A look back at some of the most important pieces of advice published in the pages of Marijuana Venture in 2019
Branding
“Companies that fail to appreciate the value of packaging suffer from a lack of what experts call ‘on-shelf standout,’ which ultimately leads to retailers returning your product and stocking something more appealing in its place.
David Ceradini, Ceradini Brand Design
November 2019
“As the old saying goes, fortune favors the bold. Whether it’s business-to-business or business-to-consumer, the cannabis industry at large includes a wide range of support and ancillary services that all have interesting and compelling stories to tell.”
Melissa DiGianfilippo, Serendipit Consulting
July 2019
“The challenge in the marketplace right now is there’s so much undifferentiated product.”
May 2019
“The strongest and most valuable brands tend to be distinctive terms, rather than names that describe products.”
Paula Jill Krasny, Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC
August 2019
“Before adopting a brand, conduct a full trademark search that will disclose federal and state trademark applications and registrations, company names and other unregistered uses.”
Paula Jill Krasny, Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC
August 2019
“It’s pretty obvious to me when a company has a clear brand strategy. It’s also clear when they don’t.
Jennifer Whetzel, Ladyjane Branding
May 2019
“Without proper protections in the form of patents, trade secrets, trademarks and copyrights, enforcing your rights gets much more difficult and complicated.”
Tom Zuber and Nathaniel Fintz, Zuber Lawler
August 2019
Sales and Marketing
“There is a common thread that emerged among all the market leaders in Colorado: They have invested heavily in high-quality marketing.”
July 2019
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You don’t want to put all your content on Instagram or Twitter. With social media, you’re beholden to Big Tech.”
October 2019
“Businesses that are the most successful — and able to sustain that success — will often be the ones that are able to tell their story, promote their differentiators and raise awareness of offerings among target audiences.”
Judy Campbell, Campbell Consulting
August 2019
“A product’s package is your brand’s most consistent form of advertising.”
David Ceradini, Ceradini Brand Design
November 2019
“Great PR can and will win over propaganda.”
Melissa DiGianfilippo, Serendipit Consulting
July 2019
“Often in business, the most successful companies have the best sales and marketing teams and not the best products. Look no further than the early days of Microsoft for proof of that.”
March 2019
“From my perspective, cannabis industry marketers shouldn’t live in an echo-chamber of repeatable, industry-based promotional tactics.”
Matt Janz, The+Source
December 2019
“The cost of entry into the rapidly growing cannabis marketplace is already astonishingly high, but neglecting branding and marketing is a surefire way to tank your investment.”
Alexis Krisay, Serendipit Consulting
June 2019
“Because there is no one-size-fits-all, it is paramount that businesses understand the relevant rules before advertising in violation of the law.”
October 2019
“Companies should not allow the huge amounts of potential profit and the relative ease of internet marketing/sales to detract from planning a carefully crafted and legally compliant marketing campaign.”
Stephanie Spardone, Foley & Mansfield
December 2019
“You need to be a little bit scrappy. You can’t just sit in your office and theorize about what’s doing well. You have to get out there and look.”
May 2019
“Budtenders are the gatekeepers to your products, so they hold a tremendous amount of power.”
September 2019