--- title: Marketing Services Agreement Finalization — 2026-04-05 type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2025-12-04-call-w-paper-tube-parag-106346876.md tags: - client - paper-tube - contract - abm - performance-fee - attribution - kpis - lead-definition - epr - food-traceability layer: 2 client_source: Paper Tube Co industry_context: ecommerce transferable: false --- # Marketing Services Agreement Finalization — 2026-04-05 ## Overview Call between Mark Hope (Asymmetric) and Parag Agrawal (Paper Tube Co) to finalize the marketing services agreement. The parties worked through Parag's redline of the draft contract, resolving all open items. Agreement is ready to be cleaned up and executed, with a kickoff target of December 15, 2025. **Attendees:** - Parag Agrawal — parag@papertube.co (Paper Tube Co, external) - Mark Hope — mark.hope@asymmetric.pro (Asymmetric) --- ## Key Decisions | Term | Final | Previous Draft | Rationale | |---|---|---|---| | Contract term | 9 months | 12 months | Gives Paper Tube flexibility to exit earlier if performance is unsatisfactory | | Notice period | 60 days | 90 days | Enough runway for Asymmetric to reallocate staff; 90 felt excessive to Parag | | Post-contract attribution window | 12 months | 18 months | Covers long B2B sales cycles without over-complicating tracking | | Performance fee | 8% flat | 8% tiered | Simplified to a single flat rate on revenue from qualified leads | | Attribution scope | ABM-only (email, LinkedIn, content) | Included paid search & paid social | Paid search/social already run by Paper Tube; excluded to avoid paying for existing revenue | | Qualified lead definition | Revenue ≥ $100k (ABA threshold, TBD by Parag) | Not defined | Prevents Asymmetric from being compensated for low-value startup leads Paper Tube already receives | --- ## Attribution Scope — Detail Parag struck paid search and paid social from the primary attribution clause because Paper Tube already runs those channels independently. The agreed scope for performance fee attribution is: - ABM outreach - Email campaigns - LinkedIn activity - Content marketing / webinars developed by Asymmetric Anything sourced through paid search or paid social that Paper Tube was already operating is **excluded** from the 8% performance fee calculation. This eliminates the gray-area benchmark debate (e.g., indexing existing paid search revenue) in favor of a clean channel-based boundary. --- ## Lead Definition A "qualified lead" must meet a minimum annual revenue threshold — discussed as **$100k+** — to count toward Asymmetric's performance fee. This: - Focuses effort on established brands, not startup/indie accounts - Removes ambiguity about what Asymmetric gets paid for - Aligns incentives: Asymmetric only earns on the client profile Paper Tube actually wants > *"One way to do that would just be to define the definition of a lead. And so that would be revenue above X."* — Mark Hope Parag agreed to confirm the exact threshold and share it with Mark. --- ## KPIs & Performance Benchmarks No specific numbers were set in this call. Mark committed to proposing initial ABM funnel benchmarks using a reverse-engineered approach: 1. Define target revenue / number of qualified leads 2. Work backward to required presentations / meetings 3. Work backward to required outreach volume (emails, calls) Parag's primary interim KPI of interest: **number of meetings generated** from ABM activity, as a leading indicator before revenue materializes. Mark noted benchmarks will be informed by Asymmetric's internal database of B2B open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, but will be refined once early data comes in. --- ## Regulatory Opportunities Discussed Two regulatory tailwinds were flagged as potential ABM messaging angles: ### Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - New state-level regulations imposing fees on brands based on the environmental impact of their packaging's end-of-life - More recyclable / lighter packaging = lower fees - **Opportunity:** Position Paper Tube's products as a compliant, cost-saving alternative; leverage brand fear of non-compliance - Status: Early-stage, state-by-state, complex — research needed ### Food Traceability Act - Upcoming federal law requiring full ingredient/product traceability back to origin - **Opportunity:** Explore whether Paper Tube's packaging can simplify compliance vs. alternative packaging types - Status: Expected to come into effect soon; industry pushing for delays Both were flagged for deeper research by Asymmetric before incorporating into campaign strategy. See [[wiki/knowledge/regulatory-tailwinds-as-abm-hooks]] if that article exists. --- ## Kickoff Plan - **Start date:** December 15, 2025 - **Phase 1 (first ~10 days):** Deep research immersion - Industry and competitor analysis - Keyword research - Traffic analysis - Content topic ideation - **Phase 2:** Strategic plan development - Mix of proven/established tactics (3 of 5 ideas) - "Blue Ocean" / untested tactics (2 of 5 ideas) - Define the fastest path from current state to target client profile --- ## Action Items - [ ] **Mark Hope** — Send Parag a clean, redline-free agreement reflecting all finalized terms (9-month term, 60-day notice, 12-month post-contract attribution, 8% flat performance fee, ABM-only attribution scope) - [ ] **Mark Hope** — Propose initial KPIs and ABM funnel benchmarks (meetings generated, outreach volume, conversion rates) - [ ] **Mark Hope** — Send kickoff timeline and process overview - [ ] **Mark Hope** — Research EPR regulations and Food Traceability Act for packaging-specific opportunities - [ ] **Parag Agrawal** — Confirm minimum revenue threshold for "qualified lead" definition (discussed as $100k+) and share with Mark --- ## Related - [[wiki/clients/current/papertube/_index]] - [[wiki/knowledge/performance-fee-structures-abm]] - [[wiki/knowledge/abm-funnel-benchmarking]]