Grasslands celebrated its eighth anniversary at MJBizCon 2024 in Las Vegas and Ricardo Baca, the cannabis PR agency's founder and CEO, loves the industry, but says the state of B2B cannabis marketing has been weakened by detrimental industry polices. For example, the 280E tax code that doesn't allow cannabis businesses to deduct traditional business expenses. Baca says such prohibitive policies annihilate everything downstream, including advertising and marketing. He says plant-touching businesses are getting "screwed," because they don't have the extra capital to invest with B2B partners, like equipment manufacturers who are vital for operators to properly scale. However, Baca believes the industry is on the precipice of potentially historic drug reform.
Still, Baca, who was a journalist for some 24 years before starting Grasslands, says the best type of marketing — and the only way to have to have an effective marketing program — is to approach it from an integrated perspective that uses one message across many channels. He says businesses must stay true to that message across earned, owned and paid media. "What is a strategy if it's not a road map?" Baca asks.
He says cannabis operators need a strategic start to every integrated marketing campaign, targeting immediate needs, but these programs should be modified every three-to-six months to make sure they evolve with your goals.
The Cannabis Equipment News (CEN) team recently traveled to MJBizCon 2024 in Las Vegas from December 4 through December 6. At the show, we interviewed leaders from nearly every aspect of the industry. We didn't have time to interview everybody, so if we missed you, please reach out to [email protected]. MJBizCon 2025 is scheduled to be held from December 2, 2025, through December 5, 2025, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
