Competition in the weed industry will be fiercer than ever in 2023, so getting your dispensary branding spot-on is essential to the future of your business.
What are the smartest ways to set your dispensary apart and create repeat customers? Here are our predicted 2023 branding trends and a few quick tips.
Offer a Fresh Product Variety
2023 will bring a greater range of developed, innovative products. Think new cannabinoid discoveries and cultivated strains. Buying trends are also shifting more toward beverages, infused products, and unusual edibles (so not just gummies and brownies).
Regular customers know what they’ll find in every dispensary. They’re hungry for new, exciting products. Defy expectations by diversifying your range with plenty of new offerings. Then brand your dispensary as the one that offers something fresh and different.
Exploit 2023 Packaging Trends
Being different works well in cannabis — but every dispensary is trying to do the same.
If you’re planning to launch or rebrand your dispensary products in 2023, you’ll want to keep up with the latest packaging trends. Here are a few to look out for in 2023:
- Overstimulated branding: Use stand-out logos and patterns, bright colors, and bold fonts to grab attention and evoke good feelings.
- Nostalgia: Take familiar visuals from another time period to provide cultural escapism at a time when many are seeking it out.
- Using icons in place of letters: Swap a character from your brand or product name with an illustration to create an unforgettable impression.
Meet Different Customers’ Knowledge Levels
When cannabis first became legal in a few states, experienced users focused less on brands and instead purchased products for their effects. But as the appetite for legal cannabis continues to grow in 2023, diverse age groups and demographics will join the cannabis community in greater numbers.
The canna-curious often remember the cannabis store they feel most comfortable walking into: the place that understands their needs.
Try to guide first-time users through a carefully-crafted, welcoming brand experience. But also make sure your budtenders have enough knowledge to answer the questions of experienced tokers or you might lose this portion of the market.
Live Your Values
Consumers are growing more tired of brands that aren’t authentic or transparent. You know the type — companies that simply turn a profit and give nothing back to their community or environment. Or businesses that only react to social causes once they’re popular.
Share your dispensary’s values by weaving your mission into the fabric of your brand’s identity. Don’t only claim to support a cause — regularly contribute profits toward it. Don’t just say you’re “environmentally friendly” — sell cannabis products grown using the highest sustainability standards. Then shout about it.
Connect With Influencers
Celebrities that involve themselves with cannabis brands bring legitimacy to an industry that’s still pretty taboo. But not every dispensary can afford to hire the biggest names. That’s where social media influencers come in.
2023 is still a great time to partner with influencers and promote your brand through affiliate marketing. Do you want to be a dispensary that promotes the energizing qualities of cannabis? Contact respected (420-friendly) fitness influencers. The people you work with will reinforce your brand voice, so choose carefully.
Get Your Branding Right the First Time
Still feeling a little lost trying to figure out your dispensary’s branding for 2023? Cut out the work of doing it alone this year. Schedule a chat with HIGHOPES today by clicking on “Let’s Chat.”
