What can Cannabis Companies learn from Cannabrand’s gaffe

The New York Times, The Cannabist, Cannabis Now Magazine, and Alternet have been among the many news outlets to cover the rise in demand for marijuana marketing services. Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists alike have come from industries that span every facet of current commerce. These people understand that Coca Cola would not be the staple American summer drink without some exceptional marketing efforts. They understand that customers aren't lining up in the freezing cold for a plastic device, they're waiting for an Apple product. Setting your brand apart can communicate it's inherent quality before a consumer has ever had a chance to experience it for themselves.

Annoté is in the business of making your products stand out amongst the rest for being the best, for being appropriately dressed, for showcasing their quality before you've even had a chance to partake or purchase. But we have the same amount off respect for any "stoner" as we do any "professional smoker." It was wrong for Cannabrand to condemn this niche, and the industry as a whole. It was despicable to compare reputable, locally owned businesses to seedy, underground abortion clinics. As a fellow agency in this new marijuana marketing realm, we would like to apologize on behalf of our advertising peers. Such harsh and unfair labeling has not done the cannabis community any favors in the past and as we move forward, Annoté would like to encourage everyone to convey the best image possible, for the good of everyone. You don't have to wear a bow tie (though we have a few we could spare) to make a positive impact on the world and market around you. We welcome Stoners and Suits, alike.

Can a brand succeed in a marketplace riddled with "stoner stigmas"? There is no question that canna brands can. Should someone compare your business to an unpleasant topic of conversation, Annoté will be there to dress up the wound and heal the hurt caused to the cannabis image. We champion the decisions of Mindful CEO Meg Sanders and hope that she finds better representation elsewhere, wherever that may be.

Year to date, we've seen an unprecedented acceleration in the American cannabis industry. We've watched two states successfully establish and sustain recreational policies, expanded patient medical access to more than half of the country, and even seen established elected officials such as President Obama and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel come out in favor of legislative changes. What we have also seen is a mainstream recognition and fascination with this budding industry and its ancillaries.

Of these ancillaries, the advertising industry has been one to take a slower approach to grasping this newly regulated marketplace. Traditional media powerhouses like Leo Burnett and Ogilvy & Mather have yet to open their doors to cannabis companies, and boutique agencies are beginning to take note. As we've seen through other regulated industries, raw product only goes so far. Understanding your market and how you stack up against your competitors is crucial, and so is having a recognizable brand.

In an industry where not everyone can legally access cannabis, this is important. This is how Dixie Elixirs and Cheeba Chews became household names in the mouths of cannabis enthusiasts, regardless of locale. As trained marketers and advertisers who've embraced the cannabis movement for some time, we noticed this trend and took the initiative to found an agency that "filled a hole in the industry that the mainstream business sector has yet to touch."

We aren't spending our time insulting our target market or our current clientele in various press stunts. We aren't focused on "weeding" anyone out. For an agency communicating best practices for discussing cannabis going forwards, it seems the publicist at Cannabrand might have missed the most important aspect of this industry: the cannabis community accepts all; from "stoners" to serial entrepreneurs, grassroots hippies to senators and presidents. In a July interview with Cannabis Now, we went on record to say that the industry will have room for every niche and should have resources available for both Smokey Caps and Rodawg company images without believing one is better than the other. So why would any agency condemn a group of their target market?

Annoté has approached every aspect of our business model with the belief that there is room for everyone in the cannabis industry. We have a very tailored, distinct way of offering our services. We believe that there is a need for an upscale, dressed up approach to this industry. Something that differentiates itself from it's more stereotypical aspects. But differentiation and exclusion are very different business practices.

Grow the industry, don't weed it out.