In 2021, Should You Be Investing in Cannabis Stocks?

Whether you’re new to the stock market, thinking of getting back in, or just interested in learning more about the industry, now is the perfect time to consider investing in cannabis stocks.

By investing in cannabis stocks, you will gain the opportunity to grow your money, protect your wealth from inflation, and gain insight into a relatively new but booming industry.

The Benefits of Investing in Cannabis Stocks

Long Term Growth

The marijuana industry represents a rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar industry¹. With recreational use marijuana becoming more normalized, and in turn, legalized and the thriving medicinal sector, the market is only expected to continue growing.

Massive Market Potential

As more and more states are moving towards the legalization of recreational use marijuana, the more market potential it will bring. As of 2021, eighteen states² have fully legalized cannabis in the United States. This will bring massive market potential for retailers, growers, and marijuana-based companies.

Diverse Investments

There are a wide variety of investment opportunities in the cannabis sector. Those who want to invest in the legalized part of the industry have the option to invest in medical marijuana products, where others can choose to invest in recreational marijuana stocks, or both.

Cost-Effective Stock Prices

Now is the ideal time to buy into cannabis stocks due to their relatively inexpensive prices. By investing in lower-performing cannabis stocks with a strong balance sheet now, you can set yourself up for long-term growth as the market fluctuates.

Choose Herban Creative

Do you have a cannabis brand that is looking to grow? Consider Herban Creative. We will create an integrated digital marketing strategy that will grow your online presence. Contact us today to learn more about our in-house services.

Weed Legalization NJ Updates: August 21st Decision Revealed

In February 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills that together would launch a marijuana industry in New Jersey. While the signing of these three bills put an end to the long and chaotic process of weed legalization in NJ, there are still heavy restrictions.

The marijuana legalization law signed by Murphy gave NJ cities and towns power to control and regulate the cannabis businesses operating in their area. This includes levying fines on people who use cannabis in public³ but they cannot stop users from indulging on private property.

The August 21st Deadline

NJ cities and towns were given a deadline of August 21st, 2021, to either welcome or ban cannabis businesses and limit the number of dispensaries. The deadline stated that if a town or city didn’t pass an ordinance before August 21st, not only would marijuana businesses be allowed to conduct business, but local officials wouldn’t be able to issue a ban for five years. As a result, many towns and cities rushed to prevent cannabis businesses⁴ from operating within their borders.

The Verdict

Since the state-imposed deadline, an estimated 63% of New Jersey towns and cities have voted to ban the sale and business of recreational marijuana, according to an unofficial tally from the New Jersey League of Municipalities⁵. Some local officials have mentioned that these bans will only be temporary⁶ until a more comprehensive set of rules has been laid out.

What Now?

New Jersey’s commission also had the August 21st deadline to determine and regulate rules determining which cannabis business licenses will be available. To meet the deadline, the commission drafted the most critical and pressing regulations⁷ but they will continue to roll out more rules as they become finalized. These rules bring New Jersey even closer to opening dispensary doors for recreational sales.

Stay Up to Date with Herban Creative

For more information regarding weed legalization in NJ, stay up to date with Herban Creative.

4 Things to Remember in Your Dispensary’s Local Marketing Campaign

Dispensaries will be popping up across the tri-state area as recreational marijuana has been legalized. With a gradual shift from secrecy to public affairs, how will customers feel comfortable shopping at your dispensary? Better yet, how will they find it? That’s where dispensary local marketing comes into play.

Here are four commonly asked questions about dispensary local marketing, and crucial factors to keep in mind.

How Do You Market a Dispensary?

Marketing a dispensary takes strategy. Unlike other businesses, there are strict rules to follow when it comes to marijuana advertising. Campaigns may involve digital ads via social media or programmatic display, but digital advertising platforms often flag or outright deny cannabis-related ads. That means organic posting is the way to go when it comes to digital dispensary marketing, such as on social media or through a blog.

When it comes to local marketing, billboards, signage, and local SEO are extremely beneficial.

How Do I Get More Customers to My Dispensary?

By using billboards, signage, and local SEO, you can get more customers to your dispensary.

• A well designed cannabis billboard can use simple messaging to make customers aware of your dispensary and provide useful information, such as location.
• Signage on and around your dispensary will alert drivers and pedestrians passing by to your location. With an eye-catching design, it will stand out and resonate with people.
• Local SEO isn’t commonly thought of, but it’s crucial to any marketing campaign. This includes all online listings of your business, such as your Google My Business profile. With an updated listing, including location, hours, and services, customers can organically find you by search key terms like “dispensaries near me.”

How Can I Make My Dispensary Stand Out

To make your dispensary stand out, consider your dispensary’s branding and website.

• Branding and Packaging Design: With custom branding and personalized product packaging, your products will make a lasting impression on customers and keep your brand at the forefront of their mind.
• E-Commerce Website: Your dispensary should have a UX and UI designed website with e-commerce capabilities, whether that be for delivery services, curbside pickup, or in-store pickup.

Can Dispensaries Advertise on Google?

Dispensaries and cannabis-related businesses cannot advertise on Google through paid channels, such as Pay Per Click. However, dispensaries can advertise organically on Google through SEO. By ranking for keyword searches through page optimization and blog writing, you can still experience a great ROI but over a longer period of time than with paid ads. Utilizing local listings is another way to organically advertise on Google.

Dispensary Marketing with Herban Creative

If your dispensary is ready for a local marketing campaign, contact Herban Creative. We specialize in campaigns for cannabis-related businesses and will create a custom marketing strategy that will drive customers to your dispensary. Our services include website design and development, branding, product photography and videography, product packaging design, SEO, social media management, and email marketing.

4 Reasons to Try CBD for Your Pets

CBD is for everyone—even your pets. But is it just a trend or are there actual benefits? For most of us, we love our pets more than anything, so it’s vital we’re giving them only the best. Here are four reasons pet owners are saying to try CBD for pets.

1. Ease Anxiety: Many pets suffer from anxious tendencies and even separation anxiety. CBD can help to calm and relax dogs and cats.
2. Manage and Relieve Pain: Accidents happen and with them, pain. For our beloved dogs and cats, CBD can help to manage and relieve their pain.
3. Control Seizures: Unfortunately, some pets suffer from chronic seizures. CBD is believed to help ease epileptic symptoms and control seizures.
4. Reduce Inflammation: A dog’s joints can take a toll either over time or due to excessive activity. CBD can help to relieve inflammation and boost recovery.

Of course, it is of the upmost importance to talk to your veterinarian before using pet-friendly CBD products.

Is CBD Safe for Dogs and Cats?

There are no current studies on how CBD affects dogs or cats. However, scientists do know that the cannabinoids within CBD interact with the brain’s receptors and the body’s nervous system to provide calming effects.⁸ It also has proven anti-inflammatory properties.⁹ Due to this research, pet owners believe CBD works for dogs and cats as well.

Additionally, the AKC Canine Health Foundation is sponsoring a study using CBD as a treatment for epileptic dogs and related symptoms, such as seizures, collapsing, jerking, stiffening, muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, and drooling.¹⁰

Buying CBD Products for Pets

Before rushing to the store to buy CBD for your pet, consider these crucial factors.

• Products should be organic and avoid pesticides, fungicides, solvents, and additives.
• Do not compromise quality for price.
• Purchase CBD that is certified, third party tested, and contains little to no THC.
• Try CBD oil, which is the most effective form of CBD, to control dosage.

How to Market CBD Products

If you’re looking to market CBD products, for humans or furry companions, contact Herban Creative. We can design and develop an e-commerce site, packaging, and a digital campaign that are as unique as your products.

Creative NJ Marijuana Marketing Agency

What is a marijuana marketing agency? Think of it as any other marketing agency—expect specializing in the marijuana industry. This means navigating and keeping up to date with the ever-evolving national and state laws, regulations, and restrictions. It also means knowing how to reach audiences, boost engagement, drive website traffic, and increase conversions.

If that sounds like something you’re interested in—allow us to introduce ourselves. At Herban Creative, we design and develop websites, create striking branding, and launch integrated digital marketing campaigns for cannabis-related clients.

Marijuana Marketing Services

Website Design & Development

If you need a service-oriented website for your medical dispensary, we can help. Or, if you’re looking to increase e-commerce sales for your CBD brand, we can help with that too. From custom website designs to in-house development, the sky is the limit.

Branding Services

From brand identity and marketing collateral to logo design and messaging, our branding team can help develop a business that resonates with people who will want to buy from you. We can also design intuitive packaging for all products you offer as well as photography and videography services.

Integrated Digital Marketing

Here comes the part that most cannabis businesses find tricky—digital marketing. Lucky for you, you’re reading our blog, which means you’re one step closer to growing your online presence. Our digital marketing services include organic SEO efforts, paid and organic social media, email campaigns, and native advertising.

Our New Jersey Cannabis-Related Clients

We specialize in all things cannabis. This means if your product or service uses THC or CBD, we can help you. We’ve worked with clients who make CBD skincare, CBD supplements, and cannabis-related decorations.

If you’re in need of cannabis marketing, contact Herban Creative online.

With Legalization in New Jersey, Will Cannabis Billboards Be a Thing?

On November 3rd, 2020, New Jersey voters authorized the legalization of recreational marijuana to customers 21 and over.¹¹ Since then, we’ve seen news around the decimalization of weed, logistics of weed legalization, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, and more (which you can keep up to date with in our cannabis news blog). But with all these bills and laws being drafted, there hasn’t much talk about cannabis billboards and other advertising in New Jersey.

Scott Rudder, president of the New Jersey Cannabusiness Association, said back in 2019 that “It’s common sense to have restrictions now,” as the legalization of recreational cannabis began to ramp up hype for the 2020 election.¹² By this, he meant the expectation that the marijuana industry should (and most likely will) follow other 21+ restrictions similar to tobacco, alcohol, and gambling.

What Can the Cannabis Industry Learn from Big Tobacco?

If there is anything the cannabis industry needs to do when it comes to advertising, it’s avoid Big Tobacco’s “Joe Camel” mistake. As cannabis already faces such a strong negative perception, companies need to be careful how they choose to advertise their products and services. This means avoiding ads that show over-consumption as well as using cartoons or characters that appeal to younger audiences. Advocates have struggled for years to legalize cannabis, so they have an additional motivation to remain responsible, respectful, and to play by the rules.

What Can Be Expected from Cannabis Billboards?

Cannabis billboards are already a thing in New Jersey. From medical dispensaries, delivery services, and accessory brands, drivers are already seeing these advertisements across state highways. So, it is possible to advertise cannabis via billboards, but of course within rules and regulations. While there may not be clear laws from New Jersey just yet, billboard companies have their own set of rules. For example:

• No QR, text codes, or anything of the like that would encourage distracted driving
• No nudity, profanity, graphic violence, hate speech, or personal attacks
• No negative or potentially controversial ads

Of course, each billboard company has the right to approve or reject an advertisement. To increase your chances of having your cannabis billboard design approved, stick to a simple and clean message with minimal product imagery.

Where Can I Design a Cannabis Billboard?

If you’re struggling to get your cannabis billboard approved, or don’t even know where to start, you’ve landed on the right page. Herban Creative is a cannabis marketing agency—and one of our specialties is branding & design. We can create a brand from scratch, revamp your current branding, or work with your logo and colors to create a cannabis billboard.

To get started, contact a team member online.

How Weed Legalization in NJ Advocates for Social Change

Over the past several years, researchers have been studying the various changes that have taken place in states with legalized marijuana. Amongst these changes have come significant shifts in social issues. As New Jersey has become one of the most recent states to legalize recreational cannabis, we can now speculate what social changes may occur.

Let’s look at the positive social changes that we can expect from weed legalization in NJ.

The Social Benefits of Weed Legalization

Shift in Public Perception

As more and more states move to legalize recreational use of marijuana, the public’s negative perception has begun to change. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2010, 52%¹³ of Americans were opposed to the legalization of marijuana on a federal level. A decade later, that number has decreased to only 32% – highlighting the shift in public opinion since the ongoing increase of recreational use decriminalization and legalization within states.

Helps to Alleviate Crime & Racial Injustice Issues

Marijuana has played a significant role in the mass incarnation of hundreds of thousands of Americans, the majority of whom are Black or Latinx. The criminalization of marijuana has severely impacted these communities and has caused major social injustice issues. But as more and more states move towards the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana, the tide is beginning to turn, and the War on Drugs will hopefully decrease in severity and end decades of unjust arrests of these minority groups.

Increase in Public Health

States that have legalized marijuana have seen a significant decrease in opioid-related deaths and overdoses. According to a 2021 study¹⁴, researchers found that counties in legal states had lower rates of opioid-related deaths. Through their research, they found that there was a 17% drop in opioid deaths in counties with more legal dispensaries.

What This Means

Although much more data will need to be recorded to fully support these claims, so far, the data that researchers have been conducting is beginning to show a pattern of positive social change in areas of legal marijuana use. From this, it can be assumed that as more states make the change towards legalization, the more positive social effects will come.

Stay Up to Date with Herban Creative

Whether you’re in the marijuana industry or just keeping up to date, Herban Creative is here with the latest happenings in New Jersey regarding marijuana legalization.

Native Advertising Tactics in the Cannabis Industry

Until marijuana is legalized at the federal level, cannabis and marijuana-based brands will continue to struggle with advertising restrictions that are set in place. Despite this, there are several ways to strategically market your cannabis brand, such as native advertising, to fit the cannabis industry’s regulations.

What is Native Advertising?

In simple terms, native advertising is paid content. This includes blogs, infographics, videos, etc., that can be promoted on different platforms. But let’s be honest, no one loves having obnoxious ads pop up on their browser consistently. That’s why native advertisements are carefully created to mimic traditional content that is placed on a site to make it challenging to distinguish ads from existing content. With native ads, customers are less likely to opt-out, paying more attention to what’s being promoted.

What Form of Native Advertising is Best for Your Cannabis Brand?

Paid Social Ads

While paid in-feed social posts are a favorite form of native advertising, CBD and cannabis brands must be wary when implementing paid social media ads. Due to critical platforms such as Facebook and Instagram’s highly regulated advertising rules, many cannabis brands cannot advertise without removing all images, pricing, copy, etc., related to cannabis. As a result, this may not be the ideal choice of native advertising for most cannabis-related brands.

Content Recommended Ads

These types of ads are typically found on the side or bottom of a piece of content, usually a blog post. These ads are tabs that link to other pieces of content and are most commonly used to promote press coverage, news stories, blog updates, and more.

Paid Search Ads

Paid search ads are also considered a form of native advertising. These paid ads show up on Google’s search engine results page (SERPs) and mimic the appearance of organic rankings. While Google does regulate cannabis content on their platforms, they accept hemp-related keywords in search advertising. Therefore, many cannabis brands that utilize this approach typically swap cannabis/marijuana to hemp in order to advertise on the platform.

Why You Should Implement Native Advertising into Your Marketing Strategy

Native ads are a significant driver of engagement. They garner 53%¹⁵ more views than display advertising and create an 18% increase in purchase intent. If this doesn’t have you convinced, cannabis brands can benefit even more from native advertising due to its potential of reducing stigma and preconceived feelings towards the cannabis industry. When cannabis ads are placed on high-quality sites and surrounded by non-cannabis-related ads, users feel more comfortable interacting with them because it lowers the historical stigma of cannabis products by associating it with other high-quality products and sites.

How Herban Creative Can Help

While the regulation of cannabis and CBD remains a consistent issue for marketers, native advertising offers unique benefits and capabilities that can still drive engagement to your brand’s site. If you’re looking to implement native advertising into your cannabis brand’s marketing strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out to Herban Creative. Our expert team can help market your brand strategically to fit the cannabis industry’s restrictions. Contact Herban Creative today.

Millennials and Distillery Marketing

Distilleries, breweries, wineries, and the like typically have an audience that transcends generations. After all, who doesn’t like to enjoy a well-crafted drink in a comforting space? So, why should the adult beverage industry focus more on millennials?

Millennials are actually the largest living generation and the largest alcohol-consuming segment in the U.S. They also respond differently to marketing than boomers, meaning there’s more work to do than simply lowering the age range of your Facebook ads.

Millennials value an experience more than a product. Your distillery could have the best-made brew in the area, but if your location is lacking a certain allure, chances are you’re not reaching most millennials. Here’s how you can up the game of your distillery marketing.

Create a Brand That Resonates

If a millennial is going to spend their money on something, you can bet it’s from a brand that they relate to or enjoy more than just the product. This is where creating a brand is different than just creating a business. Your branding goes beyond your logo, colors, and fonts—although they’re important too! It should also hold a consistent feel, voice, tone, message, and overall look.

Encourage Two-Way Communication

To be relatable to millennials, encourage two-way communication. Especially on social media, be sure to like and respond to comments. Also, if a customer ever tags your distillery in a post or story, always repost it! This creates a fun way to communicate with your customers, gives a human touch to your brand, and provides an incentive for users to interact with your account.

Be Consistent

Being consistent is KEY to gaining the trust of millennials. For example, if one of your social media accounts is active but the other hasn’t been updated in months or years, this inconsistency can raise a red flag to a millennial. Another major player in trust for millennials is your website; does it provide accurate information and have a modern look? Having a user-friendly site could be the determining factor if a millennial chooses to visit your distillery.

Beyond your digital footprint, your physical location should be branded as well. We’re talking about employee uniforms, napkins, shot glasses, murals, and more.

Work with Herban Creative

We know, distillery marketing sounds like quite the undertaking. That’s why we make it as easy as possible for our clients at Herban Creative to launch a brand, website, and digital campaign. We’ll take care of the details so you can stick to distilling fine liquors. Get in touch with our team today!