AIP-170: Let’s build a Public Relations team to promote building in the APE ecosystem

Final AIPs Returned For Reconstruction
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Proposal Category: Brand Decision

ABSTRACT

To hire PR experts to promote building in the APE ecosystem.

In order to minimise risks of overspending the The ApeCoin Foundation funds I suggest to start with small funding and gradually increase the amount, if the criteria are met. The schedule is attached below in the timeline section.

MOTIVATION

The APE Coin community states that there’s presently minimal utility for APE and we need more builders to grow the ecosystem around APE Coin. So the community should spread words through DAO enthusiasts and educate them. I want to offer the DAO my help hiring and managing PR experts.

RATIONALE

I will hire a PR team who will work only under one important task - to encourage crypto builders to expand the APE Coin ecosystem.

My proposal is to hire PR experts and crypto journalists or editors who want to turn their careers to APE Coin ecosystem PR.

To ensure the best quality I suggest that the team will get paid by the The ApeCoin Foundation one time per month and just one key metric would determine whether the payments will continue or not.

  • Number of articles about building in the Ape Coin ecosystem they got

If the metric did not met, The ApeCoin Foundation will stop cooperation with the PR team.

In total for one year I suggest hiring 8 PR experts to build relations with media and get publications. 3 journalists will help with high quality copywriting and their connections, 1 team manager will make sure that everything is organised well.

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

  • One-two weeks for preparation
  • Update https://apecoin.com/ website with contacts of the PR team
  • Let the team to do their job
  • After each month the team will report on what was done
  • Check each month if the criteria are met
  • If the criteria are met, the team receives an advance payment for a next month
  • If the criteria are not met, the team stops its work

TIMELINE

This is a basic schedule, to be improved with your comments.

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OVERALL COST

The first month is $8,000 and then increases if all criteria are met. If the team is successful for one year then the total budget for one year will be $356,000.

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I think everytime a web3/NFT project has tried to execute things with the web2 mentality it has failed. Even celebrities or PR stunts end up in pump and dump scheme which ultimately hurt the community and token. Recovery becomes almost impossible until the next bull run.
I think instead of hiring PR experts what the DAO needs is to help create tools that will use Apecoin as currency other than current marketplaces. I’ve seen some services that allow crypto as payment and that platform has nothing to do with Apecoin or NFTs. But was still surprised to see APE has an option there in between ETH,BTC, USTD and all.
What incentives people can think of to use $ape as a currency first instead of pushing guerilla marketing

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Not a lawyer, but this is most probs illegal activity - 100%.

NFA - DYOR - get legal advice - let’s not put the entire DAO at risk.

Cheers

SSP✌🏽

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Will that be part of the Sales & Marketing Department? Do we have a Sales & Marketing Department currently?

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This can be a bit tricky. Not impossible, however! I think there is a lot of merit to having this type of thing, and I like the high performance requirement. They’d need to be willing to 1) accept any potential promotion risks, 2) be informed enough to avoid things like “make token price go up” comments.

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Important to note that the proposal is not for pump and dump schemes. It’s for hiring real experts who will build relations with journalists and analysts in order to get organic coverage for $APE Coin specifically. Check the schedule, it reflects my target to gradually influence the increase of the price instead of creating hype with pump and dumps.

what the DAO needs is to help create tools that will use Apecoin as currency other than current marketplaces

Totally agree with you, but these tools will not be able to influence $APE price if this will not be promoted correctly. There are already tools that use $APE, and there is zero positive impact on the price because of that.

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I think instead of PR team focused, there should be partnership opportunities. PR is often good when someone want to cover their achievements.

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Can you explain a bit more? Maybe good for another proposal.

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Fair enough lol
So what PR experts you mean will be just maybe web2-web3 folks who aim at guerilla marketing tactics and what not, coz ofc incentivizing them with monthly prize that increases each month. Paid media is quite easy and publishing articles or mainstream media as well. But that does not guarantee increase in prize. In the end what if all team fails and the DAO drained close to $1 million. It’s a common argument I’m gonna put in here " $1 million could be spend somewhere else " but the question is to find that " somewhere else " lol
What increases prices in cryptocurrency other than organize growth of a token is number of holders and their why should they HODL the token. What will be the economy around $APE that the more people buy it and hodl, use it as a currency. These things help increase the prize organically as well as for long time. I hope I was able to explain it.
Let me drop this proposal of mine to give an example as well:

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This is exactly what the SEC and CFTC will consider an unregistered security.

Just a reminder, we are most likely already on the regulators’ radar – we need to tread carefully.

SSP✌🏽

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This is exactly what the SEC and CFTC will consider an unregistered security.

Can you prove this words?

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Can you share an example of any such proposal that positively influenced $APE price?

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If there were any I wouldnt know, I’m fairly new to the forums. But I do believe that instead of PR push building an ecosystem around apecoin with play incentive would be better in increasing price.
I just personally think giving away almost $1 million even hypothetically in PR makes no sense. Idea is noble for sure but instead of jumping from teams to teams for PR push if they fail would be waste of time.

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If there were any I wouldnt know, I’m fairly new to the forums. But I do believe that instead of PR push building an ecosystem around apecoin with play incentive would be better in increasing price.

Why we should choose one and can’t combine both options?

I just personally think giving away almost $1 million even hypothetically in PR makes no sense.

The main idea is that the payments will be done one time per month only if PR guys will succeed to meet the most important cryteria. The first Grant is only $20k, and it suggests incresing of the $APE price by at least 3%, which will increase market cap by around $40 millions.

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Well good thing you created this post tho, something for sure can be born out of all these!
My DMs are open if you wanna plan out something around this and think I can contribute my experience for the same

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I appreciate your passion, and there is certainly a place for PR in the life cycle of an organization developing products. However, there’s presently minimal utility for APE (some would say effectively zero). This means any PR at this stage is highly likely to be a wasted spend.

Our DAO needs to focus its spend on building out the ecosystem that creates significant utility for APE because that is what ultimately APE as a utility token needs. Without significant utility, PR spend could be seen as a pump and dump, which is something I know you said you are trying to avoid and @ssp1111 @0xSword have also pointed out could have legal ramifications for the DAO.

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The ApeCoin Foundation is already on the regulators’ radar !

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SEC uses the Howey Test to see if tokens are running afoul of the law:

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The Howey Test determines what qualifies as an “investment contract” and would therefore be subject to U.S. securities laws.
  • An investment contract exists if there is an “investment of money in a common enterprise with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the efforts of others.”
  • The Howey Test is important for situating blockchain and digital currency projects with investors and project backers.
  • Certain cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings (ICOs) may be found to meet the definition of an “investment contract” under the Howey Test.

We just need to be mindful in our messaging that we’re not promoting a token with the “promise” or vague implications that the value/price will increase in value (therefore profits).

That’s all.

Trust this helps — SSP✌🏽

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Yep, exactly! Even more reasons to tread carefully.

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Took a few days to think about the community feedback and to research, and I should say that you changed my mind. I submited to @river a request to update the title and body of my proposal. It will reflect these points:

  1. There is need for PR.
  2. We don’t need and should not promote APE Coin.
  3. We need more builders and efforts for expending the APE Coin ecosystem.
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