Marijuana Business Magazine - May-June 2018

Wells and NanoSphere focus on providing fast-acting edibles to customers with an emphasis on the scientific and medical components of the company’s brand. She’s target- ing consumers who are looking for a brand they can trust, and a marketing professional is crucial in establishing that sense of credibility. “That is what is lacking in the marijuana industry – confirming your credibility – and that’s an impor- tant message,” Wells said. “We’re a biotech company, so everything we do has to have a sense of science, medicine and credibility.” She also wants someone who can sense the power of your brand’s voice. At Viridian Staffing, a Seattle recruiting and human resources consulting agency for cannabis businesses, co-founder and Chief Talent Officer Kara Bradford sug- gests plotting out what you want to achieve with your marketing department. That might be greater recogni- tion for your brand or marketing that targets a particular demographic, be it women, social media-savvy millennials or health-conscious consumers. Then look for someone who can work strate- gically to help you reach your goals. You might look for someone with great experience in social media, for example, “since we’re limited in our ability to drive advertising programs through retail and with producers and processors.” As for good personality types, Bradford has seen successful market- ing professionals with a wide range of characteristics. “I don’t think there’s any one type of personality for marketing in general,” she said. “Someone who’s a little bit more extroverted, creative, might go to the advertising side of marketing, whereas someone who’s really analytical, maybe not as outgo- ing, would skew toward research or a product marketing manager.” Experience in or near the industry is desirable for Harris Damashek, the chief marketing officer of New York-based Acreage Holdings, which operates recreational and medi- cal cannabis businesses in several states, including Maine, New York and Maryland. “Direct experience in cannabis, though it’s harder to come by, is certainly a plus,” he said. He’s also looking for passion and curiosity toward the marijuana industry. “Because it’s so fast-paced and changes literally daily,” Damashek said. Both consumer tastes and consumer demographics are constantly shifting, plus mainstream attitudes and stig- mas about the industry are evolving. Talent and contacts round it out, he added. You want someone who’s well connected and can bring their Rolo- dex along with them, plus someone who can prove they’ve been an effec- tive marketer in other previous jobs. “There’s no replacing sheer tal- ent in marketing,” according to Damashek. WHERE TO LOOK At NanoSphere, Wells often looks beyond the cannabis industry for candidates. “I find that’s it’s been helpful to hire outside of the industry,” she said. “Because I think people (from the outside) work just a little bit faster and have a greater sense of full-ser- vice marketing and what that means.” Given Nanosphere’s business, she’s more interested in the candidate’s background in the medical industry, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hiring a marketing professional can be crucial to the success of your business. This new hire can help build your brand and differentiate your company from the competition. You want someone who: • Understands that credibility is very important in the cannabis industry. • Strives to build trust among consumers toward your brand. • Has the right personality type for your needs. Extroverts equal good marketers, while introverts might be better suited to market research. • Has a passion and curiosity for the cannabis industry, which can be an asset given that it’s fast-paced, constantly changing and requires energy to keep up. • Doesn’t require a lot of hand- holding and can take his/her talent and run with it. Harris Damashek is the chief marketing officer at Acreage Holdings. Photo courtesy of Acreage Holdings Kate Wells is the chief marketing officer at NanoSphere Health Sciences. Photo courtesy of NanoSphere Health Sciences 126 • Marijuana Business Magazine • May-June 2018