Generous store return policies lead to an increase in sales for traditional retailers. However, returning products in the cannabis industry is not as easy as returning shoes that did not fit comfortably. Many dispensaries only accept returns on defective items while others only accept unopened/unused products. For the most part, a customer cannot purchase a cannabis product to try it out and return it. This makes it less likely for a consumer to experience something new.
Cannabis product demonstrations may offer a nifty compromise for customers and patients. Demos allow consumers to get an up-close view of a product and see how to use it properly without committing themselves to a purchase. In fact, TGI suggest that 41 percent of shoppers who see a demonstration of a product go on to buy it from the store.
The cannabis industry is relatively new with constant innovation. New consumers are regularly walking into shops and may not be aware of the wide range of products and services offered in a dispensary.
Marketers often think about a buyer persona, an imaginary person that represents their target consumers. With product demos, there is no need to imagine. The imaginary conversation marketers envision can actually occur. Face to face interaction with the customer can help cement bond. Consumers can ask questions in real time instead of having to place a call or send an email inquiry and possibly becoming disenfranchised.
There are other and unique reasons that make product demonstrations essential to the cannabis industry. In most cases, traditional Advertisements are simply not available to cannabis shops. Newspapers ads, billboards are often banned in most areas for the cannabis industry as well as digital sources such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other online hubs.
Additionally, online sales are also off limits for many products. Brick and mortar stores may be on the decline in general, but in the cannabis industry, they are not going away anytime soon. This is not likely to change dramatically anytime soon, even if the federal government legalizes cannabis.
Canna Demos is one of the few companies that specializes in demonstrating cannabis products. They offer several services such as brand representation, product demonstration, and dispensary staff training and have worked with high-profile clients including Wana Brands and Willie’s Reserve.
“Implementing a program with Canna Demos will increase ticket price per customer, through excitement and education of new products.,” Jessica Kaiser, Founder of Canna Demos, told mg.
Products demos will also “establish loyalty, help to keep customers coming back, educate the consumer about a wide variety of products, and result in additional cross-category sales,” Kaiser added.
While marketers are gravitating toward refining their digital strategies, for good reason in most cases, the cannabis industry has and will continue to thrive on making in-person connections.
