3 Ways Cannabis Brands Can Make a Powerful First Impression

3 Ways Cannabis Brands Can Make a Powerful First Impression

Cannabis culture, though scaling quickly, is still an exclusive club. Only nine states in the U.S. allow its sale and use as a general consumer product. I have now personally seen more than half a dozen new cannabis markets legalize, and it takes much more than general business savvy to compete. Flower -- the dried cannabis buds -- will always exist as a product choice in retail stores and dispensaries, but it's quickly losing market share to branded products. We see this in virtually every market that our clients operate in. Branding, packaging and infusing flower into other high-quality products allows companies to build their margins, while satisfying changing customer desires. Unite and Conquer a New Territory Though distributing cannabis across state lines is a violation of federal drug laws, the top companies are still finding ways to expand legally. We've heard a number of stories from clients around finding joint venture partners that are a good fit but it’s challenging. Your team in a new market should be a mix of people with cannabis experience and conventional marketing experience. By creating thoughtful, forward-thinking products and store environments that can be replicated in new markets, while investing in outstanding professional talent, the industry will be revealed.

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3 Ways Cannabis Brands Can Make a Powerful First Impression

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Cannabis culture, though scaling quickly, is still an exclusive club. Only nine states in the U.S. allow its sale and use as a general consumer product.

Although there are passionate communities of active cannabis users virtually everywhere, the majority have yet to be introduced to today’s sophisticated branded products.

I have now personally seen more than half a dozen new cannabis markets legalize, and it takes much more than general business savvy to compete.

Here are three ways brands are making their mark.

1. Be Bold and Different

The cannabis industry is much more than just marijuana. To bridge the cultural gap to consumers who were previously unfamiliar with cannabis, products need to be more impressive and more accessible to the masses — think baked goods, candies, drinks, and even branded joints. The best of these brands invest in traditional marketing techniques to maintain a consistent and professional presentation: from packaging to high quality polished websites.

Flower — the dried cannabis buds — will always exist as a product choice in retail stores and dispensaries, but it’s quickly losing market share to branded products. We see this in virtually every market that our clients operate in. Items like cannabis-infused jerky, cotton candy, transdermal patches, and even suppositories are piquing curiosity among new customer demographics. Right now, whatever catches the consumer’s eye has a distinct advantage.

Being creative benefits the bottom line, too. The shift in consumer interests is compounded by the quickly falling price-per-pound on wholesale cannabis flower across all markets. There just isn’t a sufficient profit margin in growing and selling cannabis by itself.

With the price of flower gradually dropping, the…

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