With the California cannabis industry booming, it’s a rush to market for who can garner the attention of not just customers, retailers and partners, but also investors. And to come out on top, a company needs a clear brand narrative that’s credible, unique and memorable.
Over the course of six months, we partnered with NorCal’s internal marketing team to build a brand from the ground up, from branding guidelines to film to social channels and event marketing, we touched every component of elevating NorCal’s reputation across the country.Highlighting heritage is fantastic way to establish credibility in the eyes of the viewer, but how do we do so when the legal cannabis industry arose just a few years ago? We went back to our roots, uncovering a rich, largely undiscussed history growing cannabis in California. With NorCal bringing the best of “OG” weed culture with the best of Silicon Valley tech, we told the story of a new kind of vertically-integrated packaged goods company.
In addition to extensive product testing, we did deep interviews with the C-Suite about their backgrounds and the history of cannabis in California. This resulted in a story about the decades of experience that NorCal brings to bear, as well as a never-ending passion for growth.
With such a new industry, there’s always going to be variety of curious eyes that want an insider look into your day-to-day. Across social platforms, we accommodated for all the type of content that consumers, dispensaries, partners, investors. and even potential growers would want to see. This resulted in a very strategically planned channel strategy to feature content anywhere from product innovation to cannabis education, all while forming tight-knit communities across platforms.
Nowadays it’s hard to flip open a magazine or drive down the highway without seeing huge marijuana leaves, loud type, and every weed pun imaginable. We knew people were excited about the industry becoming legal, but also knew that brands that appear a little more grown-up have potential for the long haul. While still maintaining the charm of their past and present, we took NorCal to a more down to earth, authoritative and trustworthy presence in the industry.