Crafting a viral marketing campaign that generates national exposure for a brand launch is a dream goal for all businesses. How does a Cannabis company get free exposure from national platforms such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, TMZ, and others about the launch of their new brand?
Executing and delivering on that goal, or cracking the secret code requires a nearly impossible algorithm. Any marketer will share experiences and perspectives on ideas they were convinced would be a home run and hopefully go “viral”.
What MariMed accomplished last month is one of the best marketing efforts I have ever seen and here’s why:
MariMed is an MSO with strong east coast ties and was getting ready to release their new brand Bubby’s Baked. According to their website, they have grow operations in Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Nevada and dispensaries in Delaware, Illinois, and Massachusetts.
So how does a Cannabis company successfully introduce a new brand, raise awareness, and drive interest for the launch? Standard marketing strategies would include brand announcements through social media, press release distribution, influencer outreach, vendor days, and so on to generate buzz.
These coordinated efforts have their own challenges and can be capital intensive to deliver a strong CPM (Cost Per Million). While these efforts can certainly work, they don’t usually generate the type of national buzz that can have everyone talking about it like Marimed did.
Check out MariMed 850 Pound pot brownie.
This a monster size edible. Here is media title about the brownie. “A team of bakers in Massachusetts spent weeks planning how to create the grassy goodie, which measures 3 feet wide, 3 feet long and 15 inches tall and contains 20,000mg of THC”(3). They coordinated the announcement of the brand, the release of their massive brownie with National Brownie Day. We weren’t sure this day existed, so naturally we decided to
Google it. December 8th is in fact Brownie Day (2). Timing is also a critical factor to capitalize on potential momentum and ride the wave.
The next variable they correctly mastered was the Guinness book of world records. Society loves to see records broken even when we didn’t know that the previous largest brownie was a 234-pounder made by Alabama Something Sweet Bake Shop in 2013. And always because it’s cannabis-related; Guinness rejected the entry but the usefulness of the challenge of the record had already paid its dividends. How many operators saw this and went, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Here is a marketing tip, the best marketing approaches are the simplest ones. Would this edible work if it was a cake or a cookie?
We don’t believe so, because in my opinion, the relatability of the brownie is the attention to detail that separates these efforts from being popular and going viral. Most of us have personally tried, or know someone who has tried an infused brownie. When marketing connects previous emotional moments with shock and awe efforts, we can’t help ourselves.
Marimed isn’t the first to attempt this type of marketing “stunt”. In November Marijuana-themed sandwich shop Cheba Hut opted to keep it completely legal by sending a replica of Tesla-inspired Cybertruck made from made from Rice Krispies, with no cannabis in sight, to SpaceX near Brownsville, Texas. (4)
The national exposure Marimed received from this effort is worth thousands of dollars in ad value. What they were able to accomplish with 5 people, 20,000 mg of THC and one incredible photo will likely be one of the best performing marketing returns when evaluating Cost per Impression. Viral marketing stunts like this are never usually the first, but they combine all the correct factors at the correct time to get launched.
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