With more than a decade of experience in mainstream media relations, Green Lane Communication provides strategic pitching, thought-leadership development, and newsjacking, among other services. The company supports business-to-business and business-to-consumer organizations, helping them amplify brand awareness, build stakeholder trust, and establish credibility.
“Your word is everything,” said founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Mejer. “Every interaction with press, partners, or clients builds or breaks your reputation, and that reputation is your brand. Logos and packaging are nice, but trust and integrity are priceless.”
Resetting expectations around PR
What’s the biggest misconception businesses have about public relations and marketing?
One of the biggest myths is that a single press release will transform a broken business overnight. What PR actually does is take a good brand and make it great by creating the credibility you can’t buy and the influence you can’t fake.
What’s one simple thing companies can do internally to get more out of their campaigns?
PR programs without full backing from leadership, marketing, and sales are wasted energy. If your team isn’t ready to act on media interviews or participate in conference panels, those opportunities die on the vine and your brand slowly fades from relevance in the eyes of press and industry. Dedicate resources to execute, or don’t chase the spotlight at all. You’ll do more harm than good.
What makes for a strong brand story?
A strong brand story is rooted in its truth, not a logo or some slick tagline. The best brand stories are rooted in the reason they exist, what they stand for, and the way they make people feel when they buy in.
Credibility over visibility
What’s the most overlooked opportunity brands should be paying attention to right now?
Right now, a lot of brands are chasing visibility and virality but ignoring credibility. When you stop asking “How do we get more attention?” and start asking “How do we earn more trust?”, credibility accumulates and the right attention follows.
What’s one channel or tactic that’s delivering surprising results?
In-person events. Remote work and digital engagement are convenient, but nothing replaces the energy of face-to-face connection. Whether it’s a low-key networking mixer or a curated consumer experience, events fuel existing relationships with loyalty and turn brands into communities. The key to a successful in-person event is being intentional with every detail.
Executing with intention and data
What role does data play in shaping effective campaigns?
When a brand is sitting on data that reveals patterns, trends, or industry-wide insights, it’s sitting on gold. That data can help the industry make smarter decisions, shape new narratives, and unlock real value. Package it into a report and you suddenly have an asset journalists want, positioning your brand as the expert voice on the subject. That’s a win for your brand, the press, and the industry at large.
What’s the smartest low-budget tactic you’ve seen work in marketing or PR?
Follow the right people. Connect with editors, journalists, podcast hosts, and conference directors on social media, especially LinkedIn for us folks in cannabis. It’s one of the best ways to stay on top of who’s covering what, catch commentary requests, and flag open calls for speakers. It costs nothing outside of a wi-fi connection and a little elbow grease.
Choosing partners — and being one
What advice would you give a company choosing an outside partner for the first time?
Look for competence. If a potential partner is leading with celebrity name-drops, too-good-to-be-true promises, and glossy success stories, be cautious. The real pros don’t need to oversell. They’ll show you how they work, ask sharp questions about your business, and sketch out a vision with you in real time. Competence is often packaged in curiosity and process. Keep your eyes peeled for it.
What’s one mistake cannabis companies often make in PR or marketing?
Treating a PR firm like a vendor instead of a partner is the fastest way to tank a program from within. If a company can’t deliver commentary on deadline, honor speaking commitments, or keep their PR team updated on business developments, there’s only so much anyone can do. PR is a “help me help you” relationship. The companies that treat their PR partners like an extension of their in-house team are the ones that win big.
Preparing for what comes next
How should brands prepare for a crisis?
The action you take to address the problem or situation head-on is more important than any press release. Do the right thing, even if it’s the hard thing, and then follow up with a well-crafted press statement supporting your next move. Actions speak louder than words, especially during times of crisis.
How can companies make sure their message stands out in a crowded market?
Be sharper. Be more intentional. Bold positioning and relentless commitment to consistency cut through noise every time. If your competitor is busy bragging about their product, zero in on the pain points customers still struggle with, both the ones your solution addresses and the ones your competitors ignore. If you listen closely, the market will tell you everything you need to know. It’s less about reinventing the wheel, and more about listening to what the market actually needs.
How do you see cannabis marketing and PR evolving over the next two years?
As more people rely on LLMs to answer their everyday questions, showing up in those search results will be critical. That means structuring your website for discoverability, investing in quality earned media that LLMs pull from, and understanding how these systems process authority. The brands that align their PR programs with this reality rather than fight it will position themselves to be seen where future customers, partners, and investors start looking.
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