Files
LlamaCasty/TASKS/task-54-marcom-free-merch.md
T

61 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
Raw Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters
This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.
# TASK 54 — Marcom round: free-forever positioning + merch (queued 2026-10-08)
> Catalog: [`TASKS.md`](../TASKS.md) — status and requirements live here.
**Why:** the monetization decision changed. LlamaCasty launches **watermark-free and free as in beer,
forever** — no paid tiers, no branding flash. The old watermark-paid-delta plan (TASK 10) is
superseded. Money, if any, comes from **gratuity and branded merch**, never from gating the app.
**History of the ruling (creator-led, 2026-10-08):** feature set is locked for v1; there are no new
pricing tiers to build. The compensation decision: ship the app free and watermark-free, put a
coffee jar / merch storefront in front of people, done. Assistant recommendation that was accepted:
**print-on-demand merch** instead of a tip jar for the main channel, because a t-shirt the viewer
wears is free advertising a donation is not.
**Done so far:**
- ✅ llamacasty.com stripped of ALL pricing (2026-10-08): plans ($0/$10/$400), the feature chart,
the "made with LlamaCasty!" flash copy, and the `#pricing` section replaced with a **free-forever
band**: "Free forever. Completely yours." — no watermark, no branding on stream, no subscription,
no account. Nav + footer relinked to `#free`. Deployed + verified live (0 pricing refs).
- ✅ Ruling recorded: no watermark, no branding-flash, app ships as-is.
**Merch plan (accepted, corrected 2026-10-08):**
- **Printful as the producer/fulfillment** (quality + creative control). **Storefront-layer facts
(verified via websearch 2026-10-08 — there is NO free one-site tier that integrates Printful):**
- Printful's built-in storefront ("Quick Stores") = US-seller/US-buyer only, no custom domain.
- **Ecwid:** free Starter plan has **no third-party app integrations** — Printful's own doc states
Printful requires Venture, Business, or Unlimited (Venture ≈ $29/mo annual). Dead on a free tier.
- **PROVIDER DECISION (2026-10-08, after websearch of the POD market):** **Fourthwall**, not
Printful. It eliminates the storefront-layer problem entirely:
- Real free plan ($0/mo, not a trial), **built-in storefront**, connect own domain
(`shop.llamacasty.com`) for free (Pro $19/mo adds .store domain, 0% digital fees).
- Native creator integrations: **YouTube Merch Shelf, Twitch product gifting, TikTok Shop,
Discord** — where the young audience buys.
- Fulfillment incl. **Mexico** (US/UK/EU/CA/MX/AU/JP partners); Merchant of Record (tax/VAT
handled); Fourthwall handles catalog-order customer support.
- **No platform fee on physical products** — base cost + processing (2.9%+30¢ domestic) only;
you keep 100% of markup. Quality-first curated partners (max-ink printing), not supplier lottery.
- vs rivals: Printful/POD = production-only (storefront friction = the whole Square/BigCartel/
Ecwid saga above); Printify = cheapest bases but needs third-party store + own tax/support.
- **GO/NO-GO to verify at signup:** Fourthwall seller payout to a Mexico-based account (MX
*shipping* is confirmed; seller payouts unverified).
- Design assets (llama 816×1645 @300dpi PNG, back-URL text) port as-is; re-confirm the catalog
picks (hoodie, tee, stickers, bottle) in Fourthwall's catalog.
- **Small lineup: 3–5 items** to start (t-shirt, mug, sticker set — the llama logo is the obvious
draw). Assets live in `llamacasty.web/assets/img/` (icon-512.png, logo.webp, gramps-480.webp).
**In-app tasks bundled here (small, App-layer only):**
- ☐ Branding-flash text becomes **"llamacasty.com"** (single small mention) instead of the
"made with LlamaCasty!" overlay — pending the "no branding, completely yours" wording conflict:
a streamer showing zero branding and a streamer showing "llamacasty.com" are different promises;
creator to pick.
- ☐ Add the merch/storefront links to the **About pop-up** so the store is reachable from inside
the app at all times.
**Marcom write-up:** capture this whole decision (positioning, competitor note — Meld Studio runs
free core + paid AI tiers and a merch store; ArtCraft monetizes AI credits — the free-forever
difference) into the dedicated **marcom.md** file once the creator creates it. This task file is the
working copy until then.