Breaking the Cannabis Marketing Stigma: Strategies for Growth and Customer Engagement

Joe Becker is the Director of Marketing at Stash Ventures, LLC, a vertically integrated cannabis company. In his role, he develops and executes strategic marketing initiatives for brands, including High Minded Cannabis and Timber and Cloud dispensaries. Joe has over 25 years of experience in creative design, marketing, and branding. Before Stash Ventures, he held roles such as Vice President of Marketing for Marolina Outdoor and Creative Director at Wolverine Worldwide and Carhartt Apparel.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
• [0:00] Intro
• [1:02] Joe Becker’s career arc from graphic design to cannabis marketing
• [7:17] What differentiates Stash Ventures from other cannabis brands?
• [10:03] Cannabis industry stigmas and digital marketing limitations
• [18:46] Joe talks about various cannabis personas and cultural perceptions
• [22:29] Building a unified brand versus managing a portfolio of brands
• [25:22] How to measure your marketing strategies
• [30:26] Strategies for forecasting emerging trends and regulatory shifts in cannabis marketing

In this episode…
With strict regulations and social and cultural barriers, marketing in the cannabis industry is challenging. Traditional digital advertising is limited, forcing brands to find alternative ways to engage customers and build brand awareness. How can cannabis companies market their products effectively while navigating these restrictions?

As the marketing director for a cannabis-focused company, Joe Becker understands the complexities of marketing in this space. Since platforms like Meta restrict cannabis-related ads, Joe and his team focus on word-of-mouth strategies, in-store experiences, and LinkedIn advertising. He also leverages mobile apps and loyalty programs to engage customers directly, encouraging push notification opt-ins and digital ordering to drive repeat purchases. By focusing on consumer education and premium retail experiences, companies can normalize cannabis use and attract new demographics seeking alternatives to alcohol.

Join Samir Balwani in this episode of Chief Advertiser as he interviews Joe Becker, the Director of Marketing at Stash Ventures, LLC, about brand differentiation in cannabis marketing. Joe explains how to balance a portfolio of brands while building a unified brand, how he forecasts emerging trends and regulatory shifts in cannabis marketing, and how to measure performance for your marketing efforts.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Joe Becker on LinkedIn:   / josephnbecker  
Joe Becker on Instagram:   / avgjoe.co  
Stash Ventures: https://stashventures.com/
Timber Cannabis Co: https://timbercannabisco.com/
Timber Cannabis Co on Instagram:   / timber_canna  
Cloud Cannabis: https://cloudcannabis.com/
Build A Culture of Good: Unleash Results by Letting Your Employees Bring Their Soul to Work by Scott Moorehead, Ryan McCarty, and Marshall Goldsmith: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Culture-...