Depending on where you live, there’s a good chance that cannabis in some form is legal. Whether you’re in a state where recreational consumption is allowed, like Colorado or Washington, or someplace like Arizona where only patients with medical prescriptions are able to partake, it’s likely you’re hearing talk of the “Green Rush” and you’re wondering how you can get in on it.
I started a marketing and content creation company focused exclusively on cannabis in Portland, Oregon in 2017, and I can promise you the talk of a “Green Rush” is sadly exaggerated. But there is money to be made, if you know where to look, and I’m here today to offer some advice and pointers for anyone interested in breaking into the cannabis market as a content creator.
Know the lingo
First of all, you may notice a lot of people using the name cannabis rather than marijuana. That’s because use of the latter term is frowned upon due to its questionable racist origins. Industry professionals today prefer cannabis, though you’ll also hear a lot of people referring to it informally as weed or ganja. This is one part of the overall effort of cannabis companies trying to transform the way people think of their product.
With that in mind, most cannabis business owners will frown upon anyone who pitches them a brand concept that leans heavily into stereotypical stoner culture. There’s a big movement in the industry to promote normalization; the idea that cannabis consumption isn’t just for lazy gamers and burnt out college students, but a healthier, less addictive alternative to alcohol that can be enjoyed by everyone from elite athletes to successful business people to parents with young kids.
It pays to remember this when pitching potential clients. If your concept for their branding involves a bunch of bros with the late night munchies, Cheech and Chong gags, or a Snoop Dogg look-alike, it’s unlikely you’ll get any serious consideration. Instead, try and project how your vision for their brand will connect with everyday people, especially those who may be canna-curious but have been too intimidated to try it in the past.
Understand the industry landscape in your market
It’s hard to make blanket statements about the cannabis industry that will be true for every market. That’s because each state has its own distinct regulations governing who’s allowed to operate in that jurisdiction, what type of advertising is allowed, and what type of consumption is legal. Before you start targeting cannabis clients, do some homework and find out what your state and local regulations are.
For instance, here in Oregon, the market is suffering a huge oversupply problem. That’s because state regulators elected not to restrict the number of production licenses that were handed out. As a result, the price for a pound of cannabis has dropped precipitously over the past year and producers are seriously constrained. For many, marketing has become a luxury they can’t afford, but because of the steep competition, marketing is needed more than ever.
That means when you pitch a potential client, not only do you have to convince them you have a clear vision for their brand, but also that you have an eye on how to maximize their marketing dollars. As an example, we were just hired to produce a crowdfunding campaign video for a CBD company because during our pitch, we offered to include two versions of the video, one for the campaign and one for the product itself that wouldn’t mention the campaign and would still be relevant long after the fundraising was completed.
Other states have different problems. Washington limited the number of licenses, meaning there isn’t the same amount of competition. That could be good news or bad news, because the successful brands likely have money to spend on advertising but may not feel like they need to. Meanwhile, California is still in the very early days, and enthusiasm for the market is running high, though some indicators are pointing to a cratering of prices in the near future, similar to what happened in Oregon.
The point is, talk to people in the industry and read as much as you can before you start approaching potential clients.
Have access to the right gear
As with any job, having the right tools is essential. Since much of our client work has been with farms, having a drone has really given us an advantage. We’ve also found that a lot of people want really tight product shots and close ups of flowers. The investment we made in a macro lens paid off really quickly, both for video work and the photography we’ve done.
Versatility has also helped us. A lot of our clients need help with social media, which means short (30-60 second) promo videos and animations have been in high demand. But our biggest clients have been event organizers like the Cultivation Classic and the Cannabis Collaborative Conference, for whom we’ve provided full video coverage of their keynote speakers and breakout sessions. Webstreaming is also a popular service.
Earn their trust
A major factor newcomers to the industry need to be aware of is that many of the growers and retailers have a long history with cannabis that dates back well before legalization. These folks have deep experience with the plant, but they are often much less familiar with other aspects of running a legitimate business, such as marketing, branding, and advertising.
This means I’ve met plenty of people who feel like they’ve been burnt already by a designer, videographer, or marketer who over-promised and under-delivered, while overcharging for their services. As the market has become more competitive, business owners are understandably hesitant to trust a vendor they don’t know and who might not have much experience with the industry.
To overcome this hurdle, we’ve invested a lot of sweat equity attending industry events and networking as much as possible. In the early days, when we found people unwilling to even meet with us to hear our pitches, we started a web series entitled Why Cannabis? in which we talk to folks in the industry about why they are passionate about the plant. All those no’s quickly became yeses as people were eager to share their stories, and that opened the door to building relationships with potential clients; not to mention it wasn’t too long before people were reaching out to us wanting to be interviewed next.
More recently, we’ve partnered with the Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association, a statewide organization that’s focused on lobbying on behalf of the industry, to produce an interview series with local policymakers and business owners. This has provided us with even greater access to the types of businesses we hope to turn into future clients, and has raised our standing with them. Now, more likely than not, when I introduce myself to someone in the industry, they already know who we are and have seen some of our work.
The bottom line is that the cannabis industry is an exciting, growing, wide-open market that offers a lot of potential for videographers and content creators. But there are also plenty of challenges that are unique to this sector. Before you jump in, do your homework to make sure it’s right for you.
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Note From Tongal: “Video Production for the Legal Cannabis Industry" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
