The Impact of Old Weed Commercials on Today’s Marketing

From the early scare tactics of ‘Reefer Madness’ to today’s innovative marketing strategies, the perception and advertising of cannabis have undergone a dramatic transformation. Here’s a quick rundown of the key points:

Past vs. Present: Once demonized, cannabis is now marketed positively, reflecting its legal status and growing acceptance.
Historical Shifts: Significant milestones include the founding of High Times in 1978, Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis in 2014, and mainstream companies considering the cannabis market by 2018.
Marketing Evolution: Modern cannabis marketing utilizes SEO, social media, and celebrity endorsements to reach a broader audience, moving away from the stigma.
Decriminalization’s Role: Changes in law have paved the way for more open and varied marketing strategies.
Strategic Marketing: Today’s cannabis ads focus on lifestyle, normalization, and addressing consumer perceptions, heavily relying on analytics for insights.

The journey from stigmatization to normalization illustrates the evolving relationship between cannabis and society, showcasing the power of marketing in changing perceptions. Understanding this history is crucial for today’s marketers aiming to navigate the complex cannabis landscape.

The Rise of Cannabis Publications

In 1978, High Times magazine started. It was pretty much the first big magazine to show cannabis in a good way, moving away from the old scary stories. This was important because it gave a space for cannabis products and tools to be shown off to people who were interested, even though it was still illegal.

As more people became okay with cannabis and laws started to change, this helped make cannabis seem more normal through ads and branding.

Watershed Moments in Mainstream Advertising

A big moment happened in 2014 when The New York Times put out its first ad for Leafly, a website that talks about different cannabis types and places to buy them. This ad was special because it showed people who use cannabis in a good light, trying to change how others thought about it.

By 2018, even big companies like Coca-Cola were thinking about jumping into the cannabis market. This showed that a lot of people were starting to see cannabis differently.

Early Strategies Focused on Normalization

At first, cannabis marketing tried to make cannabis seem more normal and okay to use. They did this by showing famous people like Whoopi Goldberg and Snoop Dogg talking about their own cannabis products.

Companies wanted to show that regular people use cannabis and that it can be used for health or just for fun. They did a lot of public events and worked with other companies, trying to figure out how to talk about and sell cannabis without breaking the rules, which were still being written.

From Stigma to Strategy: Lessons from the Past

Early efforts to market cannabis worked hard to change how people saw marijuana, setting the stage for how it’s sold and talked about today. By looking back at old commercials and ads, we can spot some key ideas and goals that still shape how cannabis is marketed now.

Case Study: The Flower Power Campaign

Back in the late 1960s, there was this cool ad campaign for rolling papers that used the slogan "Flower Power". It showed pictures of young people enjoying nature and freedom, all about challenging the usual rules.

Key Features

It used pictures and ideas that the young, rebellious crowd liked.
Tried to make smoking cannabis seem normal and not a big deal.
It was one of the first big efforts to create a brand around cannabis stuff.

This campaign was simple, but it was a big deal because it showed cannabis as something that could help change society, not as something scary.

Influences on Today’s Marketing

The Flower Power ads started some trends that are still big today:

Focusing on messages and images that show a certain lifestyle.
Connecting products with bigger social ideas and movements.
Aiming at younger people who are open to new ideas.

Today’s marketing keeps trying to show cannabis as something positive, natural, and part of bigger cultural changes. The brave moves of these early ads helped make it easier for brands to talk about cannabis in a good way.

The Modern Marketing Landscape

As more places make cannabis legal, the way it’s sold is changing a lot. Now, even big, well-known brands are selling cannabis, and new customers are trying it out. This change has led to a lot more ads about cannabis, with predictions saying there will be $17 billion spent on these ads by 2030.

Fierce Competition Drives Innovation

In places where cannabis is legal, there are a lot of companies selling it. To stand out, these companies have to be really creative. They’re using the internet, fun events, and even regular ads to catch people’s attention. They’re also talking about how cannabis can be good for your health, help the environment, and support important causes.

Customers have a lot of choices, so what they like and buy really matters to these companies. Companies are paying close attention to what people buy and what they’re interested in, using this info to make their ads and products better. They’re also trying to keep customers coming back with special deals and events just for them.

Case Study: Flowhub’s ‘Cannabis Voter Project’

Campaign Overview

Flowhub, a company that makes software for cannabis stores, did something cool for the 2020 election. They worked with a group called HeadCount to help people learn about voting and to get them registered.

Goals: They wanted to get more people to know about their brand and to show they care about big issues like making cannabis legal and fair.
Strategies:
- They sent emails and used social media to send people to a website with voting info.
- In their stores, they had special codes you could scan to register to vote right there.
- They gave away stuff like shirts and pins to spread the word.
Impact:
- They got over 6,000 people to register to vote.
- People thought better of Flowhub’s brand and saw them as leaders in the industry.
- They’re still working with HeadCount, focusing on fairness and equality.

Key Takeaways

Flowhub’s project shows how companies can connect with people by caring about the same things they do:

Talking about political and social issues can really get people’s attention.
Working with other groups can help spread the message further.
They could actually see how much they helped by looking at voter registration numbers.
Supporting good causes can make people think highly of a brand for a long time.

As more places allow cannabis, we’ll probably see more creative ways to sell it that also help the community. The future looks exciting, with lots of new possibilities.

Key Takeaways for Cannabis Marketers

Looking back at how cannabis was marketed in the past can teach today’s brands a lot about how to talk about and sell cannabis now. Here are some important points to think about:

Understand the Historical Context

Remembering the old days of anti-cannabis ads and the first steps towards positive marketing shows us how much opinions on cannabis have changed. This history helps us understand why some people might still be wary of cannabis. When making ads, it’s smart to keep this history in mind and not ignore the concerns some folks might have because of the past.

Target Specific Consumer Perceptions

Trying to reach everyone at once usually doesn’t work. It’s better to really understand what different groups of people want and worry about. Then, make your messages speak directly to those feelings. This way, you can replace negative views with understanding and care.

Utilize Analytics for Consumer Insights

In a world where lots of companies are trying to sell cannabis, using data to understand what people like and don’t like can make a big difference. Tools that track how people react to different ads or products can help brands know what works best and keep improving.

Adapt Messaging to Market Changes

What works in ads today might not work tomorrow because people’s opinions and the market keep changing. Brands need to stay flexible, ready to change their messages, where they advertise, and who they partner with to keep up with what people want.

Best Practices for Campaign Development

Learning from the past, here are some good ways to make marketing campaigns:

Be real and honest, rather than making things sound too good to be true.
Make sure your brand’s values match up with what you’re saying.
Choose partners who can help spread your message in a good way.
Use different types of media together to make a stronger impact.
Always think about what’s right and fair.

By paying attention to the history, focusing on what different people really care about, using data to guide decisions, and being ready to change with the times, cannabis marketers can create ads that really speak to people and help change how cannabis is seen.

What is the history of smoking weed in the US?

The story of smoking weed in the US goes like this:

Long ago, people used cannabis as medicine, and it was even listed in a big book of medicines in 1850.
Starting in the 1900s, states began to say no to selling and using cannabis. The big step toward making it illegal across the country came with the Marihuana Tax Act in 1937.
During the 1960s and 70s, lots of young folks and the counter-culture movement embraced cannabis, leading to tougher laws and more police action against it.
But in the last few decades, things have started to change. Now, 37 states say it’s okay to use cannabis for health reasons, and 19 states let adults use it just for fun.

So, cannabis went from being pretty normal, to totally not okay, to slowly becoming part of everyday life again, depending on where you live.

How much money has been spent on weed?

In 2022, people in the US spent about $30 billion on legal weed. That’s more money than what was spent on chocolate, craft beer, pain meds, and pain relief creams.

Since states began making weed legal, the amount of money spent on it has been going up really fast. Experts think that if weed was made legal all over the country, people might spend over $75 billion on it every year by 2030.

With more states allowing weed sales, the amount of money spent on it is expected to keep growing. Companies are putting a lot of money into opening stores, making websites, and advertising to get people to buy their products. Now, there are so many different weed products for shoppers to choose from.