PR with Payload
Service Provider Name: Beets - Marketing
Leader(s): Jedi, Naly, Vee
Pledge to abide by [BIP-702] Balancer DAO Service Provider & Grantee Standards: Yes
Introduction and Domains of Operation
Over the past six months, our marketing efforts have strived to support Balancer’s position as a leader in AMM innovation. Through strategic campaigns, community engagement, partnerships, and educational initiatives, we have focused on amplifying Balancer’s value proposition and strengthening its presence in DeFi.
With the transformative launch of v3, sustained marketing is essential to maintain momentum and capitalize on new opportunities. This proposal requests funding for January to June 2025 to advance Balancer’s mission, strengthen its ecosystem, and ensure the DAO’s continued leadership.
In this document, we outline past accomplishments, provide the rationale for continued funding, and present a detailed strategy for the next phase of growth.
Achievements and Milestones
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The Road to Balancer v3
Published a visionary article and unveiled the v3 codebase, laying the foundation for community and developer excitement. Preparatory work included infographics, animations, and educational materials, complemented by partner collaborations to amplify the launch.
Vision Article: Balancer V3 — Our Vision for the Future | by Fernando Martinelli | Balancer Protocol | Medium
Codebase Reveal: x.com
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New User Interface and Zen Branding Refresh
Launched a new user interface alongside a Zen-inspired branding refresh, modernizing Balancer’s aesthetic and enhancing usability. This established a cohesive visual identity, aligning with Balancer’s mission to make DeFi approachable and impactful.
UI / Zen Reveal: x.com
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Cow AMM and 80/20 Pools
Partnered with Cow DAO to release Cow AMM, introducing MEV protection and efficient capital allocation through Cow pools on Balancer. This expanded Balancer’s ecosystem and addressed market demand, supported by educational campaigns and community events.
Cow AMM: CoW AMM — The Next Frontier of AMM Innovation | by Beets | Balancer Protocol | Medium
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Design and Branding
Evolved Balancer Zen branding and designed v3 launch campaign with infographics, and animations, to communicate Balancer’s innovations. Additional social media graphics and animations reinforced a strong visual foundation for future campaigns.
v3 Launch: x.com
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Content & Education
Developed articles, infographics, and threads to demystify DeFi concepts like Boosted Pools and underlying v3 evolutions. Created the “Panda’s” Community Development program and incentivized community-generated content, laying the groundwork for future development pathways.
Aave Boosted Pools: x.com
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Expansion to New Chains
Deployed on Mode and Fraxtal, tapping into new liquidity sources and fostering strategic partnerships. These expansions highlighted Balancer’s commitment to cross-chain operability and collaboration within innovative ecosystems.
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Community Engagement & Ecosystem Growth
Campaigns like Arbitrum STIP and Galxe Quests engaged new users, introducing them to Balancer’s features. The Hookathon incentivized developer creativity, while the Education Fund supported high-quality, community-driven content creation.
ARB STIP: The ARB Milkshake Theory. What happens when the Balancer network… | by Beets | Balancer Protocol | Medium
Galxe Quest: Find Your Inner Balancer - The Arbitrum Arc [~$50K ARB Rewards] by Balancer | Galxe Quest
Hookathon: Balancer v3 Hookathon. The v3 Hookathon offers DeFi developers… | by Beets | Balancer Protocol | Medium -
In-Person Events
Stepped into the live events arena with a focus on ETHCC and Devcon, strengthening relationships with developers, partners, and community members.
EthCC: EthCC Marketing Recap
Devcon: DevCon Marketing Recap - #2 by 0xDanko -
Balancer v3 Launch
Executed a multi-phase launch strategy for v3, encompassing pre-launch teaser campaigns, high-impact announcements, and post-launch education. Press release, partner campaigns and community activations reinforced the narrative and sustained momentum.
Launch: x.com
PR: https://www.theblock.co/post/330379/balancer-v3-launches-aave
2025 Marketing Objectives and Strategy
Our marketing strategy for 2025 is designed to drive growth, engagement, and adoption through creative, data-driven, and community-focused initiatives. Each objective aligns with proven marketing verticals to ensure comprehensive and impactful efforts.
1. Strategic Partnerships: Amplify Reach Through Ecosystem Collaboration
Objective: Strengthen Balancer’s ecosystem by leveraging partnerships to co-market integrations and drive adoption.
Key Results:
- Execute at least six co-branded campaigns with key partners by June 2025, highlighting integrations and showcasing shared value propositions with supporting materials
- Presence on three podcast/videos alongside key thought opinion leaders from external partners to showcase the latest collaborations on Balancer v3.
2. Content Marketing: Drive Awareness Through Educational and Data-Driven Content
Objective: Simplify complex DeFi concepts and showcase Balancer’s value through high-quality, engaging content informed by analytics and user needs.
Key Results:
- Publish six educational pieces by June 2025, explaining features like hooks, boosted pools, and pool mechanics in accessible formats such as articles, tutorials, and infographics.
- Work closely with Balancer Data team to produce six data-driven content pieces, such as case studies or reports, that demonstrate Balancer’s real-world impact and insights from platform metrics.
3. Community Engagement: Build Loyalty and Optimize Impact
Objective: Deepen community connections and participation through gamified campaigns, interactive events, and data-informed strategies that ensure relevance and effectiveness.
Key Results:
- Cement Path To Panda as Balancer’s interactive community development campaign, integrating at least two quest/competitions (quarterly), to encourage active participation in Balancer’s ecosystem.
- Creation of a separate BAL Education Fund (pending proposal) to further incentivise brand ambassadors and community-driven content, such as videos, guides, dashboard, or infographics.
4. Brand Building: Foster Creativity and Approachability
Objective: Strengthen Balancer’s identity by adopting creative, user-friendly marketing approaches that make DeFi concepts accessible and engaging for all audiences.
Key Results:
- Deliver three creative campaigns by June 2025, showcasing Balancer’s unique value propositions through animations, storytelling videos, or gamified content.
- Redesign and expand educational materials to prioritize visual simplicity and approachability, ensuring concepts surrounding Balancer are easier to understand.
5. Live Events: Maximize Impact Through In-Person Engagement
Objective: Strengthen in-person relationships with developers, key-partners, and the community, while positioning Balancer as a thought leader in DeFi.
Key Results:
- Support Balancer Maxi/BD presence at ETH Denver with an optimised BD-focused strategy to nurture Balancer v3 opportunities.
- Support Balancer presence at ETHCC[8] with the goal of speaking, and nurturing relationships with partners.
Budget for Marketing Efforts
Our proposed budget reflects a lean and focused approach, prioritizing personnel costs to drive impactful marketing initiatives. Non-personnel and discretionary costs have been minimized to maximize efficiency.
| Category | Monthly Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing & Content | $16,666.66 | Shared responsibilities across two full-time employees. |
| Designer | $8,333.33 | Full-time designer supporting creative outputs. |
| Non-Personnel Costs | Minimal | Essential tools for campaign management and analytics. |
| Discretionary Budget | $0 | No discretionary budget is required for this funding round. |
| $ / FTE / month (USDC) | $8,333.33 | |
| Total Monthly Budget: | $25,000 | |
| Total Budget for Six Months (January–June 2025): | $150,000 |
We are requesting an extension of the current funding outlined in BIP-632, amounting to $25K USDC per month, for marketing-related services from January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025.
This reduction in costs compared to our previous proposal reflects a leaner structure for the Service Provider. In the last funding period, additional costs were incurred due to the inclusion of 3 months of funding for Tai, 1.5 months for Lazy Guac, and $10K allocated to the Education Fund to support community-driven content creation. While the addition of these team members was intended to enhance our impact, it did not achieve the desired outcomes. Moving forward, we have streamlined our approach to focus on core contributors, maximizing efficiency while continuing to deliver impactful results.
ETH Address to Receive Funds: 0x811912c19eEF91b9Dc3cA52fc426590cFB84FC86
To ensure transparency and track progress toward our objectives, we propose three key reporting milestones during the funding period:
1. Mid-Funding Report (April 2025)
The mid-funding report will provide an update on our progress, allowing the community to evaluate ongoing efforts and offer feedback. This report will include:
- A summary of deliverables completed so far.
- Highlights of campaign performance and engagement trends.
- Any adjustments to the strategy based on learnings or evolving priorities.
This report will be shared publicly on the Balancer Forum.
2. Monthly Updates
To keep the community informed, we will include brief updates in the monthly DAO report. These updates will cover:
- Current campaigns, live events, and partnerships.
- Progress on content creation and community engagement initiatives.
3. End-of-Period Performance Review (June 2025)
At the end of the funding period, we will publish a comprehensive performance review. This report will provide:
- A detailed evaluation of achievements against proposed objectives.
- Analysis of campaign metrics, user engagement, and overall impact.
- Recommendations for future marketing strategies.
The review will be made publicly available for open discussion on the Balancer Forum.
Conclusion
This proposal outlines a strategic plan for Balancer’s marketing efforts from January to June 2025, focusing on creativity, engagement, and collaboration. With a lean team of three full-time employees, we aim to deliver impactful campaigns, foster community participation, and strengthen Balancer’s position as a leader in DeFi innovation.
By aligning our objectives with proven marketing strategies and maintaining transparency through regular reporting, we are confident in our ability to achieve measurable growth while staying accountable to the community.
We invite the Balancer community to support this proposal, enabling us to build on the momentum of previous successes and drive meaningful impact in 2025.