[DIP-23] ssv.network DAO community and marketing management proposal - extension

Proposals DIP (DAO Improvement)
1

Proposal summary

This proposal aims to extend [DIP-16] ssv.network DAO community and marketing management proposal (hereinafter “[DIP-16]”) and seek additional funding for new events and compensation for the marketing service provider.

Motivation

The primary goal of this extension is to solidify SSV Network’s position as the leading decentralized staking solution. Significant strides have been made in upgrading assets, refining the brand’s identity, and fostering a vibrant community.

The goal is to expand the market presence through strategic events and PR, driving adoption via targeted campaigns and partnerships, and continuing to support and engage the ssv.network community. This proposal outlines these new initiatives, detailing the strategic efforts that will guide us towards sustained growth and impact within the ecosystem.

Proposal particulars

  1. Efforts expended for [DIP-16]
    1. On-going Marketing Channels Management
    2. Branding
    3. Community Management
      1. The SSVDivers Program
      2. The Associates Program
    4. Events
    5. Content and Communication
    6. PR Activities
  2. Future plans
    1. PR Efforts
    2. Planned Conferences
  3. Specific campaigns
  4. Budget Summary
  5. Conclusion

Efforts expended for [DIP-16]

Below is a high-level summary of the main efforts accomplished in accordance with [DIP-16]. These efforts highlight the achievements in enhancing assets, community engagement, and brand visibility.

  1. On-going Marketing Channels Management
    1. Upgraded the ssv.network website, both visually (front-end) and technically (back-end).
  2. Branding
    1. Updated the ssv.network brand and visual guidelines, including banners, decks, logos, and iconography to ensure a cohesive and modern visual identity.
  3. Community Management:
    1. Provided technical support and ensured project transparency.
    2. Established venues for community participation, making it easier for members to get involved and stay informed.
    3. Initiated two community projects:
      1. The SSVDivers Program - Our ambassadors program with initial ambassadors actively contributing through personal projects and daily tasks. This marks the beginning of a continuous process to onboard more ambassadors and foster community independence.
      2. The Associates Program - A gamified structured platform for community members to engage more deeply, providing specific guidelines and ranks to facilitate meaningful contributions.
  4. Events - Hosted a series of online events on Twitter Spaces with partners like Ether.Fi, ION Protocol, and Origin Protocol to foster engagement and collaboration.
  5. Content and Communication:
    1. Maintained a blog and newsletter to keep the community informed and engaged with regular updates on project progress and developments.
    2. Kept a strong presence within crypto Twitter across the broader staking and restaking community, garnering awareness from various protocols and figures.
    3. Executed various co-marketing efforts to support SSV partners and grantees through content creation, mutual events, and promotions.
  6. PR Activities - Conducted ongoing PR activities across various publications, from niche outlets to leading media, to amplify major announcements and partnerships, ensuring broad ecosystem awareness.
  7. Conferences and Events:
    1. ETHDenver (USA, March)
    2. PBW (France, April)
    3. Dappcon (Berlin, May)
    4. ethCC (Brussels, July)
    5. EDCON (Tokyo, July)
    6. Prepared for an online hackathon with ETHGlobal to be released in late August, focusing on fostering innovation and community engagement.

Future plans

As the network grows rapidly, our focus is on solidifying SSV Network’s position as a leader in decentralized staking solutions. We have outlined high-level objectives to guide our efforts. Below are the key objectives guiding our planned efforts

  • Strengthen Brand Identity and Digital Presence
  • Foster Community Engagement and Participation
  • Amplify Market Presence through Strategic Events and PR
  • Drive Adoption through Targeted Campaigns and Partnerships

These objectives guide our efforts, and in accordance with them, we have planned the next campaigns and programs, as detailed below:

  1. Continuation of Ongoing Campaigns:
    1. SSVDivers Campaign: Continue the campaign as approved in DIP-16 (no additional budget required).
    2. Associates Campaign: Continue and improve the campaign as approved in DIP-16 (no additional budget required).
    3. Assets Management: Continue managing and upgrading assets.
    4. Co-Marketing with Partners: Maintain and enhance co-marketing efforts.
    5. Online Events: Continue hosting and participating in online events.
    6. Community Management: Provide ongoing support and engagement.
    7. Content and Communication: Maintain regular newsletters and educational content.
  2. PR Efforts: Continue the ongoing PR activities described in [DIP-16] - Budget addition request: 59,330 USD for the months September until the end of December.
  3. Planned Conferences - This proposal outlines the potential conferences that the might be attended by the ssv.network DAO:
    1. ETHWarsaw (September, Poland)
    2. Token2049 (September, Singapore)
    3. ETHSofia (October, Bulgaria)
    4. Staking Summit (November, Thailand)
    5. DevCon (November, Thailand)

The budget addition needed for these conferences is estimated to be: 97,500 USD

This budget can be used for the following:

  1. Speaking Engagements: Securing keynote and panel speaking slots to position SSV Network as a thought leader.
  2. Booths at Conferences: Setting up informative and engaging booths to attract attendees, showcase our technology, and foster direct interactions.
  3. Engagement Opportunities: Organizing interactive sessions and networking events to connect with potential partners, developers, and community members.
  4. Conference Specific Merchandise: Distributing branded merchandise to increase brand recall and create a lasting impression.
  5. Workshop Engagements: Hosting workshops to educate attendees on SSV’s technology and its benefits, encouraging hands-on experience.
  6. Production of Side Events: Organizing side events in collaboration with partners to create additional engagement opportunities and deepen relationships.
  7. Brand Awareness: Placing our logo and branding in various locations, both online and offline, during conferences to enhance visibility and recognition.
  8. Sponsorships: Partnering with event organizers to sponsor key activities or sessions, ensuring prominent brand placement.
  9. Media Coverage: Engaging with media partners for coverage of our participation and announcements during conferences.
  10. Print and SWAG: Producing high-quality brochures, banners, and digital presentations to effectively communicate our value proposition.
  11. Networking Opportunities: Facilitating one-on-one meetings and private gatherings to build strategic alliances and partnerships.

Specific Campaigns

We aim to cement SSV as the gold standard DVT solution in the broader staking and restaking community. To achieve this, we will execute several targeted campaigns to raise awareness for SSV. These campaigns include co-marketing initiatives to drive demand for SSV/DVT and encourage the use of LRT and LST on SSV through reward-based activities. We will also honor and recognize community members who supported SSV before its success with a special DVT Birthday Campaign. Additionally, we will position SSV on leading staking-oriented platforms such as stakingrewards.com and the Shared Security Alliance. As part of these campaigns, we will reward users to incentivize participation and engagement. Collectively, these efforts will increase engagement, drive adoption, and solidify SSV’s position in the market.

Total Estimated Budget for these Campaigns: 35,000 USD + 150,000 USD denominated in SSV

Budget summary

Budget Requested for the Rest of the Year: 191,830 USD + 150,000 USD denominated in SSV:

  • PR Efforts: 59,330 USD
  • Planned Conferences: 97,500 USD
  • Specific Campaigns: 35,000 USD + 150,000 USD denominated in SSV

[DIP-16] expenses, as well as, all expenses outlined above have been structured so that the ssv.network DAO pays only the input cost for all the services provided thus far. However, in this proposal, ssvlabs would like to request to be compensated by the ssv.network for the work already done for [DIP-16] as well as the work that will be done for [DIP-23], if this proposal were to pass. This compensation would amount to 1.000.000 USD denominated in SSV on top of the budget above for the scope of this proposal, based on a 30-day moving average calculated on the 1st of the month in which the payment is executed. The payment schedule is as follows:

Conclusion

This proposal outlines our achievements under DIP-16 and presents our new plans and budget request for the remainder of the year. We believe these efforts will help us position SSV Network effectively and address the key objectives mentioned. The continued efforts aim to bolster SSV’s presence and impact within the ecosystem, driving growth and engagement.

2 Likes
2

I think this proposal is very good. ssv network has great technology and has good relationships with various protocols and users. I believe that this initiative needs to be expanded.

2 Likes
3

I’m having a little trouble following the funding request:

  • PR Efforts: 59,330 USD

Fully understand this - keep up with the great job.

  • Planned Conferences: 97,500 USD

Conference participation is a must, fully support.

  • Specific Campaigns: 35,000 USD + 150,000 USD denominated in SSV

This is the highest ask, but the details are sparse. It’s hard to evaluate this aspect of the proposal.

I’m not following this. What accounts for the additional $658,170? Was this amount already authorized in the past? Sorry if I’m missing something obvious.

2 Likes
4

Heya Hackworth,

The PR expense is the expense for the PR agency that the DAO contracts with to get publication opportunities as well as special opportunities during events for keynotes and panel.

As for the 1 million compensation, if you recall DIP-16 and now DIP-23, both proposals contained a plethora of marketing and community services that ssvlabs has provided to the ssv.network DAO. DIP 16 made it clear that the funds approved by it were only the costs with no compensation for ssvlabs as the service provider. DIP-23 also outlines what are the costs themselves, while not requesting compensation for all the work ssvlabs has done. Under DIP 16 and the work that is yet to be done under DIP 23. Do note, however, that even DIP 16 was approved in April, and labs has been doing the work since the year began, so labs is seeking the 1 million compensation for the entire year of 2024 which is close to ending.

1 Like
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No more ssv token inflation please! You should increase ssv token value to get fund(so that you can sell your current ssv token for more fund to do things you want to do ) instead of mint new ssv token!!!

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Hello @Hackworth!

  • Specific Campaigns: 35,000 USD + 150,000 USD denominated in SSV
    This is the highest ask, but the details are sparse. It’s hard to evaluate this aspect of the proposal.

A: It is indeed hard to give an outlook on what exactly those campaigns will be, and the ask is based on experience from last years. This is essentially budget for unknown, unforeseen campaigns as well as rapidly evolving opportunities. While this is not a perfect answer, I’d like to highlight the control mechanisms that were introduced with DIP-16, where the SSV Foundation was granted with ‘oversight’ on the activities and the spending. Since the sole purpose of the Foundation to guarantee the success of the project, it is expected that each and every activity under this budget will undergo additional evaluation and approval. The SSV Foundation already receives a monthly reporting about all activities and spending from the marketing team. The DAO, at any point, can ask questions about the spending, and the Master of Coin is granted with permission to look into the internal reports of the Foundation to answer those questions. Since there is nothing to hide, the DAO should also think about the future need for even more transparent reporting.

I’m not following this. What accounts for the additional $658,170? Was this amount already authorized in the past? Sorry if I’m missing something obvious.

A: The proposal has been updated according to your feedback, to make the understanding of the total budget clearer, the ‘Budget summary’ section has been slightly adjusted.

1 Like
7

:vertical_traffic_light: Voting is now open!

ssv.network Proposal: [DIP-23] ssv.network DAO community and marketing management proposal - extension (snapshot.org)