MJBizMag August 2022 - 36

DEFINE YOUR BRAND
BRANDING
BEYOND BABY STEPS
Marketing and creative pros advise identifying what sets your brand apart,
sharing the story on multiple channels
By Omar Sacirbey
F
rom consumer sophistication to product choices, the
cannabis market looks different than it did even a
few years ago. And brand strategies that worked then
might not cut it today.
So what does hit the mark when establishing a brand in
today's cannabis business?
In an environment characterized by greater competition,
" present how your brand solves a real need or problems for
people, " said Allison Disney, a partner at Chicago-based
marketing firm Receptor Brands. " Communicate the benefit
of your brand. Try to drive loyalty and affinity. "
Disney said cannabis executives should ask themselves:
* Are consumers connecting with my brand beyond the
product or retail experience?
* Is my company communicating its competitive advantage
in a way that is compelling and insulates it from
macroeconomic factors?
MEANINGFUL MESSAGES
Rather than trying to convey all of your brand's benefits,
Disney said a more effective way to achieve differentiation
is with a " single-minded " message. As an example, she
pointed to Gatorade commercials, which are focused on
hydration for high-performance athletes.
" Most of us drink Gatorade not because we're
performance athletes but because Gatorade is so laserfocused
on hydration ... that it generates an emotional
benefit of knowing that you'll be able to perform at your
highest level no matter what the activity, " she said. " It sets a
really clear expectation for why I should choose this brand
over something else. "
Disney said she doesn't yet see this kind of differentiation
in cannabis messaging and advises marijuana and hemp
brands to appeal to consumers' " values " and " purpose " by
establishing an emotional connection.
36 August 2022 | MJBizMagazine
Receptor Brands created the
branding for Bangor, Michiganbased
Red Arrow Farm,
which promotes its outdoor
cultivation. Courtesy Photo
" Finding that single thing you're really going to be great
at and being consistent ... in that message everywhere you
share it is going to be really important for brands as they
seek to differentiate and distinguish themselves from one
another, " she said.
It's also important to craft a brand that is authentic and
" not manufactured " -especially in the social media age, said
Dustin Iannotti, founder and creative director at Las Vegasbased
Artisans on Fire, a cannabis-focused branding agency
launched in 2015.
One company Iannotti worked with was founded by a
veteran of the illicit market, so the brand name and logo
referenced prohibition. " There has to be a real backstory,
you can't just manufacture one, " he said.

MJBizMag

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag

From the Editor
Five Questions With Paul Weaver
Hemp Notebook
Company News
Industry Developmentts
DEFINE YOUR BRAND
Industtry Players
Unboxed
Our Advertisers
Seed to CEO
MJBizMag - Cover1
MJBizMag - Cover2
MJBizMag - 3
MJBizMag - 4
MJBizMag - 5
MJBizMag - 6
MJBizMag - 7
MJBizMag - From the Editor
MJBizMag - 9
MJBizMag - Five Questions With Paul Weaver
MJBizMag - 11
MJBizMag - Hemp Notebook
MJBizMag - 13
MJBizMag - Company News
MJBizMag - 15
MJBizMag - 16
MJBizMag - 17
MJBizMag - Industry Developmentts
MJBizMag - 19
MJBizMag - 20
MJBizMag - 21
MJBizMag - 22
MJBizMag - 23
MJBizMag - 24
MJBizMag - 25
MJBizMag - 26
MJBizMag - 27
MJBizMag - 28
MJBizMag - 29
MJBizMag - 30
MJBizMag - 31
MJBizMag - 32
MJBizMag - 33
MJBizMag - DEFINE YOUR BRAND
MJBizMag - 35
MJBizMag - 36
MJBizMag - 37
MJBizMag - 38
MJBizMag - 39
MJBizMag - 40
MJBizMag - 41
MJBizMag - 42
MJBizMag - 43
MJBizMag - 44
MJBizMag - 45
MJBizMag - 46
MJBizMag - 47
MJBizMag - 48
MJBizMag - 49
MJBizMag - 50
MJBizMag - 51
MJBizMag - Industtry Players
MJBizMag - 53
MJBizMag - 54
MJBizMag - 55
MJBizMag - Unboxed
MJBizMag - Our Advertisers
MJBizMag - Seed to CEO
MJBizMag - Cover3
MJBizMag - Cover4
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