‘Stoner stereotype’ not enough for cannabis marketing

Cannabis marketing isn’t just about buying ad space on Weedmaps or Leafly anymore. But the options might not be obvious to everyone – and how you advertise matters as much as where, according to one marketing expert.

Today there are a number of avenues available to marijuana businesses trying to expand their reach with customers, according to Karen Cuce, vice president of strategy at Michigan-based Brkthru.

“There are a vast array of options in terms of what cannabis companies can do” to broaden their consumer base and reach new customers, Cuce said. “That can be streaming television, it can be through websites and apps – specifically banner ads, online video or the videos that play before, during, or after a piece of video-based content that the consumer’s watching. Streaming music, streaming audio, podcasts, these are all channels with which the cannabis user is actually spending disproportionately more time than the average U.S. citizen. They are vastly and deeply digitally connected.”

Cuce said her firm focuses primarily on paid media options for cannabis clients, which rules out many of the bigger social media platforms simply because they won’t accept paid ads from marijuana businesses. But at least one – X, formerly known as Twitter – has rolled back such restrictions, Cuce noted.

At the same time, she said, it’s never a good idea to put all your eggs in the same basket when it comes to a marketing strategy. A better plan, she said, is to diversify.

“We can take (cannabis companies’) organic content and seamlessly lift it to run it across, and here’s what I’d recommend, definitely display because that’s going to be a very efficient means to extend reach and really stretch their budget,” Cuce said. “Essentially we’re using very simple imagery as well as a headline, blending it in with the native environment, the publisher on which the ad appears. It’s essentially sponsored content.”

“Both of those channels, as well as online video, have been a really effective trifecta for our cannabis businesses,” Cuce said. “Those are all highly adaptable channels. We can use a number of different targeting approaches.”

A few other pointers Cuce suggested that cannabis companies keep in mind:

Don’t rely on “stoner stereotypes.” Cuce said marketing research has found that modern-day cannabis consumers are diverse, cause-driven, value-driven and often highly successful professionals. “Quite frankly, it’s not just a bunch of people, stereotypically speaking, sitting around eating pizza and potato chips while they’re playing video games. It’s so much more,” Cuce said.
Advertise sales and deals for holidays like 4/20, which can be a great lure for budget-conscious customers. “We know that discounts can be motivating, they can certainly be a hook,” Cuce said.
If a cannabis company has a limited marketing budget, skip marijuana-focused websites like Weedmaps and Leafly in favor of advertising channels that will reach broader “canna-curious” audiences, instead of only those that are already loyal customers. “It is absolutely critical, especially as we see so many cannabis brands really stepping up and owning the space,” Cuce said.