How to Choose the Best Cannabis Marketing Agency

The Wild West is still how cannabis is sold. The rules and laws are always changing, and each market has its own set. And it's not just the laws that make things hard; it's also the platform bans. Cannabis businesses don't have access to many tools, platforms, and methods for marketing and advertising. This means that a top cannabis marketing agency needs to be able to think outside the box. They need to know when they can safely push the limits and when they need to back off to keep the client safe.

1. The past

Investigating a weed marketing agency's history is a good way to start your search. You want someone who has knowledge both inside and outside of the cannabis industry. Cannabis marketing hasn't been around for very long, so if you can find an agency with roots going back 4-5 years, that makes them a pro in this field. If they are new to cannabis or just starting to get clients in cannabis, it's best not to be their test subject. Any cannabis marketer or firm just starting out will make mistakes. Let them work for your competition.

2. Location

This is about where something is physically. If you're the kind of business owner who likes to meet in person, you'll need a service that's close enough for that to be possible. But what's more important is that the agency be based in a well-established cannabis marketing agency. No matter what a salesperson says to you, if they work for a marketing agency in Irvine, where cannabis is still mostly illegal, that agency won't know as much about cannabis marketing as one in Denver, where cannabis is legal for recreational use. And the better the market, the older it is. That's why you should look at companies in Irvine first. They will have a deeper understanding and more immersion knowledge than agencies in other places.

Our favorite company for selling cannabis is Top Growers selling.

3. One of a kind

Not every company that helps sell weed is good at everything. Some might be experts at packing, while others might be experts at working in dispensaries. (Check out our full marketing guide and checklist for cannabis dispensaries!) Many companies may be good at branding but not as good at, say, making a plan for launching a new product. If you already know what kind of services you need, it's best to find an agency that deals in those services. If you don't have a clear plan, you can hire a full-service Growers Marketing cannabis marketing agency with experience in branding, marketing, and advertising in all areas.

4. Size

Cannabis digital marketing agencies can be as small as one person or as big as a few dozen. Because it's still a niche in the marketing world, there aren't yet huge international agencies with thousands of workers. Maybe we'll never get there. Still, a 10-person team with a small number of clients will give you a different experience, service, and attention than a 40-person firm with 30 clients. Choose a small team if you want a more personal and easy-to-reach connection with your agency. On the other hand, if you just need someone to carry out certain strategies, a bigger agency will work just fine.

5. A budget

Even though no firm is going to tell you how much money their clients have, you can get a rough idea of how much money they have by looking at their client list. Brands with a lot of name recognition probably spend a lot more money than brands with less name recognition. For example, a firm that works with MedMen is probably used to getting a much bigger retainer than one that works with a single-location dispensary. Look for an agency with a collection of brands that are about the same size and scope as your own business. This will let you know if you're in the right price range.

6. Recent Customers

Again, you can learn a lot by looking at an agency's list of clients. Good managers can work across any kind of line. But if the client list doesn't have any businesses that offer services or goods similar to yours, you should take a closer look. It doesn't mean that the agency can't give you great results, but it does mean you should ask more questions about their experience before you look at their plan. Be direct, and don't be afraid to say something like, "I see you don't have any businesses in the same field as we do. What do you think about going up against a company like ours?" If they can't explain or give details about how they would make up for not having directly connected experience, it's time to move on.

7. Exclusivity of a Category

This is very important, but most companies that sell cannabis don't do this, which is surprising. When we talk about "category exclusivity," we're talking about a strategy that only lets one client per market in each category. For example, a cannabis marketing agency in Denver with a strategy of "category exclusivity" would only work with one dispensary in each market where they do business. They would only be able to speak for one extract maker, one grower, one machine maker, etc. The idea is that the firm shouldn't help two companies that compete with each other in the same market. Most people think it's a conflict of interest, and it's kind of like playing chess with yourself... You always know what both sides are going to do, which gives neither side an edge.

8. Their Fame

It can be hard and take a lot of work to find out about a cannabis marketing agency's image, but it's probably the most important thing on this list. The cannabis business is still young, and it doesn't take long for the reputations of agencies that rip off clients to catch up with them. Reach out to current and, if possible, past clients of the business you're thinking of hiring to ask them about their experiences. Why do they stay if they have been customers for a long time? If they were clients in the past, why did they stop working with them? If an agency has a bad name in the industry that won't go away, you shouldn't work with them no matter how much they lower their services or how convincing their sales pitch is.