Cannabis marketing and public relations are often confused with being the same. Not true. They are two different specialized approaches used to get a brand known. Which one is right for your cannabusiness? Let’s explore.

Marketing tactics are the fundamental tools used to drive traffic to a website and build brand awareness. It is a long-term, ongoing strategy needed to reel in new customers and keep current ones engaged, and marketing is the base to grow your brand.

Marketing tactics may include but are not limited to email and SMS marketing, content (blog, video, audio), social media, paid digital advertising, SEO (website copy, backlinks, review sites, sponsored posts), affiliate marketing, and promotions, deals, and discounts to sweeten the deal.

The demographics of the cannabis industry are rapidly expanding to include people of all ages and walks of life as they embrace the plant for its health benefits or recreational use. With this comes many marketing channels to connect with them and influence their purchasing decisions.

Choosing the right marketing mix depends on your business goals and target market. But, a multi-channel strategy will give your brand the ultimate exposure and a chance to reach consumers where they are and guide them on their cannabis journey from brand awareness to purchase. 

Who should employ a marketing strategy in their business? Anyone looking to generate sales from their website and anyone looking to build brand awareness. 

Public Relations is a public-facing marketing strategy. It’s a way to communicate NEWSWORTHY information about your company and shape the image, public perception, and story around your brand. For example, it is a way to cultivate a public image for a product looking to position itself as a luxury brand or be a thought leader in your industry.

Public relations is achieved through earned media, paid media, social media influencers, and speaking engagements. All of these are ways to get in front of the public eye. Let’s unpack this.

Earned media is when a reporter or journalist is willing to publish an article on a newsworthy topic about your company that interests their readers. This is free publicity and a 3rd party endorsement, which has the same credibility and effectiveness as a customer review.

Paid media is a way to sponsor an article in a media outlet to communicate your story or highlight your product. This may include articles in publications or gift guide placement.

Influencer Marketing

Influencers build their following as bloggers, YouTubers, podcast guests/hosts, and social media- specifically on Instagram. There are different popularity levels of influencers available to test the relationship to have them promote your brand. 

Speaking Engagements effectively demonstrate your expertise to be considered as a thought leader. Industry trade events and now the wildly popular podcast are ways to take the stage.

Conclusion

A marketing and public relations strategy takes a specific focus and expertise to garner winning results. A marketing agency is qualified to distribute press releases to drum up publicity. Still, a public relations firm has relationships with editors, journalists, and influencers and can secure placement in coveted media outlets and contracts with the right influencers.

It would be ideal for a company to use both strategies since PR and marketing goals overlap and complement the other’s work.

I hope this clears up the often confusing differences between marketing and public relations agencies. Best of luck on building your brand!

Article by Pam Chmiel.

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Studio 420 is a cannabis and psychedelics creative agency specializing in branding, UX/UI design, web development, ecommerce, and digital marketing solutions. We offer a variety of services to ELEVATE your online web presence.

Contact our Denver, Colorado office for a no-obligation, project cost analysis at 303-653-9855.