Becoming a Unicorn

The first month of a new career always brings fear and excitement.

I’m glad to say that here at Social Media Unicorn it has been a lot more excitement than fear. Everyone is great! Not only is my entire team fun to work with, they all have an in-depth knowledge of the cannabis culture and the wants and needs of the community we serve. With that being said, I am starting a weekly blog to inform and educate about the new innovative products, services, and happenings within our community. Stay tuned each week to see what this Unicorn is getting into 😉

Just recently, we had the pleasure of hosting a patient appreciation day for Tahoe Hydro Company with the lovely people over at Medizin. They operate one of the premier dispensaries that cater to Las Vegas and the surrounding areas. Medizin, unlike many other dispensaries, is also involved in cultivation. They have some award winning flowers like Chloe, one of the most medically beneficial strains that is offered in Las Vegas. We had a great time representing Tahoe Hydro Company while we were there. THC is a boutique cultivator out of Carson City, NV, that is sure to fit the needs and wants of any consumer out there. They have award winning strains: Blackjack (S), Gelato 45 (H), Tahoe Hydro OG (I), all winning their respective categories at the 2016 Jack Herer Cup. THC also just entered the preroll game with the introduction of their STIX line, currently offering Tahoe Hydro OG. Needless to say, they know what they are doing over there at Tahoe Hydro Company. We passed out tons of Tahoe swag and educated patients on our products and specials. It was great meeting and creating future Tahoe fans! I loved hearing all the positive feedback regarding our products. Huge thank you to Tanya and the whole crew at Medizin for making my first patient appreciation day a success!  

All in all, these first few weeks have been an adventure and a blessing. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by people who are so passionate about cannabis. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me as a Unicorn. Be sure to tune in next week for my next post and mark your calendars for our upcoming events!

Las Vegas Social Media Day – Fri. 6/30

Follow Tahoe Hydro Company on IG @tahoehydroponics

Get updates from Medizin at http://medizinlv.com 

An Introduction to Common Cannabis Advertising Regulations

One cannot enter this space without being bombarded with information about laws, policies and cannabis advertising regulations. It’s undoubtedly the world’s most strictly regulated industry as it emerges from nearly a century of social and political banishment.

That being said, advertising and marketing cannabis stores and products is still an issue. Sometimes because advertising outlets still take a stigmatizing approach to working with cannabis businesses. Take Facebook, for example, which considers cannabis ads as promoting drug use and blocks paid campaigns on the platform. Other times, it’s due to local laws and limitations. Fortunately, it’s easy to adapt to new regulations as they’re released by state and municipality.

Advertising and marketing regulations will vary in each market. But, you can expect some variations of the following basic types of policies to apply in every legal state: 

Dispensaries

Most states or cities that allow medical or adult use cannabis dispensaries will set rules on how the outside of the shop can look. Regulations will dictate the zone of town your store can be in, and the signage on the outside. Dispensaries are also limited in where they can advertise their services – making it easy for the big dispensary listing websites to charge a pretty penny. 

Product

As the industry becomes more mainstream, it’s commonplace for regulators to control the inner and outer appearance of the cannabis infused products on your dispensary’s shelves. Legal cannabis markets do not allow edibles that look like any commercially marketed candy or food, to avoid confusion and copyright infringement that seems to run rampant in the space. There are other labeling requirements in place, and the dosage of edibles is almost always controlled. Companies will adapt to rules like these, or fade into irrelevancy. 

Airwaves

For now, cannabis advertising regulations affect the radio and TV due to federal regulations, though local networks have been known to run tasteful ads in several legal states. If you want to get your spot on the air, you have to do it with subtlety and professionalism. Don’t use degrading or stereotypical, cliche’d language in your ad – you’ll only ruin it for the rest of us who want to be taken seriously.


Want to work with serious pros who are up to speed on all the latest in digital marketing tactics and cannabis advertising regulations? Hire your own Social Media Unicorn today.

7 Points of Research & Evaluation for Cannabis Infused Product Brands

Selling cannabis infused products in the modern era is a big business game. Infused edible and topical brands must remain extremely current on the state of the industry in order to keep providing a viable product. Below are our key points to note when researching and re-evaluating your cannabis brand.

Your Competitor’s Branding

Looking at your competitors is how you figure out what you do and don’t want your brand to become. Pick apart their colors, branding, messaging, product design and packaging and decide how you will improve upon them. There’s absolutely no point in putting out a new product if it’s not going to be head and shoulders above its predecessor! 

Quality Sourcing

No matter what type of infused product you want to make, in this economy, ingredients are king. Cannabis consumers are among the world’s most health-conscious emerging demographics. That means they expect everything to be healthy, natural and on-point as possible – from the cannabis you extracted from, to the base and inactive ingredients that provide the ancillary user experience. In other words, few will want to buy a high fructose corn syrup-based cannabis beverage made with “trim run” concentrate, so source smart. 

Consumer Taste Trends

Think everyone likes sweets? Think again. Infused product brands that do well in the cannabis world are those that think outside the box and cater to eccentric or trendy tastes. Salty and savory brands are popping up with great success to counter the sugary cookies and brownies of old. Canna-butter is going by the wayside in favor of healthier cold-pressed infused coconut or olive oils. Time for you to find your product’s true niche in this market, rather than continue in the old way of thinking.

Dosage Demographics

Not every cannabis consumer wants a 100mg THC brownie – and realizing that is the first step to success on your infused product branding journey. When developing and new product or re-evaluating an existing one, it’s ideal to land your dosage somewhere in between your competitors. For example, if there are only a few cookies on the market and they are 25mg, 100mg, and 250mg respectively, then you should set out to create a 40mg version to offer consumers a unique and different option.

Product & Package Design

How many of your products can fit on a shelf? What does your packaging look like next to your competitor, or in a magazine spread? Does your labeling material or pigment scratch off easily? Would you rather be known as the eco-friendly tight packager, or provide luxurious box-and-padding to house your product? All of these are questions you should ask yourself as retail models and consumer desires in the cannabis industry change. 

Retailer Choice

One big part of infused product branding that many entrepreneurs neglect, is where the products are sold. If you have a luxury or high-end cannabis product, do you really want it on the shelves at a “mom and pop” shop in the industrial part of town? Rather, find dispensaries and delivery services who ascribe to the same values that you do. Developing these retailer relationships early on will bring long-term success, much better than short-term sales, and will keep you exposed to the same general customer demographics for years to come. 

Brand & Voice

You can bet that your product will attract fans as soon as it hits dispensary shelves. Part of developing an infused product brand is to form a distinct personality and voice for the company. That means deciding which age groups and lifestyles you’re going after. Once you’ve decided, you’ll be able to respond to comments and feedback in a professional manner, while building trust with your social media audience. Plus, you can naturally evolve this personality over the years as your target customers and products change. 

Are Expensive Listing Sites Worth It For Dispensaries?

If you’re a marijuana retailer, odds are you have been eyeing investments in some of the major dispensary listing sites for the industry. These websites allow dispensaries to literally put themselves on the map, establishing a “home base” online with detailed menus that can be browsed by consumers in the area – even on mobile devices.

It’s true that these listing databases get feet in the door of your dispensary. But at what cost? 

We’re diving into the world of high-priced listing services for dispensaries to help you determine what the ROI will be for your particular business. 

Worth the Hassle

If you’re wondering whether or not you should even spend time on these listing sites, the answer is yes. At the bare minimum you must have a basic-level listing on at least one of the major databases (Weedmaps or Leafly). This listing may cost you upwards of a few hundred dollars per month, which is a small price to pay for being exposed to thousands of locals per week. Otherwise, there are many smaller and more local listing sites, frequented by different demographics, that you might be able to try out for a cheaper price.

The real question, in this case, is how much business owners should invest in promotion on these channels based on the customer demographics they want to reach. 

Featured Listings

Want to be the top dispensary on your block? You’ll likely have to fork over some cash to the listing databases. The highest price for a featured listing is in the several thousand dollars.

How do you decide if it’s worth it to pay up? Ask your customers or patients how they heard about you on their member intake form. If you don’t seem to get a lot of referrals from your listings, and you need more foot traffic, it might be time to try it out. Or, if you notice that a certain competitor in your area is running promotions, it may be wise to try and outbid them for the popular spot on the local map. 

Other Perks

When choosing a listing service, make sure to consider all the benefits that the site has to offer, apart from the listing. Think of it this way – Leafly is home to one of the biggest educational cannabis blogs on the web. Some of their featured listing promotional packages may include some branded editorial content on the blog. That makes it a better buy than just a featured listing, because you are getting more long-term concrete value from the transaction. The blog post can be viewed and shared many times over on social media, even after your promotional campaign has ended. 


Looking to grow your dispensary’s marketing strategy past the confines of a map or listing? Social Media Unicorn can help. We’ll guide your budget and your social media marketing to optimize how your listings work for you.

Nevada Cannabis Event Basics

Nevada cannabis event basics are important for all cannabis brands to be aware of. Nevada is arguably the most regulated cannabis market in the world, so common practices that have worked in other markets will get you on the wrong side of compliance here. For example: the common practice of “seshing” that happens in California, where brands provide free samples of products to industry influencers at events is absolutely banned here. Instead, the state of Nevada requires that all patients go to a licensed dispensary to purchase their samples for at least .01. Discounting the product is not an issue, but going around the state portal’s dispensary system is a major compliancy issue. 

Safety needs to be top of mind any time you are combining consumers with cannabis, so making sure that you encourage everyone coming to your event to use third party transportation is key. We encourage all of our guests at industry events to use Lyft, taxis, or to have a designated driver. As cannabis advocates, we know that our actions make an impact on how non consumers view cannabis consumers. All it would take is a horrible car accident with a driver high on cannabis and it reflects poorly on our entire Nevada cannabis community. Nevada cannabis event basics require that you have a safety plan in mind to keep all of your guests safe. 

In Nevada the local cannabis community is incredibly supportive. You will find that by reaching out to local photographers, venues, and community organizations they will be happy to support your event. We work with The Kush Lounge Las Vegas and Dope Foto on our events. They are leaders in the Las Vegas cannabis community, which helps us to conquer any challenges we may face. Make sure that if you are planning a cannabis event you master these Nevada cannabis event basics. Reach out if our team of unicorns can help you! 

Social Media Unicorn is the cannabis industry’s premier marketing and sales agency. We help cannabis brands to connect to cannabis consumers and the cannabis communities where they are based. Give our founding unicorn a call to talk about how we can help you! Krista 702-812-6555 or

 

Nevada Marijuana Week IS ALMOST HERE!

mjbizconfexpologo

 

In the cannabis industry, we have two annual events that we consider our “Superbowls”. In other words, these two events are the holy grail of weed holidays. The first is 4/20 for obvious reasons. The second is what’s known as Nevada Marijuana Week in November. If you’re already planning to attend or you happen to be in Vegas next week, you’re in for a treat.

Centered around The Marijuana Business Conference & Expo, THE biggest players in the space will be circulating between the conference and the happening after-parties.

Want to make sure you don’t miss anything? Or just trying to get a grasp on what you can attend and where? We’ve listed all the possibilities below.

See you there!

 

The 5th Annual Marijuana Business Conference & Expo :

November 14-16: The Arcview Group conference for Marijuana investors will be at the M Resort. Info.

November 15th: Waters 3rd Symposium on Extraction & Analytical Testing. Mandarin Oriental. 11:30 am. Info.

November 15th-16th: World of Cannabis. Science & Medicine. Palms Hotel. 1 pm. Info.

November 16th: Ata Gonzalez, CEO of GFarma, Jeffrey Friedland, Investment Banker/Intiva & Marco Hoffman, CEO, Venice Cookie Co/Evergreen Herbal. TBA.11:30 am. Info.

November 17th: “Question 2: Now What” Leslie Bocskor, Andrew Jolley & more. TBA. 11:30 am. Info.

November 17th: The Jack Herer Cup Awards, Party & musical guests: Baby Bash & Friends. 8:30 pm. Info.

November 17th: Women Grow & GreenspoonMarder Cocktail party. 51st floor-Rio Hotel. 4:20 pm. Info.

November 18th: Jim Marty, CPA; Steve Martin, CPA & Fellow CPAs on Taxes/planning. TBA. 11:30 am. Info.

November 16th-18th: The Annual Marijuana Business Conference & Expo returns. RIO Hotel Info.

More Events & Info:

Jeffrey Friedland, CEO of Intiva Extraction to Speak

Jeffrey Friedland, investment banker & CEO of Intiva Extraction Systems, will be speaking, Wed, Nov 16th at the LVMMA luncheon. Info.

Patrick Devlin, Co-Founder of Zoots to Speak

Patrick Devlin is co-founder and VP of Marketing and Brand Development for Db3 Incorporated, the manufacturer of ZootsPremium Cannabis Infusions which he started with his brothers, Michael and Dan. With over 35 years of experience in product branding and marketing specializing in startups, Patrick, together with his brothers, has made Zoots one of the top edible brands in Washington State. Wed, Nov 16th.11:30 am. Info.

Ata Gonzalez, Founder of GFarma to Speak

Ata Gonzalez & his wife, Nicole, have built GFaram Labs into a ” Leader of the American Cannabis Revolution”. Their goal is to set the standard for the industry. The company has numerous products – vape pens, chocolates, oil, injectors, drinks & other products. GFarma plans to build the largest commercial cannabis farm in the country. Its THC-infused chocolate won the Cannabis Cup for best edibles in 2014. Wed, Nov 16th. Gold Coast Hotel 2nd floor. 11:30 am. Info.

Marco Hoffman, Co-Founder of Venice Cookie Company & Evergreen Herbal to Speak

Marco Hoffman, CEO & Co-Founder of Venice Cookie Company & Evergreen Herbal.  Marco has been working in the cannabis industry since 2008. Evergreen Herbal is regarded as the best edibles company in the State of Washington.

Wed, Nov 16th. Gold Coast -2nd Flr. 11:30 am. Info.

Intiva Extraction to Finance Machines – Meet MJ Week

During Marijuana Week (Nov 16th thru 18th) Intiva will meet with companies to discuss their Lease-to-Own Program for their Supercritical CO2 Extraction . Call 970-389-0369. Link.