Inside Weedmaps' Blueprint for the Future of Cannabis

In this week's episode of On Brand, we speak with Juanjo Feijoo, CMO of Weedmaps, the technology and advocacy platform for the cannabis industry. It's been an interesting time for cannabis during the pandemic, as consumers seek out anti-anxiety aids, which has affected the industry's demand trends. We speak with Juanjo about those dynamics, as well as the brand's complex state-by-state marketing strategies, its traditional reliance on out-of-home advertising, its lauded "Museum of Weed" and "Higher Together" efforts, how it approaches advocacy, and much more.

Time-stamps: 

• 1:55 - How WFH is going for Juanjo and his team.
• 3:35 - What Weedmaps is, exactly, and what services it provides.
• 5:00 - Cannabis demand trends during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• 8:25 - How Weedmaps' media mix, traditionally heavy on OOH, has changed during Covid.
• 11:35 - A look at the "Higher Together" livestream event from 4/20 this year.
• 15:45 - A recap of the Clio-winning "Museum of Weed" experiece, and the value of experiential for cannabis brands.
• 19:30 - How Weedmaps approaches advocacy.
• 23:45 - How the brand manages its marketing strategy state by state. 
• 27:13 - Inside its content strategy, including Weedmaps News.
• 29:26 - What Juanjo learned from previous jobs at Google, Instacart and Adobe that helps him today.
• 31:52 - What's next for Weedmaps over the next 6-12 months.

New episodes of On Brand roll out every Thursday at 4 p.m. ET. Each week, Clio president Nicole Purcell and I chat with top brand marketers—most of whom are still working from home—about the value and effectiveness of creativity, what they want from their agency and solution partners, how they're shepherding their brands through Covid and beyond, and more.

See all the episodes here.

If you're a brand marketer who'd like to take part in the series, please get in touch.