Cannabis advertisers hit unexpected potholes
As the cannabis industry grows in the US, generating an estimated US$10 billion (NZ$13.75b) in annual sales, states are increasingly approving medical marijuana programmes and passing adult-use laws.
But for marketing agencies, marijuana dispensaries and cannabis brands, advertising the pot brings its own hurdles.
Online platforms with prime advertising space like Facebook and Google do not allow drug, or drugrelated promotions on their sites, leaving a large share of marijuana advertising to blogs and podcasts, newsletters and print media.
Experts say Facebook and Google – which control the lion’s share of digital advertising in the country – are unlikely to change their policies until pot is legalised at the federal level, and television and radio come with their own sets of rules.
So industry members must navigate a complex web of state-by-state regulations.
‘‘You would think that Facebook and some of these online platforms are the ideal platforms for these products because you can target only legal states, target only people over 21,’’ Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), said.
‘‘We would gladly follow those guidelines.’’
Olivia Mannix, founder and CEO of Cannabrand, a cannabis marketing agency, said she has pushed back on Facebook and its policy, arguing that many patients who could benefit from medical marijuana can’t easily access the information they need.
As for the companies Cannabrand works with, Mannix said her team has to think out of the box to reach online customers without targeted ads.
That can include engaging people with wide followings on social media, or even a marijuana-themed Emoji keyboard that feature cannabis products and brands.
‘‘You really need to be strategic and creative to get followers because you can’t just put an ad out to get followers,’’ Mannix said.
Facebook did not return a request for comment.
Mark Bartholomew, an advertising professor at the University of Buffalo, said there’s reason to expect advertising norms will change as the marijuana industry becomes more mainstream.
After all, ads including sex and violence were much less common 20 or 30 years ago, he said.
The cannabis company MedMen recently debuted a new campaign, ‘‘Forget Stoner,’’ that photographs figures from athletes to grandmothers to tear down the ‘‘stoner’’ stigma of marijuana users.
BJ Carretta, MedMen’s chief marketing officer, said the reach of such campaigns would only be magnified with access to radio or video platforms that are now off-limits.
‘‘Imagine the first company to come out creatively with a really impactful 30-second commercial nationally on a prime-time television show or a Sunday major sports programme,’’ Carretta said.
‘‘There’d be a lot of buzz that.’’ –Washington Post about