This article is based on a podcast interview with Elana Cohen, CEO of Tree Of Life PR for The Mary Jane Society Podcast.

Cannabis Public Relations vs. Marketing

It’s a common misconception for people to confuse public relations with marketing. The two work hand in hand, but the focus and approach differ.

PR is “earned media” where someone writes about you because you are newsworthy. Marketing is content you create and pay for your placements and marketing campaigns. 

At the same time, the PR and marketing departments work very closely together. The whole team needs to be engaged for it to be a successful campaign by using a multi-pronged approach and by making all messaging, branding, and wording cohesive. Everything needs to be the same. 

The Nuts and Bolts

A common PR strategy is to write a press release when you have an announcement, a new product launch, an opening, or a speaking engagement. Writing styles differ depending on whether it’s a b2b client or you are trying to reach the masses about how Dr. Dabber, the concentrate dabbing company, is coming out with an awesome new product. 

Pitch letters are another form of a press release. The difference is they target a tailored list of contacts and resources to test media interest. Media and PR tend to work closely together, forming personal relationships to achieve a collective goal. They’re in it together, trying to teach the world about cannabis, hemp, psychedelics, and the legality around it. Everyone is learning as they go in the cannabis industry.

Ghostwriting is another PR service because brands often don’t have time to write articles and get them placed.

What’s Your Goal?

A press release would be the first tactic if there’s a huge announcement, but what’s your goal, and who are you trying to reach? Promote the company to investors? Build brand awareness for a new product? Highlight breakthrough research or innovative technology.

There are a ton of competitors for every single business type, every person, and every product. Understand the competitive landscape and create a campaign to fill your content calendar and plan out as far as possible. But a plan is only a plan, things change, and you have to be ready to go and create a plan for that.

The Spin

Public relations is about creating creative angles to promote products or services and writing about them in different ways for different publications. 

Cannabis media are a bit more fun and laid back, and they love to do product roundups and reviews and are interested in the movers and shakers in the industry. 

Even though publications like Teen Vogue or Rolling Stone are different-style magazines and not cannabis-specific, articles on the science behind CBD are appearing and destigmatizing the plant for future articles on marijuana-related topics.

Get media training through mock interviews if you plan to speak on behalf of your company. Few people can get out there and talk perfectly on point, exuding passion. Most people are unsure of the tips and tricks to answer questions. You want to be ready and as prepared as possible to face the press.

How To Make Your Story Un-boring

What do you do when you don’t have an exciting story or product? 

You have to find a way to tailor the story to make it relevant in the news. Public relations professionals are creative writers and know how to spin a subject.

Look to the industry to see what hot topics are relevant, and find a way to tie them into your story. Think outside the box, and look for an angle that doesn’t seem obvious. Use all the buzzwords in your article to ensure you’re including search engine optimization words. 

For example, banking is a big deal in the cannabis world. Use a gifting holiday like Valentine’s Day and a boring topic like banking to demonstrate why the proper payment structures are needed for your business to maximize sales in the cannabis industry. 

Better yet, prance the CEO or team expert out there to talk about your company. Everyone pays attention to someone knowledgeable in their field. 

Always be ready to “news jack” a story. Jump on breaking news if you can use it to your advantage. Get a press release or pitch letters out there. Everything moves very quickly, and you want your response out there first.

Public relations is an effective strategy to get others talking about you and to build brand awareness, and it should be part of your marketing mix.

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.