contribute their creative skills and participate in voting for the winning design. This sense of belonging can attract new users and lead to an increase of repeat DCL visits from current users. A study by Invesp found that engaged customers visit a website 2 times more often and spend 5 times longer on a website than non-engaged customers. Studies like this one suggest that when customers are engaged with a brand or website, they are more likely to spend more time on the website and make more purchases or take other desirable actions.
5. Offline and In-World Integration:
This initiative bridges the gap between the digital and physical worlds by offering both virtual wearables in DCL and phygital t-shirts with NFC tag technology. This integration will generate interest from a much wider audience and create additional buzz around DCL, showcasing its innovative approach to the metaverse experience.
This project is beneficial to the DCL platform and community. It will address current gaps in areas such as new user onboarding, marketing, and community engagement. Furthermore, it will elevate DCL’s brand awareness, drive its further growth in the metaverse market, and showcase its commitment to innovation. Ennova is excited for the opportunity to bring this project to fruition and create something monumental the whole community can be proud of!
ROADMAP & MILESTONES
Ennova will complete this project’s milestones in five (5) phases. We have provided the roadmap containing details about each phase along with a high-level flowchart in Table 1(a).
Table 1(a) - Project Flowchart
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Phase 1: Project Preparation (These activities will be completed during the grant cliff period)
- During the 1st phase of the project, Ennova will select the manufacturer to supply the phygital t-shirts and ensure it follows ethical stipulations such as not using child labor.
- Next, the team will develop contest materials inclusive of contest entry forms, tutorial videos, order methodology, etc.
- The contest promoters will then be solicited and selected from the DCL community. These individuals will discuss and promote the contest to their communities and followers across platforms such as DCL, Twitter and Discord.
- To encourage attendance and participation in the project, we will develop marketing materials to promote the event to DCL community members and non-members.
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Phase 2: DCL Phygital T-shirt & Wearable Design Contest
- The design contest will be the 2nd phase of the project where designers in Decentraland will compete to design the phygital t-shirt to be distributed globally.
- All Decentraland community members will be eligible to participate as designers or developers to compete for the chance to unleash their creativity and bring the official 2023 Decentraland phygital t-shirt to life.
- The development of the wearable will be open exclusively to developers who have previously created and listed wearables in the DCL marketplace.
- The contest will be promoted through various channels, including social media (e.g.,Twitter Spaces) to encourage participation and engagement while also stimulating public interest.
- To optimize contest visibility and reach, there will be a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign activated as part of the marketing efforts.
- Then, it’s contest time! The community will vote on their favorite designer submission and developer on a specific date, time, and DCL venue via voting machines to determine the winning design and developer.
- The winners will be announced, and the first (1st) place design will be used as the design for the DCL official 2023 phygital t-shirts to be distributed to the DCL community members (e.g., members who participated in the design contest by voting, hosting, tweeting etc.), members of the Decentraland Foundation, attendees of the Ennova IRL event (i.e., to onboard new users), and students in technical or coding programs (i.e., to promote the platform to potential builders and creators). There will also be second and third place winners (i.e., runner up, and second runner up). All three (3) winners will be awarded cash prizes in MANA for their designs. Please see Table 1(b) labeled “Designer & Developer Prizes” for prize details.
- The first place design will also be converted into a limited-edition DCL wearable by the developer chosen by the community. The winning developer will also be awarded a cash prize in MANA. Please see Table 1(b) labeled “Designer & Developer Prizes” for prize details.
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Phase 3: DCL Phygital T-shirt and Wearable Launch
- Once the winning design is selected, the 3rd phase of the project will begin, where the t-shirts will be manufactured and distributed.
- The Ennova team will partner with a manufacturer to produce the t-shirts with the same design as the winning submission. They will project manage and oversee the manufacturing process.
- Ennova will also ensure the embedded NFC tags in each of the phygital t-shirts are synchronized to the Decentraland website. As part of this process, there will be an additional Quality Assurance (QA) check of the NFC tags completed by a 3rd-party.
- Ennova will set up a smart contract for the sales of the wearables. The wearables will be sold on DCL’s Marketplace and the proceeds will be distributed amongst DCL’s DAO, the winning designer, the winning developer, and Ennova. Please see Table 1(c) “Wearables Sales Proceeds Distribution” for sales proceeds distribution details.
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Phase 4: DCL Phygital T-shirt Distribution
- Now, the t-shirt distribution begins in phase 4 of the project! Ennova will develop a distribution plan to give away the phygital t-shirts for free to Decentraland community members (inclusive of design contest event participants), members of the Decentraland Foundation, attendees of the Ennova IRL event, and students in a tech / coding school.
- Ennova will retain 100 t-shirts for future distribution to community leaders and members who host &/or attend web3 events, conferences, events promoting DCL, etc. To handle the allocation process, Ennova will establish a request form and process for DCL members to follow.
- The 1,000 phygital t-shirts will be distributed amongst the following groups:
- DCL Community - 600
- DCL Foundation - 100
- IRL Event - 100
- School - 100
- Future Distribution - 100
- In addition, those who qualify and choose to receive a phygital shirt will be outreached via a mutually agreed upon method to collect delivery information such as method, address, etc. T-shirt recipients will have the option to have the t-shirt sent to the name and mailing address of their choice. Any information gathered will only be used for this event and can be destroyed as requested.
- Ennova will oversee and manage logistics of the 1,000 t-shirts, including transportation, storage, organization, and weekly deliveries (to t-shirt recipients), ensuring efficient distribution while handling the operational challenges involved.
- The t-shirts will be shipped globally to the selected Decentraland community members and members of the Decentraland Foundation. These groups are the priority.
- Once the aforementioned groups’ orders are mostly fulfilled, Ennova will ship t-shirts to a tech / coding school for distribution to students as a way to promote Decentraland as a platform for potential future builders and creators.
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Phase 5: Ennova IRL Event
- The 5th phase of the project will consist of the Ennova IRL event to promote DCL and give away the phygital t-shirts to newly onboarded and existing DCL community members who attend the event.
- Ennova will partner with a tech/web3 leader to organize and host the event.
- The contest will be promoted through various channels, including social media (e.g.,Twitter Spaces, Discord channels, etc.) to encourage participation and engagement while also stimulating public interest.
- The DCL Official 2023 phygital t-shirts will also be distributed to the attendees of the Ennova IRL event, serving as a long-lasting promotional tool for DCL, extending beyond the event as the shirt continues to be worn by individuals.
Table 1(b) - Designer & Developer Prizes
Table 1(c) - Wearables Sales Proceeds Distribution
For illustrative purposes, we have also included highlights in Table 1(d) containing benefits specifically to the Decentraland community and its members.
Table 1(d) - Proposal Highlights
TEAM
Execution Team
Julio Balbuena - CEO (DCL NAME: jEnnova)
- Julio earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Economics from City University of New York in New York City and has worked at companies like AXA specializing in Finance and Wealth Managment for over a decade. By combining his expertise with maximizing and managing his clients’ financial resources, executing on projects, and achieving their operational goals, Julio can ensure this project’s success for DCL in both the short and long-term. Julio also assists companies with brand, marketing, and product launch campaigns using social media and SEO marketing. Julio is a DCL enthusiast and has played and worked with various individuals and projects in-world. The aforementioned coupled with other skills Julio has obtained throughout his career makes him a strong asset to this project and DCL alike.
- Julio’s LinkedIn
Melanie Girald - Operating Advisor (DCL NAME: MelzBuenaVibes)
- Melanie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Minors in Business Administration and International Business and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston. She has 11+ years of consulting experience and has worked at major consulting firms such as Mercer, a Marsh & McLennan Company, and now works as a Manager at a global management consulting firm advising and providing solutions using data and analytics to her clients. Melanie leads and provides oversight to her teams while managing her projects’ budgets and margins. Additionally, Melanie has advised DCL brands on various initiatives including but not limited to public relations, product launches, event planning, town halls, and overall strategy. She is solutions-oriented and has a proven track record of successful project outcomes regardless of the scope of work.
- Melanie’s LinkedIn
Victor Severino - Logistics and Distribution Manager
- Victor is an expert in transportation and logistics. He will own the receipt of, storage, and delivery of all materials and products.
Staff
Ray Diaz - Project Manager
- Ray is responsible for ensuring all project timelines and deliverables are met as well as highlighting any risks that may arise.
Ajay Chowdhury - Social Media Manager
- Ajay will create content to post and share details about the campaign throughout all phases of the project. He will be responsible for all facets of Ennova’s social media interactions.
Hairo Gonzalez - Graphic Designer
- Hairo will create all graphics for any content material for this project to be published on social media, publications, event invites, IRL event(s), marketing material for event invitees, etc.
DUE DILIGENCE
Budget Breakdown (7 months)
- Phygital (NFC Tags) Sustainable T-Shirts: $27,500
- 1,000 phygital t-shirts: $22,000 ($22/shirt)
- Packaging and Branding Materials: $1,500
- Delivery, taxes & fees: $1,500
- NFC tags: $1,000
- Administrative & Logistical Expenses: $25,000
- Shipping of Individual T-Shirts: $17,000
- Storage and Warehouse Fees: $2,500
- Software & Licensing Fees: $2,000
- NFC tags activation & content synchronization: $1,000
- Legal and Accounting Fees: $1,000
- Contingency Fund: $1,000
- Quality Assurance (QA): $500
- Operational Costs: $22,500
- Execution Team: $19,500
- Project Manager: $3,000
- Marketing: $14,000
- Graphic Designer: $4,000
- DCL Community Member Contest Promoters: $2,000
- SEO Strategy & Execution: $2,000
- IRL Event Marketing Materials: $2,000
- IRL Event Ads: $2,000
- Social Media Manager: $2,000
- IRL Event: $10,000
- Venue: $3,000
- Catering: $2,000
- Staff: $2,000
- Photographer: $500
- Videographer: $500
- Decoration: $500
- Other expenses (e.g., tips, parking, etc): $1,500
- DCL Venue and Development Team: $7,500
- Custom SDK Development (e.g., POAPs, voting machines, etc.): $4,500
- Digital Venue Rental (inclusive of voting machines): $1,500
- Support Team: $1,500
- Prizes for Designers & Developers: $5,600
- Designer Prizes
- 1st Place: $2,000
- 2nd Place: $800
- 3rd Place: $300
- Developer Prizes
- 1st Place: $2,000
- Other Expenses (e.g., transaction fees, etc.): $500
- Article Publication: $2,500
- PR Coverage in top tech, business, or crypto publication
- Streamers for Digital and IRL Events: $2,500
- IRL Event Streamer: $2,000
- Digital Event Streamer: $500
- Phygital T-Shirt Contest Voting Event: $2,200
- Artist: $700
- DJ: $300
- Host: $200
- Office Hours Facilitator: $500
- Other Expenses (e.g., transaction fees, etc.): $500
Total: $117,800
SPONSORSHIP-SPECIFIC GRANT DETAILS
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Event type (Online - outside of the DCL ecosystem, Offline) - Offline
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Please select the Event category (i.e. Conference, side event, community meetups, hackathon or other) - Other
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Is this grant the primary source of funding for this event? - Yes
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How many events are you planning to organize? - 10
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How many people are you expecting to attend? - 100
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How is your audience relevant to Decentraland? - Our target audience consists of two groups: current DCL community members and new users who we onboard. Current DCL community members are crucial to our marketing strategy as their deep understanding and appreciation of DCL uniquely positions them to spread the word about the platform genuinely and effectively. Even better, these members can share details and information about community-led projects such as this one that very few platforms afford their members. We can create excitement by other creators and builders who want a platform where they can express themselves creatively/artistically while garnishing support by the community. Further, other non-creators who may have the wherewithal and ability to further grow this platform using other skills and methods can also learn about and potentially join the DCL community. By leveraging the enthusiasm and passion of our current community members, we aim to create a groundswell of excitement and interest around our phygital t-shirt, which will help to attract and engage new users.
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Nevertheless, we recognize the importance of onboarding and obtaining new users. We understand that to accelerate the rate of user growth on this platform, we must continue to find new ways to market and promote DCL. By targeting new users with the phygital t-shirt and other marketing initiatives, we can introduce them to the unique features and benefits of DCL and demonstrate why it is such an exciting and innovative platform. By engaging and retaining these new users, we can help to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of DCL while also expanding its reach and impact.
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How is the Decentraland brand going to be showcased? - The DCL logo will be showcased at all events, including those leading up to the contest, and on all promotional materials. Additionally, the logo will be showcased to the 100+ guests invited to the Ennova IRL event along with the web3/tech leader hosting the event and their audiences. Additionally (and dare we say, most importantly), the DCL logo will be prominently featured on the winning design. All 1,000 phygital t-shirts will contain the logo. Because these t-shirts will be distributed globally, this project will serve as one of the instruments of a global marketing campaign. This approach will increase brand awareness, create a consistent and cohesive brand identity, and promote the platform during every facet of the project.