Tag Archive for: conferences

5 Steps to CPG PR Crisis Planning

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Key Takeaways

  • Crisis preparation protects your brand: For CPG brands—especially in emerging industries—proactive PR crisis planning helps organizations respond quickly to scrutiny, rumors, or regulatory changes before issues escalate.
  • A dedicated crisis response team is essential: Effective crisis communication requires coordination between leadership, PR professionals, legal advisors, and operational leaders, each with clearly defined responsibilities.
  • Crisis communication must be tailored to stakeholders: Different audiences require different messaging and channels. Planning in advance ensures communication remains consistent, timely, and credible during high-pressure situations.

For most CPG brands, a PR crisis is rarely a question of if—it’s a question of when.

This is especially true in emerging industries where regulations evolve quickly, research is still developing, and business deals grow larger and more visible. Those conditions create the perfect environment for public scrutiny—and occasionally, public relations crises.

Most CPG companies initially approach PR firms to share their story, gain media coverage, launch campaigns, and build brand recognition. Those are the exciting parts of public relations.

But some of the most valuable work a PR firm does happens behind the scenes: preparing a company for moments when things don’t go as planned.

Why Plan for a PR Crisis Before One Happens?

According to Plos|One research, true rumors are confirmed in roughly two hours—but false rumors can take more than fourteen hours to debunk.

In today’s fast-moving media environment, misinformation spreads quickly across social platforms and news outlets. Companies often have very little time to assess the situation, determine their response, and communicate clearly.

This is why crisis planning matters.

We once had an entrepreneur decline crisis planning because they “didn’t want to think about it.” For us, that was a clear red flag. Crisis preparation isn’t about pessimism—it’s about protecting the brand and ensuring the company can respond effectively when pressure arises.

Crisis planning may not be glamorous work, but it is essential. A thoughtful plan strengthens your brand’s resilience and allows leadership teams to act with clarity instead of panic.

In the era of rapid news cycles, social media amplification, and cancel culture, having a plan in place is one of the most effective ways to protect your company’s reputation.

Step 1: Identify Your PR Crisis Team

Your crisis response team should include the individuals responsible for leadership decisions, communications, and operational response.

Depending on your organization, this may include:

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Chief Marketing or Communications Officer
  • Brand Spokesperson
  • Public Relations Agency and Investor Relations Advisors

Additional team members may participate depending on the nature of the crisis:

  • Legal Counsel
  • Human Resources
  • Product or Quality Assurance Leaders
  • Social Media Specialists
  • Customer Service Representatives

Not every crisis will require every person listed above. However, each team member should understand their role before a crisis occurs. During a crisis, clarity around responsibilities helps prevent confusion and conflicting communication.

Step 2: Identify Potential Crisis Scenarios

Some CPG PR crises are unique to consumer brands, while others affect companies across industries.

When developing a crisis plan, leadership teams should brainstorm potential scenarios together. This process helps ensure all perspectives—legal, operational, marketing, and communications—are considered.

It’s also important to remember that a crisis can emerge simply because someone claims something happened, even if the claim proves false.

For example, if allegations against a company appear in the media or circulate widely online, the reputational damage may occur regardless of the outcome.

A well-known example is the Tide Pod Challenge. Although Tide had nothing to do with the viral social media trend encouraging people to consume detergent pods, the company still needed to respond quickly and responsibly.

Common crisis scenarios to consider include:

  • Product injuries affecting staff or consumers
  • Quality control issues or product recalls
  • Natural disasters affecting operations
  • Legal actions involving employees, clients, or partners
  • Regulatory investigations or emerging research impacting the industry
  • Executive leadership changes

Not every situation requires the same response. Some crises demand immediate public statements, while others may require targeted communication with a limited audience—or occasionally no response at all.

Step 3: Identify Stakeholders and Audiences

Most crises involve multiple stakeholder groups, each requiring slightly different communication.

While the core message must remain consistent, the level of detail or tone may vary depending on the audience.

  • Employees
  • Customers
  • Retail partners or dispensaries
  • Business partners
  • Investors
  • Government regulators
  • Industry media
  • National media
  • Local media

Mapping these audiences ahead of time ensures communication can happen quickly when needed.

Step 4: Determine Communication Formats

Different crisis scenarios require different communication strategies.

Companies should determine in advance how messages might be delivered. For example:

  • Will the company issue a press release?
  • Will leadership provide media interviews?
  • Will updates be shared on social media?
  • Will a video statement be appropriate?
  • Will investors require direct communication?

Although press conferences are relatively rare in the CPG sector, certain situations may call for them.

Planning communication channels in advance allows teams to move quickly and consistently during a crisis.

Step 5: Know Where Critical Information Is Located

During a crisis, speed matters.

Your crisis team should have immediate access to key information, including contact lists, internal leadership contacts, legal advisors, and media relationships.

Your PR firm should also have the necessary background materials ready—company facts, leadership bios, and messaging frameworks that can be adapted quickly.

Having this information readily available can sometimes mean the difference between damaging headlines and quickly resolved issues.

The Ongoing Step: Listen Carefully

In the day-to-day demands of running a CPG brand, it’s easy to overlook early warning signals.

That’s why monitoring industry conversations, social media sentiment, and media coverage is an essential part of crisis preparedness.

Strong media monitoring and social listening allow companies to identify potential issues early and adjust messaging before a situation escalates.

Understanding how consumers, regulators, and investors are reacting to industry developments provides valuable context when determining whether and how to respond.

There’s no single formula for CPG crisis planning. Each plan should reflect the company’s culture, leadership style, and risk profile.

But if a crisis does occur, having a plan in place provides something incredibly valuable: a clear path for decision-making.

If you’d like to learn more about crisis communication planning—or if you’re looking for experienced cannabis PR crisis advisors—you can start here.

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6 Questions to Ask and What To Look For Before Hiring A PR Firm

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Key Takeaways

  • Understanding and Industry Knowledge: It’s crucial for a PR firm to have a deep understanding of your product and industry to effectively communicate and navigate relevant regulations and trends. Assess their familiarity with your sector and their engagement in industry events.
  • Clear Metrics for Success: Establish well-defined key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the PR firm. This includes metrics like media placements, website traffic, and brand mentions, ensuring alignment with your overall communication strategy.
  • Transparent Fee Structure and Personal Chemistry: Ensure the fee structure is fair and clearly defined, including what services are covered under the retainer. Additionally, assess the personal chemistry between your team and the PR firm, as strong collaboration fosters better results.

What Should You Really Be Look For In A PR Firm?

Whenever I talk to someone hiring a PR firm, I really have empathy. We know, hiring a PR firm can be daunting. With increasing frequency, we’re hearing stories from clients who have experienced “bad PR.” We hate to hear that, because we know it’s important for our entire professional to provide exceptional services. More importantly, we know it’s important to you when making a PR investment. What should you ask before hiring a modern PR firm?

We truly believe many of these stories are because of client and agency being a mismatch rather than a “bad PR firm.” Taking a deeper look at PR before hiring a PR firm can save you money, and time. We can attribute much of this to the vast distinctions between how PR agencies operate and handle their clients. The intention of this piece is to provide you with questions we would be asking OUR PR firm before we hired them, and why those questions are important. Also, consider these “6 great questions you can ask us before hiring Avvans PR”

6 Questions to Ask Before Hiring Your Next PR Firm

Do You Understand Our Product?

Ask yourself how important a baseline understanding of your product or industry is to your communications. We’ve heard story after story of people unhappy with their PR firm because their PR firm doesn’t understand an emerging industry’s regulations or technology. Understanding the industry isn’t just important from a regulatory and technical perspective, it’s also the ability to monitor relevant news, understand what’s relevant (and what isn’t) and move quickly. Now, that’s not to say that a beauty PR can’t handle B2B PR for the industry, but expect to educate your firm.

What tradeshows and conferences has your team attended?
Does your PR firm understand what makes your product distinct within your industry?
What publications are writing about your vertical?

Before Hiring a PR Firm, Establish Clearly Defined Ways of Measuring Success for PR

Most companies today want consistent placement, strategic oversight, and outstanding communication. But what else? In a mature, less regulated industry, a PR firm typically works with multiple other firms from branding to experiential to an ad agency.

PR is THE leading brand trust and awareness tool.

In addition to earned media, companies should be looking at additional metrics for PR, such as SEO value. Website traffic, brand mentions, brand name reach, and even share of voice are all KPIs that are relevant, depending on the overall strategy. Your PR firm should be ready and able to provide those kinds of metrics to you every month. Changes in public perception or decreased sales cycle are also metrics with which PR can support. If you’re measuring your PR firm against KPIs like this, work with your PR firm to set a baseline and a reasonable timeframe.

To really maximize your PR, look to incorporate your content, whether it’s through your PR agency’s content services, or your own, be sure to align the key messages and the topics.

Is the Fee Structure Fair & Does It Make Sense?

Most PR firms work on a retainer, so make sure you have an understanding of what’s included in your retainer?

Does the firm charge for wire releases?
Is branded content included, and if so, does that extend to graphic design?
Is there a markup on expenses incurred by the PR agency and if so, what is it?
Are off-site activations included?
How are hours tracked?

There’s no single way to manage a retainer, so asking questions like this upfront will give you a deeper understanding. Be fearless about asking these questions, after all, you’re the client. You should expect a rationale that isn’t arbitrary. While you may view this as a negotiation opportunity, be wary of cutting the budget to the point where your brand isn’t on the radar daily. You want your PR firm engaged with your brand on a daily basis – make sure you’re getting that because the alternative often provides unsatisfactory results. A great PR firm will be transparent about their billing methods.  Financial terms form the foundation of your relationship with your PR firm. Get that right and find a balance that works for you and your PR firm.

Look for Good Personal Chemistry in Your PR Firm

While this one is tough to put on a spreadsheet, asking some tough questions will often reveal the quality of the chemistry. As an engaged client, you should be working with your cannabis PR experts regularly and you REALLY want that process to be enjoyable. Make sure your company culture meshes well with your cannabis PR firm’s value system.  Teams who like one another, work better together. If you’re not gelling with someone in the first call, chances are, that’s not going to change.

Compatability breeds productivity and results.

Before Hiring Your Next PR Firm, Consider: Location, Location, Location

Before you start narrowing down your PR firms, decide how important location is to you. We think having account presence in major journalism markets, like Los Angeles and New York is a priority, but if you’re the person who needs to meet face-to-face once a week, acknowledge that and find a firm close to your base of operations and hire a PR firm that’s near by.

Flexibility AND Systems

Pay close attention to the systems your PR firm uses and also take notice of their flexibility.

For starters, there should also be a clearly defined exit clause in the contract.

Who owns content?
How will the PR firm handle future press inquires when/if the engagement ends?
What is the cancelation agreement?

Your PR should have systems and processes in place, but those systems and processes should also be nimble enough to manage the PR world. For example, getting a press release right is exceptionally important, but it shouldn’t take your PR firm a week to write it. You should be able to review the first draft within hours on an emergency or breaking news circumstance. On the other hand, there should be a consistent drum beat and strategy behind media relations.  Which bring us to:

A Strategic Approach That Makes Sense

Before hiring, your  PR firm should be able to articulate an approach and strategy that makes sense to you. While credible PR firms won’t reveal details about clients, they should be able to articulate some case studies of  PR strategies and why they worked. For example, provide an experience that required a decision to respond to industry news. When, where, and how you respond to breaking industry news is determined by your brand strategy, BUT your PR should be able to articulate a strategy and when/why it worked. Your PR firm should have some strategic storylines and outlines in mind for your brand, which proves they’ve done a little research. Even if they aren’t perfectly on-brand, at least you’re starting with a strategy that is better than starting from zero. Avaans takes a slightly different approach by providing strategic research and competitive analysis before you even work with us.

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5 Tips To Secure Executive Speaking Engagements

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Key Takeaways

  • Do Your Homework: Research the conference and its audience thoroughly before pitching. Understand the topics in demand, review past speakers, and align your presentation to add genuine value to attendees.
  • Focus on the Organizer’s Needs: Tailor your pitch to emphasize how your presentation will benefit both the conference organizer and the audience. Highlight your credibility, social proof, and how you can help drive attendance.
  • Develop a Strong Point of View: Be bold and articulate a distinct perspective or unique insights. Create memorable statements that resonate with attendees, ensuring your presentation stands out and sparks discussion.

There are only so executive speaking spots in a given year.

Securing an executive speaking engagement is an honor, so if your  PR and marketing plan includes pitching trade show organizers, it’s never too early to get your house in order. Every conference opens calls for speakers differently and every conference accepts pitches differently, but if you get your house in order submitting for speaking engagements will become exciting and fun!

1. Do Your Homework 

Before you submit your industry speaking pitch, take a look at the speaker FAQ page, if one doesn’t exist, send an email to the conference organizer asking what topics they’re seeking and what parameters you should consider before submitting.  As a former conference organizer, it always surprised me how many questions we received which were readily available in the FAQ; alternatively, when I received questions, it was always a welcomed opportunity to hear what was unclear and how we could improve.

Review past speakers and talk to attendees at the conference, if you haven’t been yourself. Find out who the most successful presenters were and why the audience loved them so much. Review the conference hashtag and see who people talked about and why. Take a look at relevant magazine headlines, where are the emerging industry stories and can you tap into that in your presentation? Before you start pitching, do your travel budget because most executive speakers pay their own way.

Take a servant-leadership mentality and really think about who the audience is and how you can add real value to their business.

2. Consider the Organizer’s Needs

During your pitch, it’s not about you. It’s about how you can add value to the conference organizer and attendees. Take stock of your recent PR wins and use them as social proof. Conference organizers want to be sure their limited presentation spots are filled by people attendees want to hear from. The conference organizer’s job is to get people in the door, enough people to make exhibitors and sponsors thrilled by attendance – many people are so focused on promoting their key messages in the pitch they forget about the audience when they’re submitting for a speaking engagement.

Regardless, when you’re developing your pitch, don’t shy away from pointing out how your topic is timely and relevant to the specific audience the conference is trying to attract and why the attendees will be thrilled by your presentation. Articulating how you will drive traffic to the conference will also get an organizer’s attention.

Help the organizer visualize how you can help them, point out your strengths:

Conference organizers are also drowning in applications. Sifting through speaker applications is often like sifting through resumes, it’s monotonous, so speak directly to the conference organizer’s needs in your blurb. For this reason, some conferences are largely pay-to-play, speaker slots are primarily reserved for industry heavy hitters and sponsors or those willing to pay the conference organizer a fee. In that case, you have three choices: become an industry heavy-hitter by using the many PR and content avenues open to you, sponsor the conference, or blow them out of the water the other 4 tips presented here. Want to guarantee a speaker spot? Do all of it.

 

3. Develop Your Distinct Point of View

Be a Bold Thinker

Be bold, be current and don’t be afraid to take a strong stand on an industry or cultural topic. A strong point of view and a strong title will go along way. If you’re unwilling to take a bold stand, then think about sharing an insightful case study that transparently digs deep into what went right and what went wrong.

Be an Expert:

Share your distinct expertise, give the attendees something no one else can give them. Develop 1-2 memorable, quotable statements which you’ll use in your pitch and during your presentation that illustrates your distinct point of view. Show the conference organizers that you’ll have the attendees talking about your presentation.

4. Get Your Assets In Order

Because executive speaking engagements are competitive, make sure your house is in order.  One key element is all your public-facing assets. You might say that you don’t have time for this, but if you look around, the conference speakers who always get the gig do these things – even CEOs.

Social Media

For example, kick it into gear on social media. Many conference organizers will look at your personal and cannabis brand’s social media to get a sense of how engaged you are with the cannabis industry and whether the industry views your CEO or brand as leading in some way. Use your social media strategically and be sure to engage your audience.

Company Website

Create a speaker’s page on your blog with sample topics and presentations you’re prepared to give. Social media is another straightforward way for conference organizers to differentiate executive speakers.

Content

Make sure your headshot is professional, develop some industry blogs for your website that reflect your thought leadership. Use LinkedIn for those pieces as well.  For these pieces, you can think of quality over quantity.

Do a Google search on your name so you know what the conference organizer will see when they look you up,  take the necessary steps to improve the search in advance of your speaking pitches.

If you’re new to speaking at the conference, be prepared to submit a video of yourself presenting on your topic and a letter of recommendation from a communications professional or industry professional.

5. Be Human & Personalize

Speaking at industry conferences is an honor, and yes, a great opportunity. Remember to be authentic and genuine in your speaker pitch. Make your pitch empathetic and about the industry and the organizer, show that you really understand that it’s your job to make your presentation great, not the other way around.

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Turning Cannabis Event Marketing into Public Relations Opportunities

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Key Takeaways

  • Maximize Event Impact with PR Collaboration: Collaborating with a cannabis PR agency is crucial for turning industry events into meaningful PR opportunities. Effective strategies include sponsoring speakers or unique event components, which can enhance visibility and foster word-of-mouth marketing without needing a top-tier sponsorship.
  • Focus on Strategic Event Selection: Instead of spreading resources too thin at major events, consider smaller, regional conferences where your brand can have a stronger presence and greater impact. Prioritize events based on ROI and alignment with marketing objectives to ensure focused and effective participation.
  • Create Unique and Engaging Experiences: Hosting your own event can be a powerful way to generate PR. Stand out by offering creative, memorable experiences rather than typical samples. Partnering with nonprofits, providing exclusive access to press, and innovating beyond common practices can help capture media attention and build valuable connections.

As of today, there are 108 cannabis business tradeshows and expos around the world listed on our conference resource. It’s near impossible to go to them all and more importantly when you choose one, how do you turn an event into a consumer or cannabis industry PR opportunity?

 

We’re coming up on the annual big daddy of cannabis conferences: MJ Biz. It’s easily the largest single show in North America. If you’re planning on exhibiting, you might be thinking about how you’ll stand out and get PR at MJ Biz. Lean on your cannabis pr agency to turn your next conference into a cannabis event marketing opportunity. Since you’re spending significant time, energy, and money to be at a tradeshow or conference, it’s really important that you maximize the investment. The very last thing you want to do is walk away from a cannabis tradeshow wondering if it will make any impact on your bottom line. There are multitudes of reasons to go to cannabis events and conferences, mainly because the networking with thought leaders, colleagues, and clients, (more on that later), but be clear on how why your strategies. Little known tip: I used to be an owner for an industry trade show, so I’ve seen how even small companies can become great with some elbow grease and creativity. I’ve seen brand leaders come out of nowhere and suddenly be the toast of the town by simply being smart about how they leverage a tradeshow.

Let Cannabis PR and Cannabis Event Marketing Work Together:

It’s critical to collaborate with cannabis PR agency on cannabis event marketing. Whether you’re doing CBD marketing or THC marketing, each of these cannabis events has a cannabis marketing and PR role to play. Regardless of what size your booth is, think about how you can and will activate on and off the floor. The obvious answer is sponsorships, which you can approach from a brand goal perspective. If your goal is simply awareness and you can afford the branding dollars, a major sponsorship can offer many CBD marketing and THC marketing benefits including SEO, cannabis business perception, and usually, some “insider and VIP” benefits. But even if you can’t afford one of the top-tier sponsorships, there are still a multitude of PR-worthy cannabis event marketing options available to you.

One often overlooked cannabis business PR opportunity: consider sponsoring a notable speaker (besides yourself) for a session that will drive mentions and press for far less. Maybe sponsoring a section of the floor makes more sense or work with the conference organizers on an off-the-floor event value-add (who is paying for the champagne at the cocktail reception?). For cannabis event marketing to stand out, it’s not enough to sponsor, be thinking about the value of “word of mouth,” and activations that will be memorable and get people talking. This is where your PR agency can help you develop cannabis event marketing strategies that fit well with your brand development and PR budget.

Employ Big Fish/Small Pond Cannabis PR & Cannabis Marketing Strategies

What if you need to hit one of the larger shows, but you feel overwhelmed by the multitude of choices that aren’t tier 1 tradeshow or conferences? This is a great time to dig deep and choose another tradeshow or expo which you’d like to own. Owning the conference at a regional conference may well provide more cannabis branding and marketing benefits than being in booth 2067 at the largest conference in the country. Don’t let your FOMO dictate your cannabis marketing and cannabis PR budgets – be strategic about what you’re planning on doing at each conference. Be clear on the objectives and stay laser-focused on supporting those strategies.  Bring together your cannabis marketing and cannabis PR firms (if they’re different) to view each conference through an ROI, press, and word of mouth opportunity and stack rank your options.

Host Your Own Cannabis PR-Worthy Event

The cannabis industry loves to network. We’re tied to one another navigating this wild-wild west and we know: personal connections, trusted collaborators, friends, and partners make all the difference.

You don’t need a celebrity to earn media at your event (it doesn’t hurt though), but you do need to consider creative options. Gone are the days when simply providing THC and CBD samples are enough to pull together a crowd.
What can you do that’s on-brand to activate the space?
Is there a space that’s noteworthy in your area?
Can you partner with a nonprofit?
How can you create synergies between your brand and the press?
What access can you provide the press?
What insider opportunities can you give them and your most engaged customers and clients?

Shhhh…My Most Important Cannabis Marketing & PR Tip:

My insider tip on how to turn your own cannabis event into a cannabis PR worthy opportunity? Look around at what everyone else is doing – and do something else. Be the first, the original, the most fun. Be something notable, and it will earn you press for days. Cannabis industry PR agencies are usually particularly great at developing ideas that will capture the imagination of the “been-there-done-that press.” If your existing cannabis PR firm is anything like us – they have a few ideas they’ve been dying to deploy. Here’s a bonus tip: if you don’t have a big budget, don’t make your event do the heavy lifting during major seasonal or industry blow-outs. A great cannabis event marketing strategy is to hold an event during a “downtime” in the industry, which will invigorate and inspire your stakeholders, press, and customers.

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