2021 Year in Review: The Highs and Lows of Brand Building in the New Era of Cannabis

The new era of cannabis will be driven by data.

This statement is not just a catchy tagline. It also describes the natural progression of a dynamic, diverse industry with unlimited growth potential.

In recent history, we’ve witnessed dramatic shifts in consumer behavior. The disruptions caused by Covid, the evolution of cannabis from illegal to “essential”, and the dismantling of stigmas have all contributed to a transformation of consumers’ relationships with cannabis. As a consumer insights firm, we’ve had the privilege of observing and measuring these monumental changes. Why not take a moment to pause and reflect on the experiences of 2021? This is by no means an exhaustive list of everything that happened in cannabis in 2021, but rather, just a few highlights related to marketing, branding, canna-business and of course, consumer data and insights.

To read our recap of 2020, check out this Ganjapreneur article – What we learned about cannabis consumers during the weirdest year ever.

State markets to watch in 2022

First up, the legal landscape looked a lot different in 2021. In 2020, we saw perceptions of cannabis shift dramatically when dispensaries were deemed essential businesses. In 2021, the momentum continued. A whopping 5 new states came online for adult use in 2021. The most exciting markets we’re watching closely in 2022 include New York, which some say could become the largest U.S. state market. Colorado continues to break sales records and is home to dozens of innovative brands. Of course, we can’t overlook our home state of California, which is developing a robust tourist destination with spas, cannabis agricultural tours and cannabis-friendly lodging.

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The Benefits of Hiring a Partner to Gather Cannabis Consumer Data in Colorado

If you’re reading this, you probably already operate a cannabis business in Colorado or you are considering investing in one.

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Can a Cannabis Market Research Company in California Guide Strategy?

The national cannabis market is on the upswing, and in recent years several states have passed legislation…

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Bud and Booze Sign a Truce

After months of marketing campaigns deriding the effects of alcohol and promoting cannabis as a healthy alternative, Hollywood’s favorite beverage brand, Cann, ended their unofficial war on booze by launching a series of partnerships with alcohol brands. The topic of hangovers was notably absent in Cann’s 2021 holiday ad, featuring Kate Hudson and Kate Hudson’s vodka brand King St.

Why the sudden change?

ISA’s study of beverage consumers from 2021 revealed that consumers are not necessarily looking for an alcohol replacement, and 40% of cannabis beverage consumers say that when they drink cannabis, they’re also drinking alcohol. If you’re a cannabis beverage brand, it makes sense to pivot away from a marketing strategy that could potentially alienate 40% of the market.

Anti-alcohol rhetoric is so 2020.

Celebrities Crowd into the Cannabis
Market - Consumers yawn

Speaking of celebrities…

Seth Rogan, Justin Bieber, Pitbull, DJ Khaled, Lil Kim, Ice Cube, Melissa Etheridge, Drake, Bella Thorne – this is only a partial list of the celebrities who announced their foray into cannabis in 2021. It’s obvious that some partnerships between brands and celebs are a natural fit, and the wave of celebrity entrants is a good indicator of growing cultural acceptance. For most consumers, however, it’s just adding to the clutter. This Twitter user is over it.

How many consumers share this guy’s opinion? A lot. Last year we partnered with mg Magazine to understand the luxury cannabis market and how consumers define luxury for cannabis products. We asked 1,000 cannabis consumers to rate how important a celebrity endorsement is for them when evaluating products. The majority (56%) said it’s of little importance or not important at all.

Read the Article

Clubhouse opens to the public

Marketing professionals have limited options when it comes to promoting cannabis online. Facebook and Instagram are famous for shutting down accounts, often without so much as an explanation. LinkedIn is cannabis-friendly, but the business-forward platform can be a turn off for those who appreciate the subversive, counter-culture characteristics of the industry.

Enter Clubhouse. In 2021, the censorship-free audio-based networking app exploded in popularity and cannabis entrepreneurs found a safe space to promote their products, discuss business, and network.

Learn More about Clubhouse and Cannabis

Cannabis in the Metaverse (Cannaverse?)

In December of 2021, Higher Life CBD grabbed headlines with a promotion that allowed customers to browse and buy cannabis products in the metaverse and then have it delivered to their real-world homes.

Some say it will take years or even decades for the metaverse to reach a point of critical mass, where it really takes off and regular people start to spend their free time shopping, socializing, and gaming on the new platform. However, cannabis people are not regular people. The words pioneer, subculture, experimental and “not risk averse” come to mind. It stands to reason that the same group that was first in line to seize opportunities in cannabis will also be early entrants in the digital “Wild, Wild West.” The cannabis business leaders who survived and thrived through Prohibition, constantly shifting regulations, natural disasters, supply chain issues and a global pandemic are battle-tested, and well poised to gamble on a new platform and win. Also, they know how to throw a party, so there’s that.

The Birth of Weed Week

Speaking of industry gatherings, 2021 also brought us the return of live, in-person cannabis networking events. After canceling their live event in 2020 (along with the rest of the world) MJBiz Con triumphantly returned to the Las Vegas strip in 2021 for their 10th annual show. This time there was something different. A new event called MJ Unpacked opened up down the street and kicked off the same day that MJBiz Con wrapped up. MJ Unpacked caters exclusively to brands and retailers. Ancillary businesses are not allowed. Is the fragmenting of events a cause for alarm or a natural progression? Some say the addition of MJ Unpacked means we can now look forward to a yearly mega event in Las Vegas – unofficially dubbed Weed Week. See what industry insiders are saying about Weed Week.

Insights Take Center Stage

In the early stages of development as an industry, consumer preferences were often over-looked in the rush to bring products to market. There was a sense that any product would sell, and any product could make it onto retail shelves. Fast forward to 2022 – brands are more deliberate with their planning and attentive to their brand and what it represents. Specific, core audiences and usage occasions are no longer an afterthought in product development and marketing strategies.

In 2021, we saw more leaders embrace the need for insights and level-up their investment in research.

Related article:

There’s still a long way to go before cannabis catches up with major national brands, in terms of analyzing their customers’ behavior to uncover market opportunities. With federal legalization on the horizon, and further consolidation, it’s quickly becoming too risky to ignore fundamental questions related to brand health.

In 2022, more organizations will need to answer questions such as…

  • What are our customers experiencing when they use our products/ visit our locations?
  • How loyal are our current customers?
  • Why have our lapsed customers moved on?
  • How does our product address consumers’ underlying emotional needs?
  • Are we optimizing the use of our customer data?
  • Which product types or new state markets represent the greatest opportunities with minimal risk?
  • How do we stay in front of trends?
  • How can we create a customer feedback loop that informs new product development and/or helps us improve our current offering?

If any of these questions are on your to-do list for 2022, get in touch.

SoapBoxSample Announces Exciting Partnership with WeedWeek

Industry leaders collaborate to provide research and insights in the cannabis space

WeedWeek, the go-to media company for diverse cannabis news, announced a collaborative partnership with market research firm, SoapBoxSample, creating a council consisting of thought leaders and influencers in the cannabis space. The council will provide insight into the fast-evolving landscape allowing followers to keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry.

SoapBoxSample continues to expand its leadership and position within the cannabis space not only as a research provider, but as a collaborative influencer for brands, ancillary businesses and anyone looking to grow and build a cannabis business or brand.

“It’s so exciting working in a space driven by belief and passion. The opportunity to help businesses survive and thrive in such an explosive industry is not only fulfilling, but exhilarating.” said SoapBoxSample COO,  Jacqueline Rosales. “Every day is something new – a new challenge and a new opportunity. It’s exciting to see the immediate impact of our work helping clients.”

WeedWeek and SoapBoxSample came together on the heels of NECANN, the largest Cannabis Convention on the East Coast with more than 100 speakers, 300 exhibitors and approximately 10,000 attendees. Jacqueline Rosales’ session entitled, “When Patients Become Customers: How Understanding Consumer Types Can Help Your Cannabis Business Survive the Green Rush”, explained how business owners and decision makers can better understand consumer needs and wants through the use of research.

The WeedWeek Council’s responses and ideas will appear in a dedicated section of the WeedWeek newsletter. The council will be comprised of 25-30 people from various backgrounds and expertise in the green space and members are selected based on a competitive application process.

WeedWeek was founded in 2015 by Alex Halperin when he saw a need for a media company covering the many facets of the cannabis industry. Helperin, a successful journalist who has written for Washington Post, LA Times, Huff Post, Hightimes and Business Insider also runs ReCharge Events as well as a podcast. WeedWeek covers politics, law, culture, health and business as they relate to cannabis.

“WeedWeek Council is an exciting new way WeedWeek will share exclusive insights on the green rush with our thousands of readers,” said Alex Halperin.

SoapBoxSample has been actively conducting cannabis research since 2016 and continues to expand its offerings. Most recently, SoapBoxSample launched the CANNApinon poll, a national bi-weekly survey of cannabis consumers whose insights enable industry-specific details on consumer needs and wants for dispensaries, growers, media companies, food and beverage producers, distributors, and the cannabis beauty industry.

WeedWeek and SoapBoxSample are now accepting applications for membership to the WeekWeed Council. For information on how to join, click here.

To learn more about SoapBoxSample’s cannabis offering, visit SoapBoxSample.com/cannabis

About WeedWeek: Founded by award winning journalist Alex Halperin, WeedWeek’s free newsletters aggregate the latest developments in cannabis politics, business, health and science, law and culture. And the podcast features interviews with the most interesting voices in the space. Smart, credible and free, WeedWeek is the best way to keep up with the green rush. Subscribe at WeedWeek.net.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

SoapBoxSample Launches the CANNApinion Poll — A Cannabis Consumer Feedback Offering

To meet the growing needs of cannabis businesses, SoapBoxSample launches bi-monthly poll of cannabis consumers

SoapBoxSample announces its newest research solution for cannabis businesses, the CANNApinion Poll. With the rapid growth of the cannabis marketplace nationwide, brands need reliable consumer feedback to thrive in a crowded market. The CANNApinion Poll meets this need by providing a platform for the cannabis industry to ask their target audience relevant questions, allowing them to discover emerging  trends and areas of growth opportunity.

“As we’ve seen with other emerging industries, the brands who understand consumer segments and how to market to them are the ones who will become legacy brands. The CANNApinion Poll is a way for brands to gain direct access to their target market, and understand the why behind consumer purchasing habits,” said Jacqueline Rosales, SoapBoxSample COO.

Market experts predict that cannabis brands will soon compete for finite retail space in prime locations. Dispensaries and delivery services will be forced to make choices about their inventory. The CANNApinion Poll will help brands respond quickly to the needs of their customers, ensuring that their products are the ones that stay on the shelves.

A new wave of the CANNApinion Poll runs every two weeks to allow clients to get timely answers to their most urgent business questions. With each new wave, clients are given the opportunity to submit questions as they look to gain actionable insights into growing pains and growth barriers that are present within the cannabis consumer experience. Each wave consists of 8-10 questions to ensure cannabis consumers are actively engaged within the poll and contribute robust data. Clients can submit multiple choice questions, open-ended questions, and display product images or videos.

The CANNApinion Poll is the first cannabis-specific service within SoapBoxSample’s portfolio of products. SoapBoxSample is an early thought leader embracing the cannabis space, and has been actively conducting cannabis research since 2016. Clients rely on SoapBoxSample to develop new products, crowdsource ideas, test ads and branding, test products and concepts, track consumer habits online, and gather in-the-moment feedback.

Emerging Thought Leadership from USCC Reveals Urgent Need for Consumer Research in the Cannabis Space

SoapBoxSample Announces the Launch of a New Cannabis Consumer Research Service

As competition heats up in the cannabis market, what factors will determine whether brands can survive “the green rush”?  One clear takeaway emerged from thought leaders at the US Cannabis Conference (USCC) in Phoenix last week – know your customers; they may not be who you think they are.

Business owners, investors and experts gathered at the USCC for an event focused on the new era of cannabis. SoapBoxSample led a session in partnership with Jupiter Research and ProGrowTech titled, “Will You Survive the Green Rush?” The session focused on how consumer research can help companies get the right message to the right audience at the right time. At the start of the session, Jacqueline Rosales, SoapBoxSample COO, took questions from the audience that were sent out to respondents in real time, providing attendees with immediate feedback from real consumers.

SoapBoxSample presented data collected from cannabis consumers – much of what they uncovered contrasted with current assumptions. One example was the startling statistic that while 1/3 of cannabis consumers are purchasing in dispensaries, only 12% trust dispensary employees as a source of information about new products. Companies that distribute their products in dispensaries left the event with a clear directive that opportunities to educate consumers are being left on the table.

To demonstrate their commitment to cannabis research and their passion for the cannabis industry, SoapBoxSample announced the launch of their new product — a bi-weekly survey of cannabis consumers built around the research needs of growing cannabis businesses. Clients will be able to tap into a custom-built resource, ask questions, and access insights – all at a low cost.

Kaila Strong, Dir. of Marketing for Jupiter Research, a vaporizer technology company, urged business leaders to take a more conscious approach in their marketing. “This type of research is useful for product testing, product development, allocation of budget and also our own internal understanding,” said Kaila. “The golden rule of marketing is that you don’t assume that you are your consumer.”

Andrew Myers, CEO of ProGrowTech, a company that builds high-end lighting solutions for large-scale grow operations emphasized the importance of research for his company as they move into direct-to-consumer sales and unveil new products for 2019.

Brands that are able to gather feedback from their customers in order to improve their products and marketing are the ones that will survive and emerge as leaders in the industry. “People are invested in this space because they believe in it, and they’re passionate about it,” said Jacqueline Rosales.

Read Another Cannabis News Release – Age, Gender Play a Role in Cannabis Consumer Habits