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Alison Hayman and Marco Ciarlariello Discuss the Marketing & Branding of Cannabis

05/01/2019

Alison Hayman and Marco Ciarlariello have been quoted in the article “After Six Months of Legal Cannabis, What Have We Learned so Far,” published by The Message, a publication devoted to Canadian marketing.

The Message reached out to various experts in the cannabis industry – including Alison and Marco – on the six month anniversary of the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada to get their thoughts about the marketing and branding of legal cannabis.

Regarding brand building, Alison Hayman notes that some LPs have taken a conservative approach to interpreting the promotional restrictions, while others have taken a narrower view of what is prohibited under the Cannabis Act to accommodate promotional activities: “There remains uncertainty as to what constitutes ‘lifestyle’ advertising, which is not permitted,” she says. “This is a broad term and its limits have not yet been established.”

On future strategies, Marco says that cannabis marketers are placing a greater emphasis on business-to-business marketing, noting that it is largely exempt from the “significant restrictions” placed on direct-to-consumer marketing.

Read the full article here.