‘Have a Real Ear to the Street’: Q&A With Jesce Horton
Jesce Horton, founder of LOWD, shares what executives should consider when incorporating a marketing trend in an ever-changing landscape.
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Interviews & Opinion State by State: Oregon
It’s no secret that the cannabis industry moves fast and is ever-evolving.
Market trends or products that are popular today may go out of style tomorrow. In this Q&A, Jesce Horton, founder of LOWD, a cannabis production company in Portland, Ore., shares what businesses should consider when looking to implement a marketing trend in an ever-changing landscape.
Editor’s note: Jesce Horton will speak at Cannabis Conference from 1:30 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, on the “How to Use Today’s Marketing Trends To Boost Your Bottom Line” session alongside Angela Pih, Vice President of Marketing for Harborside, Jonathan Spadafora, President of Veritas Fine Cannabis, and Ashley Fields, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for CANN. In this session, experts will provide their top lessons learned, share regulatory considerations and explain how to evaluate the success of any marketing campaign. Visit www.CannabisConference.com for more information and to register.
Andriana Ruscitto: What should business owners consider when deciding whether to jump on a marketing trend?
Jesce Horton: I think they should consider how fast the industry moves. For example, if someone is selecting strains based on what’s moving and what’s hot right now, they definitely want to strongly consider the longevity of that trend or strain, whatever it may be, because implementing these strains or strategies can take months [or] even over a year. By the time you’re able to do that, the industry has [already] moved on to something else.
AR: How can executives successfully incorporate marketing trends?
JH: I suggest they have a real ear to the street, boots on the ground, and a target demographic. Talking to their customers [and] showing their customers … because it’s almost impossible to fake authenticity in this market.
AR: What legal aspects should marketers consider while working on a campaign?
JH: Without a doubt, their state regulatory requirements. Every state is different [with its] marketing rules and also the enforcement of those rules. You can easily get deep into a campaign, spend a lot of money and [realize the state] wants you to do things a different way. A violation could cost you a lot of money or even your license.
RELATED: 'Embrace Data and Technology': Q&A With Harborside's Angela Pih
AR: What are your top tips for evaluating the success of a marketing campaign?
JH: We look at purchasing trends [and] marketing data available by companies like BDSA, Headset, whoever our retailers are using. I think more than anything is [having] a general understanding of whether the market is accepting it and that can be measured by how fast things sell, how much [people] are talking about your campaign—a lot of qualitative factors, not always just quantitative.
AR: What do you hope attendees will bring back to their businesses from your session at Cannabis Conference?
JH: Strategies to be more strategic in their marketing campaign and how to measure success.
AR: Is there anything that you would like to add?
JH: Talk about how you can work with your retail partner to get as much insight and data from the customer as possible.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been lightly edited for style, length and clarity.
