Getting the attention of your target audience is essential when it comes to pulling in new customers. To stand out, brands have employed diverse, explosive, and sometimes boisterous strategies. But what if less is more? As it turns out, brands generally see more success by reaching their niche, and this can be accomplished by simply fine-tuning their messaging to form a closer-knit relationship.
Enter specialization. By devoting the knowledge you have about your craft, you can show off your expertise in a particular product, service, or industry. Here are four reasons specialization should guide your cannabis branding strategy and how you can put specialization to work showcasing your operation’s singular talents.
1. Specialization Demonstrates Cannabis Proficiencies
Regardless of your industry, specialization highlights a niche understanding of your field. For example, when customers want a cannabis crop that’s potent and of exceptional quality, they will scout out an experienced cannabis cultivation business. Likewise, when a brand is looking to bring on a consultant to problem-solve, finding high-caliber professionals is critical to guarantee premier expertise. Specialization has the unique ability to put your brand’s particular skills on full display.
Specialization as a branding strategy reveals a connection with your audience. If you operate a cannabis consumption brand selling premium concentrates, it is crucial to show customers your comprehension of different grades and production methods, as your consumers are likely to be well-versed on how the products are made, their favorite forms, and preferred chemovars. By having specialized knowledge of the subject matter, you’ll know how to deliver on those expectations and assure brand credibility for new and existing customers.
2. Specialization Forces an Efficiency Inspection of Your Cannabrand
Specialization’s eye for detail also helps to remove inefficiencies from your brand. Those who specialize in their given field or specific area can give meticulous consideration to each element of their business to fine-tune it and keep it in check, from the machines on a factory floor to the brand’s overall perception. This focus enables change to be implemented on a small scale that ultimately allows you to further heighten your capabilities on a big scale.
When I was with Franklin Bioscience, we developed a gummy that focused on unique ingredients because ingredients in a crowded market are often the same. We opted for the use of all-natural fruit purees rather than artificial flavors and colorants to create a gummy that provided a taste and texture similar to that of real fruit. Conscientious consumers made room for our gummies in their purchases due to that specialized difference, and it enabled us to showcase our niche capabilities of working with natural ingredients. Though certain markets may be harder to specialize in such as cannabis soft gels and capsules (because it’s harder for consumers to differentiate quality), it is critical to cater to customers in your niche and explain exactly why your product is satisfying a need for them.
Moreover, specialization can also prove attractive for investors as it shows a different aim than others, showcases your unique talents, identifies navigational techniques, and demonstrates your brand’s focused leadership capacity. While working to build your specialized operation, be sure to only allow businesses and dispensaries to carry your product if your brand vision aligns with theirs, as brand perception is delicate in the early stages. Remember your brand will be tied to the sales experience — good, bad, or unmemorable —consumers have where your product is available.
3. Narrowing Efforts Enhances Authenticity
Eighty-six percent of consumers consider authenticity to be a key deciding factor for determining brand support. Creating a general branding strategy to attract new customers could come across as inauthentic. It would be embarrassing to send out a newsletter greeting users with “Hi {First Name}”, rather than “Hi Rachel”. Paying attention to these personalized details matters, and narrowed efforts make it much easier to forge connections with your customers. Similarly, customers in the cannabis industry have anecdotally indicated heightened levels of trust with those who have worked in the industry, while recognizing others without direct cannabis experience may come across as disingenuous.
Developing a targeted strategy enhanced by specialization increases the likelihood of generating stronger ties with your customers. Consider your targeted strategy while assessing ways to curate a new business plan, or while adjusting for changing times. This re-evaluation ensures your brand stays true to the niche it serves.
4. Niche Specialization Begets Brand Recognition
While targeting your niche, you’ll be keeping an eye on forging new pathways in your industry. Explore considerations that may have been overlooked by non-niche-oriented professionals in your field. Use this ability to devise a strategy to guide you to an unmet audience and/or need in your niche.
A specialization strategy can also grant new and established customers an opportunity to effectively develop brand recognition of your product within your niche. Consider well-known products such as Bandaid or Crockpot, or those in the cannabis industry like Raw Papers. These brands are culturally recognizable because of their established nature in a specific niche. If you can prove yourself as an expert by developing your specialty, you can boost yourself to new heights and even receive colloquial recognition once thought unattainable.
Conclusion
Specialization puts your unique talents and skillset on display for your niche, demonstrating your capabilities in captivating ways. As a cannabis consultant, I’ve recognized it’s critical to share in-depth knowledge so brands can better communicate and demonstrate their expertise. Allow specialization to lead your branding strategy and show consumers, team members, and investors you recognize the inherent potential in your brand’s niche.
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