Cannabis branding: say less sell more

'Keep things simple, but no simpler' Albert Einstein

You can count on your hand the number of strong, national cannabis brands in the US or Canada.  Tens of millions of marketing dollars have been wasted on marketing thousands of copy-cat products that don’t bond with consumer & retailer need states. 

Marketing missteps (not to mention cultivation challenges, onerous regulations) are to blame. These branding faux pas include:

> Having a biased or superficial understanding of your consumer and channel;
> Blindly aping your competition’s product moves;
> Prioritizing creative execution and spending over strategic > positioning and;
> Shortchanging product and image differentiation.

A brand is a promise of value to consumers, retailers and employees, consistently delivered.  How do you create a cannabis brand that stands out in a crowded market, engenders loyalty and delivers category-leading margins?

It starts with your understanding of what a powerful brand is.  Strong brands aren’t all things to all consumers.  They don’t automatically follow your competitors up the THC ladder or down the pricing escalator. Conversely, they are authentic and deliver functional & emotional benefits.  

A winning brand strategy is about focus and specialization. Brand promises become more narrow, differentiated and purpose-driven.  Your goal should be to dominate your chosen consumer need state in the segments you compete in.

My simplified approach to brand narrowing- 

1. Align internally on the requirements of brand-building; 
2. Pick one appealing and underserved consumer segment. Underserved could mean low product performance or brand awareness & loyalty;
3. Drill deeper into your consumer’s functional & sub-conscious needs (met and unmet). Choose 1-2 needs. 
4. Find a limited set of product effects, features and outcomes that satisfies these need(s) in a unique and compelling way. If you don’t authentically stand for something, you stand for nothing;
5. Integrate all elements of the marketing mix. For example, don’t use low end packaging with your premium brand;
6. Simplify the message, for consumers, budtenders and employees – and consistently deliver via an omnichannel execution.

Brand strategy (and its supporting marketing and operational) decisions must be made objectively, based on real-world consumer behaviors and needs.  Smart marketers will take a brand strategy and tailor its tactics to each cohort’s needs. For example, not everyone wants to speak to a budtender.  And some consumers will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of indica strains on shelf. Accordingly, good branders will adjust their marketing and in-store activity based on their target consumer’s level of engagement i.e. amount of education required or their product experience.  

#branding #marketing #consumers #needs #strategy #creative #communications #messaging