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The year 2020 was supposed to be a big one for Bhang Corp. The leading adult-use edibles company had spent upwards of $100k and months of planning every detail of their rebrand, scheduled to roll out in March. With the company\u2019s 10th anniversary approaching in August, it would give the team enough time to introduce Bhang\u2019s <\/a>new look and communicate the brand messaging to licensees in California, Nevada, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Canada.<\/p>\n When COVID-19 made its way to the U.S. and executive stay-at-home orders were issued in March, Bhang found themselves in a similar position to many businesses: They had to pivot quickly and make big decisions without much information.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll pause here to say that this isn\u2019t Bhang\u2019s glamorous rebrand story (it\u2019s 2020, people). But while the updated brand launch wasn\u2019t exactly what they planned and hoped for, lessons were learned, silver linings were recognized, and the team remained grateful.<\/p>\n When resources are dwindling and revenue plummets, spending dollars on marketing may not seem like such a smart idea. But Bhang shares their story with the hope that you will learn to pivot and reimagine, rather than halt your marketing.<\/p>\n During the U.S. shut down, licensed cannabis businesses were deemed essential services in most states. But this didn\u2019t mean \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d for Bhang \u2013 in fact, far from it. In anticipation of the rebrand, Bhang had stopped production as they waited for products with old packaging to sell out before stocking shelves with the new packaging. Even though dispensaries were open, Bhang was unsure if they would be able to get products on shelves due to production challenges resulting from COVID-19.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had to make sure we had supply chains set up, guaranteed and secured so that we could get products in new packaging and on shelves in a time when we had no clue what was going to be happening,\u201d recounted Nicole Hanratty, Bhang\u2019s Global Director of Marketing.<\/p>\n This meant some hard, in-the-moment decisions were in order for Samantha Collins, Bhang\u2019s Chief Marketing Officer. \u201cShe was instrumental in making sure we didn\u2019t go without product on shelves,\u201d Hanratty said.<\/p>\n With disruptions initially happening in China, Collins explains that they started exploring domestic producers. \u201cBut then the pandemic moved on-shore, and our domestic producers were struggling too,\u201d she said. \u201cUltimately, we had to revise our timelines for production in the short-term as well as order much higher levels of dry goods to ensure we could meet demand and keep our products on shelves.\u201d<\/p>\n However, decisions weren\u2019t only made from a financial perspective. Although Bhang had heavily invested in the rebrand, they wanted to be sensitive to how the country and the world were feeling during such an unprecedented time.<\/p>\n \u201cSo much preparing went into this rollout, yet we needed to be really mindful of the current climate,\u201d Hanratty explained. \u201cWhile we really wanted to celebrate the introduction of our new brand (we also turned ten in August), we had to be mindful that the country is not in a celebratory mood.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond the initial production challenges, Bhang\u2019s biggest hurdle has been pressing pause on experiential marketing \u2013 the launch parties, tradeshows and trainings.<\/p>\n \u201cI really miss the ability to share and educate people on the brand face-to-face,\u201d Hanratty said.<\/p>\n Despite the change in plans that came with 2020, Hanratty continually mentions how appreciative they are for the essential workers who are helping both businesses and consumers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been very grateful that our business has been considered essential. We know our industry owes those people a debt of gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n While spending money on marketing may feel scary to smaller companies, Hanratty reiterates how important it is. She offers tips on how to modify strategy in a smart, cost-effective way so retailers and consumers are supported, and business can keep growing. \u00a0<\/p>\n Nicole Hanratty, Bhang\u2019s<\/a> Global Director of Marketing, speaks to what she calls the \u201ctrick\u201d and the \u201ctreat\u201d of marketing during a global pandemic (and just in time for Halloween!)<\/p>\n \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pivoting without panic. \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Feeling the love from consumers. For companies on a limited budget, look to creating content and building engagement with social media channels<\/a>. There\u2019s no substitute for having a compelling brand story that connects with consumers, and if you take the time to build an authentic brand that serves the consumer\u2019s needs, you will ultimately win in the marketplace.<\/p>\n\n The post The \u2018Trick\u2019 and \u2018Treat\u2019 of Marketing Cannabis During a Pandemic<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The year 2020 was supposed to be a big one for Bhang Corp. The leading adult-use edibles company had spent upwards of $100k and months of planning every detail of their rebrand, scheduled to roll out in March. With the company\u2019s 10th anniversary approaching in August, it would give theContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":45104,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2870,1434,50,3603,13218,13342,106,4229],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45103"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45105,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45103\/revisions\/45105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Not Business as Usual<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/figure>\nMARKETING DURING A PANDEMIC<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Trick<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Making deliberate decisions.<\/p>\nThe Treat<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hearing back from consumers about how the product improves and enhances their lives, especially in 2020.<\/p>\n
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\nRead More: The \u2018Trick\u2019 and \u2018Treat\u2019 of Marketing Cannabis During a Pandemic<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"