HIVE MIND

Building a Strong Cannabis Brand

by zack | Oct 11, 2024

The Cannabis Branding, Packaging and Retail Strategy series – CHAPTER 1

The key branding principle to building a meaningful brand is authenticity. If your brand is inauthentic, all of the greatest design and packaging in the world will only amount to empty fluff. Cannabis consumers are good at smelling things and they can smell BS from a mile away. If you hold this principle as your brand’s North Star, you’ll never lose your way.

So, where do you start? As world renowned business thought leader Simon Sinek, says: You always start with WHY. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Your why is the essence of why you exist. Your why is not to make money, that’s a result. Your why is the human element of your business. Your why is the thing that resonates.

The difference between an average brand and a strong brand is purpose. Purpose-driven brands don’t just build customers, they build loyal fans. They bond with people who are going to stay with that brand through thick and thin. They’ll save their money to be able to afford it when they go into that dispensary. They’ll buy that brand when they’re in a recession and when times are tight. They buy that brand, not just because of the quality of the product, they buy it because they believe in something. Your why is what follows the words “we believe.”

Another valuable part of your brand’s North Star is to keep your “BE DO SAY” in order. BE the authentic and meaningful brand you want to be known as. Then DO the things it takes to make that authenticity true. Then, and only then, do you whip out the fancy marketing and messaging and SAY to the world how amazing you are. If you get these out of order, you run a dangerous risk of being called out as a “carpetbagger” or a “greenwasher.” We don’t need any more of those in the cannabis industry.

Specialize! If you’re trying to be everything to everyone, you will soon discover that you aren’t something to someone. The key to resonating with your customers is to learn about them and what their motivating influences are. If you’re going to earn loyalty and become “their” brand, you have to connect with “them.” This choice will differentiate you from your competitors and help you build messaging that connects on an emotional level.

Building your brand strategy is an involved process filled with fantastic exercises in self-discovery and industry landscape exploration. Can you do this yourself? Yes, but it takes a lot of self-discipline and you have a high likelihood of future challenges without a seasoned creative team to actualize your brand vision.

Analysis paralysis and unending revision cycles can crush the spirit of your creative process. It is highly recommended to work with a team to identify the target so you aren’t throwing darts in the dark.

Fortunately as the cannabis industry has blossomed, so has a vast assortment of ancillary creative agencies and brand specialists who focus on this arena. Many of them have a proven portfolio of brands that actually connect and have results to prove it.

Here are five questions to consider when choosing a creative team:

What are their values as people? What is their inspired vision? Does it align with yours and your brand?
What is their creative process, branding approach and commitment to efficient project management?
Ask them to show you examples of successful projects with provable results. Does their portfolio show they have connected with their intended audience?
How do they understand YOUR brand? Have they done the research? How do they offer collaboration and inclusivity in the process?
Lastly, what are the final deliverables and what is the price? Are you paying for a bespoke team focused on your exact needs, or a premium price for a fancy office, large staff and big overhead?

As you work with them, set an achievable goal for you and your other key stakeholders. Achieving 100% delight across your leadership team is virtually impossible. Shoot for 80% delight as your goal. Branding is art and art is always subjective. Be okay with this and work together to a point where everyone is mostly happy with the results.

If you follow these steps, you’ll have a high likelihood of ending up with a brand you and your team love and a logo design that can serve as the emblem of the values you represent.