Tag Archives: rewards

September 6, 2022

The Coming Cannabis Data Squeeze – And Why So Many Companies are Flying Blind

By Michael Blanche

“Data” is a hard concept to picture. It’s even harder to visualize what your data is saying about your business. Many important insights are processed on different systems, never to see the light of day.

In the digital advertising industry, we call this “data silos.” In the cannabis industry, we call this the cost of doing business.

Without traditional tech tools or a source of truth on market sentiment and trends, there’s no common picture that can show us the day-to-day behavior of today’s cannabis consumer. Companies are often guessing what consumers want based only on the data they have available.

To keep growing, dispensaries and brands have to modernize how they understand, activate and measure customer data. Luckily, it may be easier than you think to start making better use of your customer data right away, which means it’s easy to simplify how you connect to both existing and new consumers, driving more engagement and revenue.

Cannabis companies that started digital-first have a head start on legacy businesses: phone numbers, emails, customer preferences are all first-party data that can help you find and advertise to new customers.

Here’s how:

1. Build Your Customer Database with a Rewards Program.

A 2022 YouGov survey found that when cannabis consumers are asked about how they make purchasing decisions:

36% said quality and safety
34% said lowest price
32% said location (proximity to home)
31% said preferred products

Most cannabis businesses know the power of rewards programs, but usually depend on steep discounts to get customers back in the door. Rewards programs can also offer promotions for new product releases, exclusive access, community events and other things that offer information about things you know your customers already care about.

The most valuable thing about a rewards program isn’t just the sales – it’s the data. If a customer makes a profile with an email and a phone number, you have the basic building blocks for a first-party data strategy. Just make sure you have a way to keep that data organized on the back-end.

Want the real secret? Segment your email and SMS list by what you know your customers want. Send different communications for different customer groups and behaviors – like edible users and pre-roll buyers or monthly buyers and weekly buyers. Figure out what resonates and repeat!

2. Budtenders that Care.

A relationship with a budtender is sometimes transactional. Other times, it’s confessional, fun, or, if a consumer is new to buying cannabis or trying different products, educational.

As one survey found: 22% of customers always decide what to buy based on budtender advice and 69% said they seriously consider their opinions.

Good budtenders get to know the customers and can become advocates for staying in touch. Training them to sign up customers for a rewards program or exclusive offers can help build the relationship that keeps people coming back and allows you to stay in touch. This is how you can link your data efforts with your frontline employees.

3. Find a Secure Way to Manage Your Customer Data.

To segment customer data and build customer profiles with additional information – like purchase history or demographics – you need to find a solution built for a growing customer database. Some options, like an email marketing platform, can get you halfway there. But a lot of companies still rely on Google Sheets, which can take hours to understand and end up exposing a lot of customer data out in the open.

The right customer data platform should help you connect and integrate all your different data sources, from website and ecommerce platform to point-of-sale. This allows you to understand macro and micro market trends by making your customer segments transparent and easy to manage as they move down the path to purchase. You can also identify which segments drive the most value over time and what attributes and behaviors they have in common.

By managing customer data from one platform, you can dramatically increase the transparency across all the valuable insights that affect your business. And then make use of those in your next big advertising campaign.

Combining Co-Marketing with Community

You can avoid the cannabis data squeeze by modernizing how you handle customer data. Dispensaries with advanced data management practices are often processing thousands of transactions a day and constantly enriching their understanding of customers and their target markets. Unlike dispensaries, brands don’t have the same volume of new data. This has a lot of implications when you’re trying to reach new customers, because when a brand launches a digital advertising campaign, a lot of budget can get wasted if the audiences are based on a limited dataset.

That’s where co-marketing digital advertising campaigns can help. Cannabis companies collaborate to activate events and retail displays. To really build awareness and drive sales, cannabis brands should reach a dispensary’s existing customers and advertise in coordination with the dispensary. With the right dataset, you can show ads just to a dispensary’s best customers, and the ones most likely to buy your product.

The most exciting part about the future of the cannabis industry all comes down to data. The community grew together, and now businesses can innovate together – building a better customer experience by understanding every stage in the journey. In a relationship-first industry, cannabis digital advertising has to be as personalized as a budtender’s recommendations.

July 22, 2022

Don’t Go Down with the Ship: How to Create a Cash Influx for Your Cannabis Business During Hard Times

By Adam Benko, Brian Mayfield

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It takes a lot to hack it in the wild world of cannabis.

To dip your toes in this game and open your own business, it could cost you between a quarter to three-quarters of a million dollars after licensure and other start-up expenses – and the battle doesn’t end there. Recent data supports that the turnover rate for the cannabis industry at large is extremely high when compared to other industries, coming in at a whopping 40-60% within the first 2 months.

Oh, and let’s not forget: we’re not living in the easiest of times in general. The Bureau of Labor Statistics now reports that inflation has hit 9.1 percent, the highest ever recorded level of inflation since records began. We know that people are struggling all over the place – and those struggles are even more amplified for cannabis operators and business owners. It’s no secret that amid these struggles, many legacy operators, MSOs and mom-and-pop brands alike are making the tough decision to take on costly loans, seek funding or even ultimately close their doors.

Every time a customer abandons their cart, your business is leaving money on the table.

But, in times like these, you have to remember what brought you to the table to begin with. The cannabis industry is still projected to hit a valuation of over $33B by the end of 2022 and despite the blood in the water that we’ve seen lately, operators of all sizes are still getting wins and making a profit. So, do you throw the towel in and give up on your dreams? Should you just accept that all hope is lost?

Absolutely not.

If you’re a cannabis operator who is struggling, you aren’t alone – and more importantly, you aren’t out of options yet. Not ready to go down with the ship just yet? We didn’t think so.

Here are five, expert-approved tips to create an influx of cash for your cannabis business without significantly increasing spending:

‘Trim the Fat’ of Your Business by Cutting Lean Costs

While it may seem obvious, many cannabis operators forget that “nice to have” is not the same thing as a “must have” when it comes to keeping your doors open and your bottom line healthy. Take an eagle-eyed second look at your budget and cut back as much as possible on areas that aren’t boosting revenue. Reconsider the “extras” – like software solutions, hiring non-essential staff and slow-moving inventory – and focus your attention on the products that contribute the most to your bottom line.

Make Your Customers a Priority

Focus your attention on the products that contribute the most to your bottom line.

One of the biggest mistakes that cannabis brands make is throwing so much of their marketing budget into getting new customers through the door while neglecting to show existing customers the attention they deserve for their loyalty. In today’s market, cannabis consumers have more options than ever. Why should they keep choosing you? Happy customers are customers that will weather the storm with you. Honing in on targeted ads and marketing efforts geared toward existing customers, in combination with loyalty perks, VIP deals and more is a great way to ensure your business is truly unforgettable in the eyes of the customers that keep your doors open. Looking for an extra leg up? Here’s an insider pro tip: refer-a-friend programs are a great way to get the best of both worlds and help those marketing dollars stretch a little further.

SOS: Save Our Shopping Carts

Shopping cart abandonment is a serious problem for cannabis retailers – and it happens all the time. For mobile users, it can creep as high as 85%. Shopping cart abandonment happens when a potential customer visits your site, builds an order in the cart and then either forgets to check out or chose not to execute the purchase. Every time a customer abandons their cart, your business is leaving money on the table. Fight back against shopping cart abandonment by providing clear calls to action through the shopping and checkout process and targeting customers with emails or SMS messages that include discount offers or reminders to check out.

Pump Up Your Payment Solutions

It’s like Canadian rapper and singer-songwriter, Drake, said in his hit song, “Omerta”, “I don’t carry cash ‘cause the money is digital.”

Payment providers often give back a portion of transaction fees to business owners.

Let’s be honest, it’s 2022 – not a lot of people love carrying around cash. If your cannabis business is cash-only, you could be missing out on extra revenue from card and mobile payment-loving customers. On average, mobile payment users, on average, spend approximately twice as much through all digital channels as those not using mobile payments. Cash-only retailers also miss out on upsell opportunities by limiting themselves – let’s say a customer comes in with $40 in cash, they won’t be able to pick up that extra pack of cones or the grinder they were eyeing up at the checkout if they’re limited to cash-only transactions.

In addition, retailers who patronize payment solutions via debit card providers or online ACH can benefit from payment kickbacks as an additional stream of income, as these payment providers often give back a portion of transaction fees to business owners.

Don’t Forget About Employee Retention Credit (ERC)

If you haven’t heard of ERC – you could be leaving as much as $26,000 per employee on the table. Many cannabis business owners would be surprised to learn that they can still take advantage of the employee retention credit program that started during the pandemic.

The program was launched in March 2020 as a way to help offset the financial struggles of business owners during COVID-19. But, even this year, cannabis business owners can seek cash relief through ERC – employers can retroactively claim the ERC based on financial struggles they experienced during 2020 and the first three quarters of 2021.

Started your cannabis business after February 2020? You still may qualify under specific ERC provisions that can provide up to $100,000 in refundable credits.

At MJstack, we understand the trials and tribulations that cannabis professionals go through every day because we’re right here working alongside you.

Our team of professionals is familiar with cannabis and what it takes to make the cut in this world. Ready to boost your business and safeguard your investments against whatever comes next? Contact us today to learn more and book your FREE consultation.

January 15, 2020

Practical Advice on How to Avoid a TCPA Suit

By Paul Gipson

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Texting consumers is a very effective means to drive engagement and ultimately sales. Text messages have outpaced emails when looking at conversion and click-thru rates. In fact, 95% of texts are read in ninety seconds or less! While text messages can be a great way to engage with prospects and customers, the FCC’s Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a regulation you need to be mindful of. In fact, the average cost of a TCPA settlement is over $6m dollars, which doesn’t include legal fees or reputational damage.

Over the past few years, there have been about 4,000 TCPA cases filed annually. Take a look at the growth:

Companies are being targeted for various reasons, but there are a few that I’ll cover below along with some advice on how to avoid TCPA suits.

See if you can spot the trend in these cases:

Papa Johns: $16.5m settlement due to texting pizza specials to consumers without their consent.
Abercrombie & Fitch: $10m settlement due to texting store promotions to consumers without their consent.
Rack Room Shoes: $26m settlement for texting their reward program members with various sales without their consent.

Do any of these campaigns sound like something your company is engaged in?

So, you’ve got someone who has signed up for a rewards program, wants to receive deals, or has provided their number to your company for other purposes, but you are concerned about the TCPA (hopefully). Based on my experience working with hundreds of clients at CompliancePoint, here’s where I think you should start. But first…

Quick assumption: Your company is using an automated system to send both informational and promotional texts. Examples include “blast campaigns” (upcoming sale) or “triggered campaigns” (signed up for rewards).

Quick point: Just because the text message says your store is having a sale but doesn’t ask the consumer to buy anything on the message, you may think it’s not considered “telemarketing”. This is wrong. Any plan to sell now or in the future through direct marketing is telemarketing and subject to the TCPA.

Here are my top 5 things to consider:

Obtain consent. This is not achieved by simply having a number provided by the consumer. Instead, the consumer must affirmatively agree to receive promotional calls/texts by automated means. This is done through a clear disclosure and often accompanied by an unchecked checkbox.
Honor opt-outs. This seems obvious right? Provide instructions on how to opt-out and look for other phrases like “stop/quit/cancel”. Opt-outs should occur immediately with most common texting platforms.
Keep records. If you receive a complaint, you want to be able to respond confidently and records help you do that. The key records to maintain are your texting records (the phone numbers you texted, the date/time of the text, and the content of the text), your consent opt-in forms, and opt-out requests from consumers with dates. Ask yourself: what records do you need to prove you had consent, and what records prove you didn’t text a consumer after they opted out.
Only text consumers between the hours of 8AM and 9PM according to their time zone. I always recommend going off address and not phone number due to cellphone mobility. If you text a California number at 8PM, but the phone owner lives in New York, you might get a few complaints.
Monitor compliance with these items. Another one that seems obvious, yet most companies fail to do so, and you see above what happens. I guarantee you’ll find issues with most audits.

Bonus – here is a more comprehensive checklist on how to achieve a Safe-Harbor defense.

This article is not intended to be a scare tactic. The TCPA legal landscape is rampant and consumers are more aware now than ever of their rights. A quick Google search of “Cannabis TCPA” helps to illustrate the fact that this industry, like most, is not immune. However, with proper compliance parameters in place, your company can enjoy the benefits of texting with consumers with peace of mind.

July 12, 2017

Marketing Automation for Dispensaries

By Arnab Mitra

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What is Marketing Automation?

Typically when most people think of marketing automation, they imagine a platform that automates activities such as lead scoring, customer segmentation, cross-selling and campaign management. Well that type of automation is primarily for B2B companies, who are looking to reach a mass audience at once. Plus, B2B marketing automation platforms usually only provide one channel, which is email, to reach their customers.

B2C companies are looking to grow their brand and reach their customers through personalized messages. A B2C marketing automation platform helps businesses understand where each individual customer is in their journey and determine what actions need to be taken to move each customer forward. Plus they get the option of multiple channels to reach their customer, including email, text message, IM, push notifications and more.

Why is Marketing Automation Important for Dispensaries?

The first obvious reason why marketing automation is important is for the simple fact that reaching your customers is now automated; you don’t have to send out messages yourself. Thus helping save time and scale your reach at once. But marketing automation is much more important than the simple reason of saving time and scaling your reach. At SailPlay, we believe the automation of these activities helps dispensaries be able to deliver the right message at the right time to the right customer, helping the long-term success of the business.

For example, knowing where each of your customers are in their journey helps you to not only segment them into different groups, but also create specific campaigns per group. Through marketing automation you will know if you have a new lead, repeat customer and loyal customer, helping you tailor a campaign for each group.

New Lead Campaign

Each time a new lead visits your dispensary or your website, run an email or SMS campaign to provide them with a discount code to entice them to make a purchase. And after their first purchase, send a communication one day later to ask them about their experience and the product purchased.

Repeat Customer Campaign

For any repeat customers, you know which products they have purchased in the past. Run campaigns that are specific to the product groups they have purchased before. These customers are more likely to engage in your campaign if they are interested in the product.

Loyal Customer Campaign

For loyal customers, run exclusive campaigns based on their specific past purchases. For example, if John prefers to purchases edibles, run a campaign for John about an exclusive offer on a new edible.

The more personalized your campaigns are for your customers, the more engagement you can expect. According to Experian, there is a 26% increase in engagement with a personalized campaign when compared to a non-personalized campaign.

Plus with more engagement, your chances of increased sales greatly rise. According to a VB Insight study, 80% of businesses that use marketing automation have seen an increase in leads, with the majority being quality leads.

What Dispensaries Should Focus On For Marketing Automation

With there being so many marketing automation software companies to choose from, we thought we would help you focus on a couple of key features.

B2C Marketing Automation

Be sure to choose a B2C marketing automation platform. When you search for “Marketing Automation” through Google or any search engine, you will find many B2B marketing automation platforms. B2B marketing automation platforms are different because B2B platforms are interested in bulk marketing and messaging, while B2C platforms are focused on the personalization and customer journey. And as an FYI, some B2B platforms will say they have a B2C platform as well, but they will be focusing most of their features to B2B since there are more B2B companies using marketing automation.

Selecting More Than Just an Email Service Provider

If your goal is to just send out emails, then choosing an email service provider is the way for you to go. But if your goal is to go beyond that, then choose a B2C marketing automation platform. With a B2C marketing automation platform you should expect the following:

Loyalty Platform: Through a loyalty platform, you can build out a customer loyalty program that will help increase customer retention. Through the loyalty platform, you can create a rewards system, providing your customers for points for various actions, including purchases and social media actions.
Communication Platform: Within the communication platform, you can create powerful email, SMS, IM and push notification campaigns to reach each customer with the right message at the right time.
CRM Platform: The CRM platform helps you manage your entire customer list from one place. Through the CRM you can create customer segments, dive deep into each customer and more.
Analytics Platform: Within the Analytics platform, you can analyze your clients’ actions, their purchases, and socio-demographic data. Plus you can measure the effectiveness of your loyalty program, marketing campaigns, promotions and more to improve future results.

Before it gets too saturated, dispensaries need to invest in marketing automation. As stated, marketing automation can help your dispensary create a personalized experience for each of your customers, leading to higher engagement and ideally more sales.

March 8, 2017

Going Beyond POS: Innovations in Dispensary Software

By Aaron G. Biros

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In a highly competitive market, dispensaries use wide product selections, competitive prices, rewards and loyalty programs to stay relevant and attract new customers. Many of those tools used to make the retail space more efficient require analytics to stay on top of their performance metrics.

At their SE 7^th Ave location in Portland, Oregon, Cannabliss & Co. uses Baker software to better connect with their customers and track sales. According to Kevin Mahoney, manager of that dispensary, they use Baker’s software for things like their online menu, online ordering, text alerts and a rewards program.

Located in an historic firehouse built in 1913, Cannabliss & Co. was Oregon’s very first medical cannabis dispensary. Now that they offer both recreational and medical cannabis, their product inventory has expanded, their sales have grown and they have a wider customer base.

After using Baker’s software platform for almost a year now, Mahoney says he has seen great ROI on text alerts and the analytics. The online ordering and menu features have not only highlighted sales trends, but have made budtender-customer interactions easier. “We don’t want our budtender using the menu as a focal point of the conversation, but this allows for us to highlight particular specials or strains on our menu that gets eye attention right when the customer gets in,” says Mahoney. “Moving past the point of sale, it allows another conversation to happen organically, which keeps the customer engaged.”

On average, Baker sees conversion rates close to a 5% range per campaign. “That check in option is phenomenal; we get to see how many people actually came into the store from any given text alert,” says Mahoney. “In my mind, text alerts are preferable to email alerts; they can’t be marked as spam, it is easy to delete or opt out and takes much less time.”

Kevin Mahoney at his SE 7th Ave location

Mahoney says the online ordering feature that Baker offers is a big selling point too. “Having an ordering service is absolutely terrific,” says Mahoney. “They can come in and out in less than five minutes with their full order by using the online ordering portal.” Mahoney says they see a real draw in this feature because it lets customers treat their dispensary like a takeout window at a restaurant.

Baker just launched a software platform designed for delivery service that a dispensary in Bend, Oregon has been using for two months now. With Portland legalizing cannabis delivery services recently, Mahoney is eyeing Baker’s software for his online ordering and delivery. “When the time comes, that is something we are very interested in pursuing.”

rsz_baker_kitchen_photo_1_of_1 — Analytics allow users to track the success of campaigns

In August of 2016, Baker secured $1.6 million in seed funding, led by Former Salesforce Executive Michael Lazerow, according to a press release. “Baker has created a solution that is clean and easy to use and can help dispensary owners engage their shoppers like never before – online, mobile, social and in-store,” says Lazerow. “I witnessed first-hand how Salesforce supercharges its customers’ businesses and I’m inspired to see Baker driving the entire cannabis industry forward with this same intelligent approach.” In 18 months of business, Baker has worked with hundreds of dispensaries, helping them build better connections with over 100,000 customers. At Baker, we believe the cannabis shopping experience should be as comfortable and personalized as it has become in every other retail environment,” says Joel Milton, chief executive officer at Baker. “With expertise in cannabis, data and technology we have created an industry-specific tool that allows dispensaries and brands engage with customers and build brand loyalty through a personalized shopping experience.”

rsz_connect_sms_1 — Text alerts are customizable and easy to send out

According to Eli Sklarin, director of marketing at Baker, the number one reason why patients and customers choose a dispensary is because of products on the shelf. “We originally started the platform in 2014 so people could order ahead and wouldn’t have to wait in lines at the dispensary,” says Sklarin. “In 2015, we saw more dispensaries than fast food establishments in many cities. Once inventory started to settle down, we saw a need for the dispensary to better connect with their customers.” The three core products that Baker offers are online ordering, connect SMS & email and the check in & loyalty program.

Their entire suite of software options is specific to the cannabis retail space. “Our customizable program is designed to help dispensaries catch customers and keep them coming back,” says Sklarin. “The software can give a snapshot of who their customers are, insights into the overall health of their dispensary, sales per day of the week, monthly promotions and other basic analytics that help them understand their customers.” Things like strain alerts can help retain customers, allowing dispensaries to notify certain groups of customers when products are back in stock. Whether it’s a customer who prefers a particular brand of edibles or concentrates, these software tools can help dispensaries get the right message to the right customer.