Boost Your Advertising Campaigns with Geolocation & Incentivized NFTs for Maximum Cardano and Business Impact

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

SmartPlaces

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Björn Heinze

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

486000

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

8

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Cardano can enhance onboarding and on-chain transactions with geo-targeted NFT ad campaigns, using dynamic pricing control and user-consented attributes for better targeting and optimal results.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The software and code developed for this project will not be fully open source due to contractual obligations with our partners and to maintain a competitive edge. However, we are committed to transparency and community engagement. Therefore, we will share as much of the project's outputs and learnings as possible. Our goal is to balance openness with the need to protect sensitive information, ensuring the project's success and sustainability while contributing valuable insights and knowledge to the community.

[METADATA] Horizons

Business Services

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

The global market for digital advertising and digital marketing is projected to achieve a substantial milestone, reaching a staggering $1.5 trillion by 2030. 

This remarkable growth follows a transformative period in the post-COVID-19 business landscape. In 2022, the market was estimated at $531 billion, and its expansion is forecasted to maintain an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.9% during the 2022-2030 analysis period. The growth in the digital advertising and marketing market is mainly driven by the widespread adoption of smartphones, providing marketers with a broader reach and advancements in AI and data analytics. 

Cardano faces significant marketing challenges, including inefficient targeting, low engagement, limited ad formats, opaque pricing, and underutilized NFT potential. These issues hinder its visibility and growth within the broader advertising landscape, where businesses struggle with similar problems, impacting customer engagement and overall effectiveness.

At SmartPlaces, our comprehensive platform addresses these challenges by managing advertising campaigns that leverage geo-location targeting, incentivized engagement, and NFT technology. This solution not only enhances Cardano’s marketing efforts but also connects Web2 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and corporate groups to the Cardano and Web3 ecosystem, ultimately driving more on-chain transactions and real-world usage of Cardano technology.

Key Features:

• Geo-Location Targeting: Advertisers can target audiences based on specific locations and consented data, ensuring ads are relevant and engaging for users in various regions. This targeted approach encourages local businesses to adopt Cardano, increasing real-world transactions and usage.
• Incentivized Engagement: By using rewards tied to NFTs, we encourage users to interact with ads, leading to higher engagement rates and improved brand visibility. This interaction fosters user familiarity with Cardano’s capabilities, driving increased participation in on-chain transactions.
• NFT-Based Advertising: Advertisers can create unique digital assets as incentives, enhancing user interest and campaign effectiveness. The use of NFTs within campaigns not only showcases their potential but also demonstrates the tangible benefits of using Cardano technology in advertising, bridging the gap between digital and real-world applications.
• Campaign Planning and Management: Our platform offers intuitive tools for budget allocation, scheduling, and performance tracking, allowing advertisers to optimize strategies for maximum impact. By streamlining campaign management, businesses can more easily integrate Cardano’s blockchain into their marketing efforts, increasing adoption and transaction volume.
• Diverse Ad Placement Options: Advertisers can deploy ads across various formats, including maps and mobile apps, ensuring comprehensive reach. This diversity not only enhances brand exposure but also promotes Cardano's ecosystem to a wider audience, encouraging new users to engage with the platform.
• Dynamic Pricing Control: Advertisers can adjust pricing based on performance and audience engagement, maximizing return on investment. This flexibility enables businesses to allocate more resources toward on-chain transactions, further enhancing the utility and real-world application of Cardano’s technology.

Our geo-targeted, incentivized NFT-based Advertising Campaign Manager empowers advertisers to create highly effective campaigns while providing flexibility and control over pricing strategies. 

By promoting the unique advantages of Cardano and facilitating connections between traditional businesses and the Web3 ecosystem, we drive more on-chain transactions and foster real-world usage of Cardano technology. 

This initiative not only enhances advertising effectiveness but also strengthens Cardano's position in the digital advertising landscape, paving the way for greater innovation and adoption.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Positive Impact on the Wider Cardano Community

  

Our project will significantly enhance the Cardano community by attracting Web2 companies into the ecosystem, increasing the diversity of projects and services available. 

By offering precise ad targeting and facilitating seamless integration into Web3, we create a more vibrant and interactive environment. This influx of new businesses and users will drive adoption and increase on-chain transactions, thereby enhancing the overall utility and visibility of the Cardano platform.

Moreover, the automated pricing system fosters fair economic transactions, ensuring that advertisers can effectively allocate their budgets while benefiting the community's economy. This not only supports local businesses but also encourages user engagement and participation, creating a thriving ecosystem that aligns with Cardano's principles of individual sovereignty and data privacy.

Measuring Impact  

To measure the impact of our project, we will employ both quantitative and qualitative metrics:

1. Quantitative Metrics:

User Growth: Track the number of new users and businesses integrating into the Cardano ecosystem before and after our project launch.

On-Chain Transactions: Measure the increase in on-chain transactions attributed to our advertising campaigns and user engagement initiatives.

2. Qualitative Metrics:

Community Feedback: Conduct surveys and gather testimonials from users and businesses regarding their experiences and satisfaction with our platform.

Engagement Metrics: Evaluate the quality of interactions within the community, such as discussions, collaborations, and participation in events.

Value to the Cardano Community  

The success of our project will bring immense value to the Cardano community by:

• Expanding the User Base: By attracting Web2 companies, we increase the number of participants in the Cardano ecosystem, enhancing its overall reach and influence.
• Driving Adoption: The introduction of innovative advertising solutions will showcase Cardano’s capabilities, encouraging more users and businesses to adopt its technology.
• Enriching Economic Opportunities: By facilitating fair and automated pricing, we ensure that economic benefits are shared equitably within the community, boosting local economies.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities  

We will share our outputs and opportunities through various channels to ensure transparency and community engagement:

• Regular Reports: Publish reports on our progress, and outcomes on our website.
• Partnerships with influencers and projects: collaborate with existing Cardano projects and influencers to amplify our message and reach a broader audience.
• Social Media: Utilize social media to provide updates, success stories, and insights into the benefits of our project, encouraging wider community participation.

Overall, our project expands Cardano's user base, drives adoption, and strengthens its position as a leading blockchain platform, enriching the community with diverse opportunities.

By implementing these strategies, we aim to foster a transparent and engaging environment that highlights the opportunities within our project while strengthening the Cardano community as a whole.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The SmartPlaces team is a highly experienced team of developers, business managers, UI/UX designers, marketers, strategists, project managers and PR/Com experts who have worked for companies such as KPMG, Daimler, Saudi Aramco, Microsoft, Vodafone, BMW, VW and many more, with extensive experience in developing multiple platforms, ensuring trust and accountability. Leveraging our international expertise, we validate feasibility through rigorous market research, feedback and pilot testing, ensuring robust project delivery.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Concept & UX / UI incl. Analysis of Technical Requirements

In this phase, the focus in on laying the foundation of the project, creating the concept, gathering the requirements, designing the user interface, in order to start the development.

Concept

With the concept design, the focus is on understanding and defining the requirements of a user consent based ad targeting system extension of the SmartPlaces platform.

UX Design 

Designing an intuitive and user-friendly interface for advertisers to interact with the Campaign Manager solution as well as end users to provide consent. 

Technical requirements 

Identifying and documenting the technical requirements for building the Campaign and User Consent Manager solution.

1) Milestones outputs:

• Defined project objectives and scope
• Wireframes for platform functionalities
• User-friendly interface designs for advertisers and end users
• Documented technical requirements for the Campaign Manager and User Consent Manager
• Defined technology stack and infrastructure specifications

2) Acceptance criteria:

• A document describing the concept and scope of the system extension
• User flows and UI design for all features described in the concept
• A document describing the technical requirements, technology stack and infrastructure requirements that are necessary to set up the campaign manager

3) Evidence of milestone completion:

• Documents
• Wireframes / Video

Development & Infrastructure

Development of Frontend and Backend code to implement features described in the technical requirements document, as well as setting up the required infrastructure.

1) Milestone output(s):

• Functional prototype of the Campaign and User Consent Manager, ready to start testing

2) Acceptance criteria:

• All defined functionality implemented as a working protoype

3) Evidence of milestone completion:

• Document outlining the implemented flows and functionality

Development of Educational/Marketing Materials

1) Milestone output(s):

• Develop comprehensive training and marketing materials. For training, guidance and promotion of the product

2) Acceptance criteria:

• Educational Content, Marketing Strategy and Content is available. Campaign ready to start.

3) Evidence of milestone completion:

• Documents and Marketing Materials

Testing Phase

Testing the prototype on a staging environment to identify bugs and unintended behavior.

Fixing of all bugs discovered.

1) Milestone output(s):

• Fully tested prototype of the Campaign and User Consent Manager

2) Acceptance criteria:

• Document outlining the test suite, discovered bugs and fixes

3) Evidence of milestone completion:

• Document

Go-Live Phase / Support

All features shipped and available.

1) Milestone output(s):

• Campaign and User Consent Manager available on https://map.smart-places.io

2) Acceptance criteria:

• Launch of Campaign and User Consent manager

3) Evidence of milestone completion:

• Campaign and User Consent Manager available on https://map.smart-places.io

Project Close-out Report and Video

Summarizing the project and deliverables.

1) Milestone output(s):

• Report and video

2) Acceptance criteria:

• Published video and report

3) Evidence of milestone completion:

• Document and video

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Our project team consists of highly skilled professionals who are committed to delivering the proposed project. We have engaged with relevant team members and have a direct line of communication with them.

Gianluca De Lorenzis (Co-CEO and Main Responsible)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianluca-de-lorenzis/

Björn Heinze (Co-CEO)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernheinze/

Sebastian Thobe:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-thobe-18408861/

Anna Rauberger (Program Management)

Alexander Wieser (Frontend Development)

Marvin Schluch

Waldemar Scholtyssek (Senior Developer)

Behdad Tabrizi (Developer)

Serghei Granici (Graphic Design)

Razali "Raz" Samsudin (Cardano Impact Advisor) https://www.linkedin.com/in/razali-samsudin

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

M1: Concept & UX/UI incl. Anal.of Techn. Requi.: 123.000 ADA

M2: Development & Infrastructure: 230.000 ADA

M3: Educational / Marketing Materials: 75.000 ADA

M4: Testing Phase: 35.000 ADA

M5: Go-Live Phase / Support: 15.000 ADA

M6: Project Close-out Report and Video: 8.000 ADA

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Our project offers substantial value for money by leveraging the vast digital advertising market—valued in the hundreds of billions annually—and channeling a portion of that activity into Cardano's ecosystem. By attracting Web2 businesses and enabling them to operate seamlessly within Cardano’s Web3 infrastructure, we introduce new revenue streams, drive adoption, and foster economic opportunities for the Cardano community.

Here are key aspects that demonstrate the value for money:

Scalable User Acquisition:  

• With precise targeting and NFT incentives, we attract a diverse range of Web2 businesses and users organically. This influx expands Cardano’s user base, increasing on-chain transactions without the need for significant ongoing marketing spend. 

• Each new Web2 business brought onto Cardano represents an exponential potential for user acquisition. As these businesses deploy NFT-based ad campaigns, they naturally introduce Cardano to their existing customers and networks, further expanding the ecosystem.

Economic Opportunities through Automated Pricing:  

• The automated pricing system within our platform optimizes ad spend and provides fair pricing controls. This mechanism not only offers businesses cost-effective advertising solutions but also increases on-chain transaction volume, generating revenue for Cardano and boosting its economic activity.

• By creating an ecosystem where advertisers can transparently adjust pricing based on performance metrics, we ensure that each advertising dollar spent is effectively utilized. This efficiency ultimately translates to better returns for Cardano’s community as ad revenue and transaction fees increase.

Increased Adoption and Ecosystem Growth:  

• Our solution directly addresses Cardano’s marketing and visibility challenges by integrating advertising with blockchain technology. This aligns with Cardano's broader goals of driving mass adoption and expanding real-world usage.

• The use of NFTs in advertising opens up innovative applications that encourage participation and interaction within the Cardano network, increasing the utility and visibility of Cardano’s blockchain.

Enhanced Community Engagement and Privacy Controls:  

• The platform prioritizes user privacy. This commitment to individual sovereignty aligns with Cardano's values and promotes long-term trust and loyalty within the ecosystem.

• Our incentivized engagement features encourage users to actively participate in ad campaigns, enriching the community's engagement and fostering vibrant, sustained interactions. By offering real value to users in exchange for engagement, we create a self-sustaining cycle of interaction that benefits the entire Cardano ecosystem.

Comprehensive Reporting and Transparent Impact Measurement:  

• We provide regular reports to share our progress, offering transparency to the Cardano community. This ensures that stakeholders can track the tangible benefits and ongoing impact of the project.

• Our quantitative and qualitative metrics allow us to assess the effectiveness of our platform, adapting strategies to maximize returns for Cardano over time.

Overall, our project represents a strategic investment in Cardano's growth, leveraging an underutilized market segment—digital advertising—to drive adoption, engagement, and economic activity. 

By creating a bridge between Web2 businesses and Cardano’s Web3 ecosystem, we offer a sustainable, scalable model that enhances Cardano’s long-term value, making this proposal a cost-effective catalyst for community and ecosystem expansion.