CO Cannabis Companies Adopting New Marketing Strategies

Forced to operate under strict regulations that hamper marketing opportunities, some Colorado cannabis companies are getting creative.

One medical marijuana dispensary sponsored a musical production of “Reefer Madness” to the tune of $2,000 in exchange for the opportunity to get its logo on promotional materials for the show.

Another example: Marijuana businessman Tim Cullen of Colorado Harvest Company donated a whopping $200,000 to Levitt Pavilions, which has a major amphitheater planned to open next year in Denver. Cullen’s business will get name recognition on the Levitt Pavilions website and in its mailers, according to Colorado Public Radio.

Such moves underscore both how cannabis companies can spread the word about their businesses through underwriting, sponsorship deals and other means rather than traditional marketing strategies such as billboards and newspaper ads.

A third cannabis business, The Health Center, partnered with a Denver theater chain to promote the opening of a new film, and found that doing so got it free media coverage.

“We definitely get more exposure to a lot of people coming in,” The Health Center’s Coley Walsh told Colorado Public Radio. “Also, through the press, hopefully a little more exposure for us.”