We are witnessing the cannabis marketing playbook being written in real time. Between platform bans, shifting algorithms, and saturation, retailers must become ever more creative with their efforts. A strategy that’s emerging as most effective amid the current evolution requires blending community engagement, experiential marketing, influencers, public relations (PR), and digital strategy into a multichannel engine that delivers results.
Retailers leading the marketing evolution aren’t relying on a single marketing lever. They’re creating dynamic ecosystems where offline events build emotional loyalty, and online tools convert that attention into action. Here are some examples.
Cultivate community
For many retailers, the most effective way to connect with customers starts with showing up for them in authentic, localized ways. Across the country, retailers are developing innovative measures to cultivate community and give back to their local markets.
Multistate operator Bud & Mary’s has made the community philosophy central to its identity. With stores in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri, the retailer prioritizes initiatives that feel organic to the communities its dispensaries serve. The brand’s AWARE-N-US program sponsors local charitable events and collaborates with nonprofits on product partnerships, while in-person educational events create opportunities for connection and learning. “We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all marketing,” said Vice President of Marketing Rebecca Maestas Sincere. “Whether it’s a partnership or a program, it has to feel real to the people we serve, and that’s what makes it stick.”
Gelato Canna Co., an edibles brand and retailer, has built a reputation for generosity. Each year, the Gelato team distributes hundreds of turkeys during Thanksgiving week. Recipients need not make a purchase at the brand’s Lake Elsinore, California, dispensary to receive a turkey, which demonstrates Gelato’s commitment to the community. Additionally, the company participates in year-round giveback initiatives, including distributing canned water during the fires that swept through Los Angeles in 2025 and providing meals for the unhoused in the greater San Diego area. In turn, the brand’s philanthropy inspires loyalty among local consumers.
For The Artist Tree, a chain of art galleries that are also dispensaries, community interaction is based in creativity and caring. When wildfires destroyed chunks of the Los Angeles area in January, the ten The Artist Tree locations raised thousands of dollars for relief operations and coordinated supply drives. When the company opened its second retail location in Fresno, California, the team collected school supplies and funded the creation of two murals in the city. The latter action beautified neighborhoods while supporting local artists. The Artist Tree has continued to grow while much of the industry has slowed, a trend co-founder Lauren Fontein attributes to the trust and affinity built through consistently giving back to the communities the dispensaries serve.
Deep Roots Harvest, one of Nevada’s largest operators, takes a year-round approach to relationship-building. Through a series of events tied to holidays, product launches, and community partnerships, the dispensary chain creates opportunities for staff to connect with customers outside the usual sales transaction. Deep Roots and sister retailer The Source have embedded giving into their corporate culture, contributing more than $1 million to local organizations over the past decade. Chief Operating Officer Jon Marshall observed, “Our community-focused marketing efforts help Nevadans feel at home in our stores, and they help make stronger connections between our team and their customers.”
Takeaway: Giving back should be a core part of every retailer’s marketing efforts. Philanthropy strengthens consumer trust, helps build community, and leaves a lasting impression.
Events, events, events
Discounts may bring people in once, but experiences encourage them to return. Leading retailers are leaning heavily into events and experiences to deepen connections with customers and community. From hosting their own events to sponsoring or participating in mainstream goings-on, retailers are showing up in uncommon ways.
Embarc has mastered the art of experience-led marketing. The company’s recurring presence at mainstream events like the California State Fair and Outside Lands has helped normalize cannabis for broader audiences by blending sales and consumption into cultural moments. Embarc’s involvement with events in the seventeen California communities in which it operates dispensaries has resulted in notable media coverage, social media shoutouts, and community buzz. The chain’s Passport Club loyalty program extends that involvement by rewarding customers with access to popular events. From VIP concert tickets to farm tours, the prizes available to members not only differentiate Embarc but also create stories customers share. According to Chief Brand and Marketing Officer Courtney Zalewski, “We’re trying to go beyond transactions and create moments people remember long after their pre-roll is done.”
By using its consumption lounges as hubs for art shows, live music, community fundraisers, and educational tastings including a unique “hash flight” experience, The Artist Tree similarly has built a large portion of its reputation around events. The happenings often serve as a first touchpoint for new customers; for existing shoppers, they deepen brand loyalty. The dispensary chain’s key performance indicators include more than sales and foot-traffic metrics, according to Marketing Director Adriana Hemans. “We look at whether guests stayed longer than expected, came back the next weekend, or told friends about the art they saw,” she said. “That’s the kind of impact we are after—brand affinity that sticks around long after the event ends.” Hemans attributes The Artist Tree’s consistently high number of returning customers, social-media influencer mentions, and local press coverage to the dispensaries’ unique event offerings.
Mango Cannabis demonstrated the power of events with its Mango Del Sol concert celebration, which attracted more than 10,000 attendees to the multistate operator’s new Sunland Park, New Mexico, dispensary in June. Mango’s team spent months developing the concert. During the week of Mango Del Sol, the company’s Instagram audience increased by nearly 2,000 followers after receiving social-media mentions by attendees, talent, and locals. Instagram monthly impressions also grew significantly, which the team attributed to the concert. In addition to increasing online visibility, the retailer experienced a 5-percent increase in sales at the New Mexico store the day of the event, indicating community-driven events can lead to measurable results.
Even further outside the usual event envelope, Sweet Flower has targeted the wellness community by partnering with a monthly sound bath series. The California retail chain provides each sound bath participant a $25 gift card, thereby introducing the dispensary brand to a new audience in an environment naturally aligned with Sweet Flower’s holistic health messaging. In addition to visiting the dispensary to redeem the gift cards, some attendees have posted on social media about the retailer, which helped Sweet Flower gain new followers.
Takeaway: If your company is interested in connecting with new audiences, try integrating into and hosting events. If the event scene isn’t strong in your region, produce your own community-centric event.
Digital marketing
All of these community and experiential moments become exponentially more powerful when integrated with a smart digital strategy. Digital marketing agencies that work with the cannabis industry report retailers are shifting away from fragmented, one-off marketing tactics toward integrated multichannel programs.
According to Cannabis Creative Group, top-performing digital tactics for cannabis retailers include email and SMS marketing for conversion and retention, localized search engine optimization to boost “dispensary near me” visibility in competitive markets, and amplifying offline efforts with online buzz. Creating campaigns that integrate marketing across all platforms—including local and national press, owned channels like websites and blogs, and social media—creates a seamless connection between in-person experiences and digital engagement, which helps round out a meaningful marketing campaign and may extend brand recognition long after the campaign is over. Digital chatter can increase visibility and searchability, which in turn helps drive new customers to your location(s).
It’s important to remember that return on investment is measured not only by numbers on a spreadsheet but also in trust earned, stories shared, moments experienced, and customer loyalty. In a competitive market, how do you want your dispensary to be remembered?
Cannabis Marketing Q&A: Strategies That Work
What is the most effective cannabis marketing strategy today?
The most effective cannabis marketing combines community engagement, experiential events, and digital tactics into one integrated program.
How can cannabis retailers build customer loyalty?
Retailers build loyalty by giving back to their communities, hosting memorable events, and rewarding repeat customers through loyalty programs.
Why are events important for cannabis marketing?
Events help retailers connect with new audiences, strengthen community ties, and create experiences that keep customers coming back.
How can digital marketing support cannabis retailers?
Digital tools like SEO, email, SMS, and social media amplify offline efforts, boost visibility, and extend the reach of community-driven campaigns.
A Los Angeles-based entrepreneur with fourteen years of experience in the cannabis industry, Alice Moon works as a senior publicist at public relations and marketing agency Kip Morrison & Associates. Green Market Report named her to its “100 Most Important Women in Cannabis” list, and she was among Marijuana Venture’s “40 Under 40” in 2023.
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