How a non-cannabis company used marijuana for marketing purposes
You guys recently read my review of Disjointed, the Netflix original series that dealt about a dispensary in California. While I am in the “meh” category in terms of whether the show was any good or not, there is one thing about the marketing strategy that Netflix employed to promote the show.
Essentially, Netflix branded a few strains of cannabis that was sold in one particular dispensary in Hollywood right around the season premiere and encouraged people to smoke it while watching the show. In other words….ABSO-LUTE-LY BRILLIANT!
Netflix knows how to market
Before I jump into the reactions of the public on their amazing marketing strategy, let’s talk a bit more about some other innovative marketing strategies they have implemented.
Particularly we’ll be focusing on the Season 3 of Narcos. Narcos, is a show about the DEA’s involvement in the drug war in Colombia. If you haven’t seen the show and you like gritty violence and corruption, this show is definitely for you.
Onto their marketing tactics. In order to help promote the show, Netflix launched a secretive marketing campaign by placing stickers in restrooms in bars and clubs reading;
“Here in the ’90s? There’s an 80% chance this power came from the Cali Cartel”. Next to the inscription, there is a rolled up dollar bill with white powder scattered around it.
Think about the genius of this ad for a second. The person who is looking at the sticker is probably under the influence of alcohol (seeing that they are in a bar or a club); the quote is a line from the show itself. If I was blitzed and saw something like that, I would be fascinated by it. That night, if the people at the bar wasn’t going to get laid…in all likeliness Narcos would be heavy on their minds prompting late night binging of their show.
How the Disjointed Promotion Faired
For Disjointed, the ad campaign was a lot more ‘inclusive’. Buy our weed and smoke it while watching the show. The dispensary that was allowed to sell the weed said that they sold hundreds of jars. Demand was high. People absolutely loved the idea and I’m certain that those who were fortunate enough to actually consume the Netflix strains while watching the show…found the show to be amazing.
Nonetheless, Netflix only did this as a gimmick and will not be entering into the weed industry. Most probably, they would do a similar tactic the next season (if Disjointed will be renewed) and hopefully to more dispensaries so that more people could participate with the entire Disjointed Experience.
Non-Cannabis Businesses using Cannabis for Marketing
Seeing that there are nearly 50 million cannabis users in the United States, there is great opportunity for non-cannabis businesses to capitalize on this demographic. One of the most difficult things to achieve within marketing is to define your audience. Within the cannabis industry, while the demographics are quite diverse, there is one thing that is certain…they all love weed.
Knowing this allows businesses to use cannabis as a promotional tactic to sell other things. The “buy a pizza get a joint” promotion is something that would fly within the community. In fact, many businesses are creating “cannabis safe zones” such as gyms, spas and so forth.
Imagine walking into a Day Spa where you start your session drinking some cannabis tea and taking a hit from a Volcano. Once you’re sufficiently baked, a masseuse walks in and uses cannabis oils to give you a massage. If that isn’t bliss I don’t know what is.
There are many different ways non-cannabis companies and brands can use cannabis as a promotional tactic to increase business and target new users. Netflix has shown us that this method can work and as laws around cannabis eventually will disintegrate, we might have a society where this is a possibility on a massive scale. One can dream.
Waiting for the pin to drop
We’re just holding our breaths currently waiting for the drug war to give its last whimper before it withers into the pages of the history books. Once that day comes, there will be a small adjustment period within the country…let’s say one to two years.
Once this adjustment period is over, businesses will have the framework on how they can involve cannabis within their non-cannabis businesses which will eventually become a saturated idea…but glory for all stoner kind.
I for one am ecstatic that Netflix had the balls to do a marketing campaign of such magnitude. It gives me hope that the cannabis industry is here to stay and will only grow over the months and years to come. In fact, more states are opting in for legalization and this November a few more states could be voting on the issue. I say…the more the merrier.
OTHER STORIES YOU MAY ENJOY...
DISJOINTED ON NETFLIX REVIEW, CLICK HERE.
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MARIJUANA MARKETING ONLINE, CLICK HERE.
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