October 10, 2017

Designing the Perfect Dispensary Experience: The First Impression

On October 5, Jenn had the pleasure of speaking at the Philadelphia Chapter of Women Grow. Hosted by the law firm Offit Kurman, the event brought together a diverse group of cannabis enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. As Philadelphia's medical marijuana program is ramping up, Jenn's talk focused on designing the perfect brand dispensary experience.

At Brand Joint, we emphasize to our clients that a brand is more than just a catchy name and your logo on the wall. A brand should provide a particular experience that evokes emotion (hopefully positive!) from customers. That's why it's so important for dispensaries to spend time and energy branding and designing their entire patient experience. Before you even step into a dispensary, your customers will likely visit your website or social media pages. Your digital outreach is just one aspect of your branded experience, but we'll save that for another blog!

During her discussion, Jenn explained how dispensary owners should ask themselves, "What experience do I want to provide for my patients? What do I want them to feel the moment they step in the door?" You only get one first impression, so it's important to properly communicate your message. Keep in mind that experiences will be different for states with medical programs versus adult-use dispensaries.

Exterior: The exterior of a dispensary is just as important as the interior. To implement a branded experience for your dispensary, it's best to walk through the entire process through the eyes of your patients. Is your building in an area with lots of walking traffic or is there a parking lot? Depending on your location, having ample parking close to your building might be an important factor, especially for patients with ailments that make it difficult to walk or use stairs.

Photo Credit: Lightshade

As your customer moves toward the doorway, what do they see? In states like Maryland and Pennsylvania, where the medical cannabis program is on the brink of going live, it's likely that patients may feel apprehensive about visiting a dispensary for the first time. Do they feel safe approaching the building? Is the area well lit? Do you have on-site security guard? And if so, will an armed guard make them feel safe and secure or more nervous?

Photo Credit: Silverpeak Apothecary

Entering the Dispensary: As the customer enters the dispensary, they'll typically approach an entrance area or waiting room. While this area is typical used for security purposes, while you check IDs or wait for a dispensary agent to become available, you can use this an opportunity to add value to the patient's experience. While they're waiting, perhaps you have educational materials or videos playing. Maybe you have a lovely retail display?

Think about the sensory experiences: What do they see? Is there someone that opens the door with a friendly greeting? What do they smell? What music is playing, if any? Are the wall colors bright and vivid or natural and calming? There's not a right or wrong answer to designing the sensory experience for your brand, as long as it remains intentional and consistent throughout.

Before you even begin to design a beautiful dispensary experience, you need to know what will make that experience perfect for your customers. Learning what your specific customers value is the key. Do they value a relaxing, spa-like shopping environment? Are they looking for a more guided educational approach? Or are they generally in a hurry and value a quick, tech-supported experience?

Once you determine your target audience, you can consider the various shopping experiences you can create for your customers. Sign up for our newsletter to read Part 2 of Designing the Perfect Dispensary Experience: Different Retail Experiences.

June 14, 2017

Patient & Public Education Matters

It's easy to roll your eyes at a friend or family member who recites a “fact” about cannabis use that sounds eerily similar to a quote from Reefer Madness. Now, more than ever, cannabis entrepreneurs and enthusiasts must make a conscious effort to educate the public about cannabis use and users.

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June 1, 2017

Marketing Mentor Podcast

This week, Brand Joint's Founder, Jennifer Culpepper was featured on The Marketing Mentor Podcast. The Marketing Mentor, Ilise Benun, covers a wide variety of topics. Each episode is a "no-fluff chat about the nuts and bolts of how designers, copywriters, photographers and other creatives are doing to grow their business to get better clients with bigger budgets."

In the latest episode, "Experienced Newbie: Entering the Brand New Cannabis Market," Jenn shares insight to seeking out a niche and helping the cannabis industry find value in strong brand strategy and quality design. You can listen to the full episode here!

May 24, 2017

Marijuana Business Daily Conference

On May 17th-19th, the Brand Joint team attended the Marijuana Business Spring Conference and Expo at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Conference Center. Over a course of three days, cannabis entrepreneurs and business leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. to network and gain industry insight from speakers on a wide variety of topics. It was great to meet up with some of our wonderful business friends and partners that we have been in contact with over the last year!

MJBiz Con continues to be one of the most professional, knowledgable and well-attended conferences in the cannabis industry. As we walked the Expo floor, it was exciting to see the amount of businesses dedicated to this booming industry. With over 500 exhibitors, there was plenty to see and much to learn — everything from lights and soil to products, packaging and consulting firms. We look forward to developing and designing some incredible brands and can't wait to attend the next Marijuana Business Daily Conference and Expo!

 

February 2, 2017

Women Grow Panel: Parenting in the Cannabis Industry

Tomorrow, February 3rd, I will be leading the discussion for the "Parenting in the Cannabis Industry" panel with my fellow cannabis entrepreneurs Leah Heise (CEO Women Grow), Carrie Kirk (Cannaline) and Chanda Macias (Owner of National Holistic Healing Center). Last week our interview were interviewed by CBS This Morning on the unique challenges we face as parents in this cannabis industry. 

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January 25, 2017

CBS This Morning: “Pot Moms”

In December, we announced that CBS News National Correspondent Chip Reid visited the Brand Joint office and conducted an interview about the challenges of parenting in the cannabis industry for CBS This Morning. The segment finally aired live this morning! 

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December 6, 2016

CBS This Morning Interview

Last week was an exciting one at the Brand Joint Office! As a follow up to October's Washington Post article , "‘Kind of taboo’: Pot industry moms form support group in an era of legalization," CBS This Morning contacted Jenn and other cannabusiness women for a television interview! 

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November 22, 2016

Marijuana Business Conference & Expo: Las Vegas

Last week, Jenn represented Brand Joint and attended the Marijuana Business Conference & Expo (MJBiz Con) in Vegas. On Thursday and Friday, she walked through over 300 booths and exhibitors on the showroom floor to meet with fellow cannabusinesses and entrepreneurs. 

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November 17, 2016

The Rise of Craft Cannabis

Just like gourmet food, beer and wine aficionados, many cannabis connoisseurs have sophisticated tastes and enjoy high-quality products. Paying more money for particular strains and potency is becoming increasingly normal. As the rise of medical marijuana programs and legalization spreads across the country (now 28 states), the way in which consumers think about their bud is changing. 

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October 19, 2016

4 Tips For Cannabis Packaging

In any industry —  cannabis especially — your packaging design is the visual representation of your brand. The way in which your cannabis product is packaged becomes another important aspect of the overall brand experience. We often tell our clients "your packaging acts as your salesman on the shelf." You obviously can't have a sales rep standing beside your product at every dispensary to tell your brand story, so the packaging itself must communicate your brand's mission, vision and promise. 

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