icanmakeitbetter Adds Game Changing New Features

icanmakeitbetter, a product of ISA, announced today new tools and features that will improve the way their clients gather feedback through their community insights platform. icanmakeitbetter now has a library of new functionalities, including behavioral science tools and
complex methodologies.

New Platform Functionality

  • Drag and Drop Ranking
  • Cardsort
  • Text Highlighter
  • Page Turner
  • Shopping Cart
  • Audio Player
  • Media Evaluator
  • MaxDiff
  • Conjoint
  • Algorithm/Segmentation
  • Advanced Skip/Conditional Logic
  • Advanced Randomization Logic
  • Advanced Question Styling Capabilities

Behavioral Science

  • Emotional Complex
  • IBID
  • Habit Illumination
  • IMM
  • BASE-IC
  • Prime Message Testing
  • Rapid Choice
  • Iconic Assets

“These advancements allow our clients to conduct more robust, diverse and integrated research on our icanmakeitbetter platform,” explained Jennifer Holland, AVP, Growth & Account Management. “The addition of behavioral science methodologies is a game changer in the community space, and we’re excited for this launch that will provide our clients with valuable customer feedback.”

Headset Broadens Premier Data Services by Partnering with Consumer Research Group, ISA

Introduction of qualitative research methods to create a holistic data ecosystem

Headset, the leading provider of data and analytics to the cannabis industry, today announced its partnership with ISA, a Material Company. The partnership enables Headset to create a more holistic data ecosystem that will solidify its position as the leader in cannabis market intelligence.

 

ISA introduces a new channel of data collection to Headset’s existing services through the use of qualitative research methods such as the CANNApinion Poll and The Green Time. The CANNApinion Poll is a bi-monthly online survey that measures the product preferences, purchasing habits and lifestyle trends of 1,000 US cannabis consumers. The Green Time is a cannabis-focused research community, created to gather open and honest feedback from its members about cannabis products and services. The qualitative insights produced through this partnership will help producers, retailers and manufacturers improve product development and innovation. ISA’s qualitative data collection methods add another dynamic to Headset’s expansive suite of analytic resources that clients can use to enhance their place of business and improve client experience.

“In today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, businesses must utilize all the tools available to adapt to consumer habits and preferences,” said Cy Scott, Founder and CEO of Headset. “We are thrilled to announce this partnership with ISA because it will provide a more holistic data service that will help our clients keep up with their customer’s changing habits and industry trends. ISA’s expertise in measuring these trends and changing preferences will be an asset in our partnership and we are excited to see how their work will benefit our clients.”

ISA is a dynamic platform powering brands with data-fueled insights to thrive in a fast-paced, evolved market. The company’s best-in-class cannabis research division has a unique perspective built on years of combined experience in consumer market research. Their diverse array of methodologies provides industry insights that allow clients to make real-world adjustments to connect with the consumers who propel the industry to new heights.

“We are proud to work alongside a company like Headset that is willing to push boundaries and explore new ways in which the cannabis industry can improve,” said Jennifer Holland, AVP of Growth & Account Management. “Pooling our knowledge of consumer trends and habits will allow us to create a holistic data ecosystem that will benefit operators and consumers alike. This is an exciting opportunity for all parties involved and we look forward to seeing how our partnership evolves alongside this dynamic, fast-paced industry.”

ISA’s Cannabis Division Leader Will Moderate Upcoming Web3 Event, Hosted by The Arcview Group

Adriana Hemans will moderate a panel on crypto and cannabis, merging expertise across multiple high-growth categories

 

July 12, 2022, Los Angeles, CA — ISA, a Los-Angeles-based insights firm, announced a collaborative partnership today with Arcview Investment Group, a global leader in cannabis consulting and investment services. Together with Arcview, the head of ISA’s Cannabis Research Division will moderate a virtual event focused on crypto and cannabis.

Adriana Hemans, Vice President of Growth at ISA, will moderate an upcoming live event, hosted by Sarah Falvo, Managing Director of Business Development at Arcview Consulting. “Web3 and Weed – What Are the Opportunities and What to Avoid” will go live on July 14, 2022, at 1 PM PDT. If you’re looking for a better understanding of web3 in the context of your cannabis endeavors, we encourage you to join this truly insightful panel of experts in both spaces by registering here.

Sarah and Adriana will be joined by these amazing speakers:

  • Mary Pryor, Co-Founder of Cannaclusive
  • Liz Wald, Co-Founder of thric3
  • Jarrett Sherman, President & Founder of Fuzerly
  • Liz Udell, Director of Social Media

The audience, comprised of senior business leaders, service providers, entrepreneurs, and investors, will learn about the potential impact of these two disruptive industries colliding.

“We’re seeing so much excitement about the enormous growth opportunities resulting from the intersection of crypto and cannabis. I’m thrilled to be moderating this discussion with a group of speakers I admire greatly – experts in cannabis, marketing and community-building who will help shape the future of these industries,” Adriana stated on the upcoming event.

About The Arcview Group

The Arcview Group blazed the trail for cannabis investments and is the largest and 1st vertically integrated firm servicing the industry. As a trusted global leader and nexus for investors, companies, entrepreneurs, money-managers and community, Arcview provides an expansive ecosystem that delivers a broad spectrum of programs and services to the industry. Arcview is synonymous with best-in-class. By providing the tools necessary and curating top-notch cannabis companies, Investor Members have had the playbook that has enabled them to invest hundreds of millions in more than 300 private cannabis startups. For more information, please visit www.arcviewgroup.com.

About ISA

ISA has emerged as an early leader in Web3 insights, having already partnered with multiple Fortune 500 brands to provide data, insights, and strategic consultation, allowing them to achieve rapid and sustained growth in Web3. The ISA Group is among the first research firms, if not the first, to pay incentives to respondents in cryptocurrency, as well as among the first to conduct focus groups on Clubhouse. To learn more, visit www.isacorp.com.

Meet Our Web3 Team

ISA onboarded a team of Web3 experts to support clients’ growing need for insights and data related to the $25 billion dollar industry. Jacqueline Rosales, President of ISA, has partnered with clients on projects in entertainment and gaming, bringing her passion for technological innovation and sharing her vision for the possibilities of Web3. To support the expansion of ISA’s Web3 division, four experts: Garry Liu, Garrett Hand, Hugh Benjamin, and Craig Wilson have joined the team.

Making an Impact on the Industry

We continue to dive into Web3 and cannabis by hosting groundbreaking events. These events are a forum for those who want to learn more about the cannabis and web3 to gain more insights. It is also a place for us to come together and speak to those who are driving the industry forward. Our Web3 events are hosted on Twitter Spaces every Tuesday and our CANNAfact Friday Live is hosted on LinkedIn Live. For these events, we invite knowledgeable speakers that have been making their mark in the industry to come and share their experience and expertise.

Find more G2M Web3 strategy information here.

You can learn more ways to gain cannabis insights here.

Jacqueline Rosales, ISA President, to Present on How Web3 Will Transform the Insights Industry at SampleCon 2022

Jacqueline Rosales, President of Los Angeles-based Insights firm ISA, will be taking the SampleCon main stage once again, this time speaking about the multitude of ways that web3 technologies will revolutionize the insights industry. SampleCon, the only industry event dedicated to market research sampling, will be hosted in Pasadena at the Langham Hotel, May 16-18, 2022. Jacqueline will be speaking on May 17 and sharing her perspective with senior leaders about why the sample industry needs to be embracing the Web3 movement.

“In my 25 plus years in the Insights space, I have always been enthusiastic about being the first to enter emerging markets and seize new opportunities,” said Jacqueline Rosales. “With more Fortune 500 companies diving in to Web3 daily, we need to understand that if the insights industry is unable to adapt to emerging technologies, they will be left behind.”

The May 17 presentation, titled, “We’re Not Early, We’re Late: Why the Sample Industry Needs to Embrace Web3 Today”, is one of Jacqueline’s many recent public appearances centered around the topic of web3. She will be joined on stage by Craig Obligacion Wilson, Unigrid’s “utility knife”, who runs their community, writes their blog and acts as the North American face of the company. Unigrid is a decentralized cloud service building towards revolutionizing the web by sharding the internet. Jacqueline was recently featured on Unigrid’s “The Future of Web3 in Corporate America” panel. She was also featured panelist on the “Exploring Revolutionary Tech” panel at the NewFriendshipTech convention, an invitation-only event that ran parallel to NFT LA in March 2022.

Jacqueline, a serial entrepreneur and sought-after thought leader, spearheaded the web3-focused insights practice at ISA. In March of 2022, ISA announced the official launch of their web3-focused insights division and the addition of two subject matter experts to the team, Garret Hand and Garry Liu. To learn more about the web3 team at ISA visit: https://isacorp.com/web3/

SampleCon was launched in 2013 with a goal of creating an open forum for discussion of topics in the sample industry – becoming the first convention with a sample industry focus. The conference has grown exponentially since its beginning but continues to provide the opportunity for leaders across the sample industry to gather, network, share and debate industry challenges and successes in a collaborative environment. ISA was one of the original founding members of SampleCon.

In addition to Jacqueline, ISA will be represented at SampleCon by Dan Parcon, VP of Sample Services, Jeff Spitzer, Senior Director of Sample Services, and Ruvin Spivak, Assoc. VP, General Counsel – Material. If you are interested in meeting with any of the ISA team members during SampleCon, contact gbuffolino@isacorp.com

ISA Announces Launch of Web3-Focused Insights Division and Expanded Team to Support

ISA onboards a team of Web3 experts to support clients’ go-to-market strategies.

Insights firm ISA announced today that the company is launching a Web3-focused division, to support client’s growing needs for insights and data related to the $25 billion dollar industry.

ISA has emerged as an early leader in Web3 insights, having already partnered with multiple Fortune 500 brands to provide data, insights, and strategic consultation, allowing them to achieve rapid and sustained growth in Web3. The ISA Group is among the first research firms, if not the first, to pay incentives to respondents in cryptocurrency, as well as among the first to conduct focus groups on Clubhouse. For those who want to connect with The ISA Group, members of the Web3 team will be attending NFT|LA, March 28-31.

“Over our forty-year history as a company we have built a reputation for helping clients successfully adapt to disrupted markets and seize new opportunities,” said Jacqueline Rosales, President of ISA. “We offer access to key audiences – consumers, collectors and creators – expert consulting and innovative approaches other insights firms don’t have. We understand that brands who don’t evolve and expand their legacies in the Web3 space, are at risk of getting left behind.”

Rosales herself is partnering with clients on projects in entertainment and gaming, bringing her passion for technological innovation and sharing her vision for the possibilities of Web3. She is confident that research and insights can drive key outcomes for brands. To support the expansion of ISA’s Web3 division, two experts:  Garry Liu and Garrett Hand, have joined the team.

Garry Liu is a bi-lingual, restless reinventor who has translated his work experience in the creator economy into a community-centric focus on the NFT and crypto space. He has a passion for cultivating self-sufficient communities and building trust through sincere community outreach. Garry has utilized his knowledge and passion to educate creators and corporations on how to enter and navigate the Web3 space. 

As a current full time NFT and crypto currency investor, Garrett Hand brings insight and creativity from thousands of hours studying the blockchain. Having made the majority of his recent income through the NFT and crypto space, he has been able to bridge the knowledge of a full-time investor to a part time advisor and consultant for up-and-coming projects in the space. Garrett has helped creators access the best utilities and strategies to innovate NFT projects.

 

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 articleWhat 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.

Related articles

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.

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…

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.

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.