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The Rise of ChatGPT: A Revolution in Content Creation

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ChatGPT: The Unseen Architect of Tomorrow’s Content

As if waking from a dream, we find ourselves in a brave new world of artificial intelligence and machine learning. No field seems untouched by this seismic shift, with content creation on the brink of a renaissance. The catalyst? ChatGPT. This view isn’t mere future-gazing; it’s today’s reality, a window into an exciting future brimming with possibilities and questions. Join us to explore what ChatGPT means for the content industry, no doubt, ChatGPT is a revolution in content.

 

Decoding ChatGPT: Unraveling an AI Phenomenon

Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, or GPT, is an artificial intelligence model trained on diverse internet text. The ‘Chat’ in ChatGPT is a nod to its conversational prowess, both its primary capability and tour de force.

This language model, developed by OpenAI, uses machine learning to produce human-like text. ChatGPT-4, the most recent iteration, is a quantum leap from its predecessor, GPT-3, boasting an impressive increase in the number of parameters. The result is a model that’s smarter, more versatile, and more attuned to the intricacies of human communication.

The essence lies within its training process, which commences with pre-training, wherein the model gains the ability to predict the following word in a sentence. It then progresses to fine-tuning, where it’s taught how to respond to prompts based on user inputs. The cherry on top? A diverse dataset that adds that dash of worldly wisdom.

Applying ChatGPT in the Content Industry: A Transformative Impact

For long, the concept of AI creating content was a realm of futuristic fiction. Today, it’s our reality, thanks to the transformative power of ChatGPT. It isn’t a mere conceptual fascination; the practical implications of ChatGPT have begun to ripple across the content industry, changing the game in profound and meaningful ways.

Content Creation Revolution: The Automated Scribe at Your Service

Imagine a scribe that never tires, a wordsmith ready to craft beautiful narratives from your most straightforward ideas. From bite-sized blog posts to epic novels, ChatGPT has shown itself to be a tireless partner in the creative process.

When we think about automated writing assistance, it’s not just about churning out words. It’s about breathing life into ideas, about transforming mundane content into the structure of such narratives wherein ChatGPT shines. It needs to understand your command; it reads your intent, offering a fresh perspective, and making your content dance to a rhythm that’s engaging.

Customer Support and Chatbots: Personalized interactions and more

The battle for better customer experiences is never-ending in customer support. However, with ChatGPT, we’ve got a powerful ally. This AI marvel has the power to transform the way businesses interact with customers, bringing a degree of personalization and efficiency that was unthinkable just a few years ago.

Chatbots powered by ChatGPT aren’t your run-of-the-mill automated responders; they’re everyday superheroes. No query is too complex, and no customer issue is too tricky. They handle a wide array of interactions with downright impressive ease, making them a reliable first line of support available around the clock.

Language Translation and Localization: Breaking the Language Barriers

In today’s globalized world, language can often be a barrier between you and your audience. ChatGPT is working on breaking those walls down. It’s more than just a linguist who’s proficient in multiple languages. It’s a skilled translator who understands the nuances of localization and knows that effective communication isn’t just about translating words but about conveying their meaning.

Data Analysis and Research: Unleashing the Power of Data

Living in the age of big data, we generate staggering volumes daily, but making sense of this data deluge is easier said than done. That’s where ChatGPT steps in as a savvy data analyst. It can sift through mountains of data, spot patterns, and extract insights that could easily escape the human eye. For researchers and analysts, ChatGPT is more than a tool; it’s a partner that accelerates research and facilitates data-driven decision-making.

Implications for Content Creators and Writers: At the Crossroads of Innovation

As we sail forward on this tide of transformation, those who shape our stories and ideas, the content creators and writers, find themselves at an exciting crossroads. This belief isn’t a mere intersection of paths but a junction where human creativity meets AI intelligence. Here’s what that means for those who breathe life into words.

Collaboration between Humans and AI: Companions, Not Competitors

The doom and gloom out there see ChatGPT as a machine to take our jobs. However, AI isn’t necessarily a replacement for human creativity but a tool that can enhance it. This AI isn’t here to steal the spotlight but to share it, augment our abilities, and push our creative boundaries.

The implications are vast, and ethical considerations are at the forefront. However, imagine a world where human writers and AI work together, each leveraging the other’s strengths. Humans bring to the table their creativity, empathy, and intuition. At the same time, AI content generators, like ChatGPT, offer efficiency, vast knowledge, and the ability to work without fatigue. The future of content creation lies in this symbiotic relationship, a collaboration that encourages innovative content while ensuring the ethical use of AI.

Adaptation to Changing Roles and Responsibilities: Evolve to Thrive

ChatGPT’s advent comes with a gentle nudge for content creators: to expand their horizons, adapt, and evolve. In its embrace of AI, the content industry has started favoring higher-level skills and critical thinking over simple writing prowess.

The writing profession isn’t diminishing; it’s transforming. It’s no longer just about writing beautiful prose; it’s also about utilizing tools like ChatGPT to create content that resonates, strikes a chord, and makes an impact. Content creators must commit to continuous learning and upskilling to navigate this change. It’s not a challenge but an opportunity to grow and flourish in a fast-changing environment.

Opportunities for Niche Content and Personalization: The Dawn of a New Era

ChatGPT isn’t just a tool; it’s a window into an exciting new world of niche content and personalization. It’s possible to tailor content to individual preferences and to speak directly to every member of a diverse audience through its ability to generate human-like text.

ChatGPT can quickly dive into specific topics, making it an excellent tool for creating niche content that resonates with a particular group of readers. It’s not just about reaching more people; it’s about connecting with them. And that’s a reality, a new era, not just a distant possibility.

The AI content generator is an ally in this changing landscape, a tool that can bring out the best in content creators. It’s a call to evolve, adapt, and seize the opportunities that come with change. Those who answer this call will be the ones who shape the future of content creation.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations: The Hurdles on the Road to a Revolution

Every revolution, however inspiring, comes saddled with challenges, and the ChatGPT revolution is no different. These aren’t roadblocks but checkpoints that we need to address mindfully to harness the full potential of this AI revolution.

 

Risk of Misinformation and Biased Content: A Test of Trust and Truth

We live in an era where the spread of misinformation is as easy as a click. Fake news is a valid and pressing concern, and the advent of AI-powered content generation adds another layer of complexity to this issue. Ensuring the accuracy of AI-generated content is crucial. Trust is the bedrock of any content strategy, and we must stay vigilant to prevent AI tools from being misused.

Another facet of this challenge is bias. Whether implicit or explicit, biases can creep into AI-generated content, influencing the information and narratives we consume. We must rise to this challenge and work tirelessly to address and minimize biases in ChatGPT and similar tools. It is where the big names in the tech industry (OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft) have a substantial part to play.

Preserving Originality and Authenticity: The human touch in the machine age

ChatGPT’s ability to generate content is awe-inspiring. Still, this power comes with a responsibility: to ensure originality and authenticity in every piece of content, it creates.

While ChatGPT can replicate human-like writing, it cannot replace the human touch that breathes life and emotion into the content. The challenge here is using ChatGPT while ensuring the human voice isn’t lost, and the content feels personal and unique. Additionally, we must avoid plagiarism and content duplication, respecting intellectual property rights while embracing AI’s capabilities.

Potential Job Displacement and Economic Implications: Navigating the Transition

ChatGPT is a game-changer, but its advent comes with questions about the future of content-related professions. What happens to content creators and writers in a world where AI can write too?

This transition isn’t about job displacement but rather about job transformation. The need for content is going nowhere, but the nature of content creation is evolving. Content professionals must adapt, acquire new skills, and understand how to use tools like ChatGPT to their advantage. With foresight, planning, and adaptability, we can navigate this transition smoothly, ensuring that the economic implications are accounted for and mitigated.

In these challenges, we must remember: ChatGPT is a tool. How we use it and navigate these hurdles is in our hands. The road to revolution may have its bumps, but with mindful and ethical use, we can harness the power of ChatGPT for the greater good.

Future Prospects of ChatGPT in the Content Industry: The Dawn of a new narrative

Standing at the precipice of this revolution, we realize that ChatGPT’s journey is just beginning. Its impact on the content industry is profound, but it’s only the prologue of a story still being written—the future chapters of this narrative promise even more exciting developments.

Advancements in AI Technology: A Leap into the Future

The realm of AI isn’t static; it’s a field in constant evolution. Each iteration, each new model, is more innovative and capable, pushing the envelope of what’s possible. AI technology isn’t just growing; it’s sprinting toward the future.

As for ChatGPT, its potential has yet to bring to fruition. Future iterations could see it integrating multimodal capabilities, enhancing its text generation with visual or auditory data processing. Imagine a world where ChatGPT can write a blog post, create an accompanying infographic, or compose a podcast script while suggesting audio elements to enhance the listener’s experience. It’s an exciting prospect that promises to transform the content landscape in ways we can only dream of now.

Ethical Guidelines and Regulations: Responsibility in Revolution

Responsible AI utilization must serve as our guiding principle as we navigate the path of this revolution, acknowledging that great power comes with great responsibility.

The future will likely see the development and implementation of more robust ethical guidelines and regulations for AI usage, especially in content creation. These will serve as the pillars supporting the responsible utilization of AI, ensuring that it contributes to the greater good while minimizing potential harm.

Collaborative efforts between AI developers, content creators, users, and policy-makers will be critical in creating these frameworks. The aim is to harness the power of AI like ChatGPT without compromising on ethical standards or societal norms.

The ChatGPT journey is a tale of transformation and possibility. However, as we step into the future, let’s remember to do so responsibly, harnessing the power of this revolutionary tool while respecting ethical considerations. It’s not just about making the content industry more efficient or dynamic; it’s about creating a world where AI and humans coexist, thrive, and write the future together.

Conclusion

ChatGPT might evolve into a customized virtual companion, integrating with voice-based interfaces and enhancing user experience. It is redefining the content industry, and the implications are as profound as they are exciting.

While we grapple with questions of ethics and authenticity, the opportunities for creativity, efficiency, and personalization are enormous. As we welcome this new chapter, let’s remember the importance of responsible AI utilization. For now, let’s embrace this revolution and prepare ourselves to be surprised by the genius of AI.

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Can Growth Marketing and Public Relations Work Together?

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Can growth marketing and public relations work together. Growth marketing is about customer acquisition and retention, often through paid media, with relentless iterations and deeply engaged knowledge of the consumer. Public relations is reputation management of a company’s image, often through earned media and deep understanding of broader cultural and media trends. So what do they have in common? On the surface, not much, but when you dig deeper into the tactics and the metrics, we can see where together growth marketing and public relations can work together successfully.

Suppose the business objective for a consumer product launch is to increase sales through decreasing competitors’ market share. In that case, a digitally savvy PR agency knows how to do competitive research of the entire digital landscape and media landscape and use that data to determine the opportunities to overtake a competitor, while a growth marketer is reviewing how the company attracts customers and retains customers. But where do growth marketing and public relations work together?

Data Driven KPIs

Today’s modern PR firms and PR campaigns should be tied to business goals and identified public relations metrics that support and funnel up into that goal.  While growth marketers are developing ads, PR agencies are developing ways to capture the target audience’s imagination. PR agencies may present a word-of-mouth activation or a targeted quality over-quantity earned media campaign that overlaps targeted audiences. A PR agency might also recommend content which can boost SEO and support brand values that interest and retain customers.  Just like a growth marketer, a modern PR agency is tracking metrics. What metrics might a PR agency track in the above scenario?

  • Mention Quality
  • Article Reach
  • Brand Placement in Article
  • Share of Voice
  • Domain Authority

All of the above PR metrics are measures of awareness and credibility. These metrics support top-of-funnel AND bottom-of-funnel customer journeys and can support growth marketing efforts with a keen eye on target audiences and messaging which supports growth marketing.

The Digital PR Toolkit

For growth marketers, the digital tool kit is primarily paid (but not exclusively); for growth marketing PR, the digital tool kit is primarily owned (but not solely). But there are a few areas where growth marketing and growth PR connect. One of those is SEO. For the growth marketer, SEO provides opportunities for retargeting and organic acquisition, growth marketing PR adds value to both. With a savvy eye on keywords and quality inbound links, PR supports growth marketing objectives to funnel into business objectives.

That’s not all; PR agencies working with media outlets to build revenue opportunities can help growth marketing with a high domain authority on inbound links as well as excellent reviews from credible media outlets, which send potential new customers searching for the product. These reviews could be in gift guides or hero reviews where the consumer product receives an in-depth study that meets Google’s product review update recommendations. Meanwhile, growth marketers will typically focus on reviews from influencers or existing customers. And a brand with positive customer reviews gives a journalist further confidence in a brand and a product.

Today, PR and growth marketing can use some of the same tools, they use them slightly differently:

  • Inbound Links
  • Owned Media
  • Credible Review Acquisition

Credibility: Where PR Fills The Gap

I often tell our clients PR creates the awareness and solidifies reputation; ads are the conversion driver – that’s how they work together, and they both work better. Why? It’s simple: earned media from credible media outlets is more trusted than paid ads. But few journalists look at it as their job to write conversion-focused marketing copy. The journalist’s job is traditionally to create the content that keeps you on the pages. From a longer tail and more strategic point of view – PR also builds brand credibility on the corporate level, trusted brands have faster aquisition and they have longer customer retention, meaning growth marketing is even more influential.

So when someone sees a great review of a product, and THEN they see the ad, they get the trigger to purchase the product, or maybe they sign up for a newsletter, or maybe the look for more reviews and do a Google search that lands them on another referral site. The pathways are endless, but they all come back to one thing: supporting the brand’s business goal.

I’m a fan of understanding and maximizing the media environment for our clients. The Avaans Media client is ambitious and goal driven, so understanding how our jobs support overall marketing strategies and business goals is essential. When we evaluate the landscape for our clients, we find a distinct point of view, and because our tools are different than growth marketers, we can glean insights and data that drive new insights. To be honest, I’m not concerned with being a purist about owned, earned, and paid. It’s the job of a digitally savvy PR agency to know what levers to pull when and how to shape campaigns that create success. That’s our job – and that’s why growth marketers and public relations can be best buddies.

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The Secret to Captivating Cannabis Marketing Content

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There’s a secret hidden in ALL our brains that you can use for cannabis content marketing.

Did you know that we’re all ruled by a super powerful hormone? It’s true. This hormone dominates decision-making, especially split-second choices like the ones digital users are making every day. Decisions like “click,” “like,” “retweet,” and “buy” and “subscribe” are all significantly impacted by this hormone. Savvy marketing strategists have been triggering this hormone for years, some knowingly, some stumbling upon it.

You’ve undoubtedly heard of this hormone. You’ve heard about in the context of drugs, sex, and even food. But what does this hormone do for cannabis marketers? I’ll get to that in a minute.

First, a little more about this hormone: dopamine. See? I told you you’ve heard of it. Dopamine is best known as the “pleasure hormone.” It’s the hormone that creates the surge of euphoria that we feel after a satisfying cannabis session. But, the surge of satisfaction is not actually the most powerful tool in a marketer’s arsenal.

The most powerful tool for the marketer is anticipation.

And it turns out that dopamine is actually more aptly described as the “wanting and seeking” hormone.
Ah. Now you get it right?
It turns out that the “wanting and seeking” trigger is MORE powerful than the “satisfaction.” Which means, we’re hardwired to keep looking, keep seeking until we satisfy our wanting and seeking. And then, we’re hard-wired to do it all again.

Think for just a moment about the advantage to your content and overall cannabis marketing strategy if you can trigger this motivation. Images can trigger our wanting and seeking. Ever seen a really great close-up shot of your favorite food and found yourself searching for how to have it delivered at lunch that.very.day? Images of just about anything we want can trigger our “wanting and seeking” hormone. This means you really need to think about the images you’re using in marketing and advertising, because images are incredibly key to the top of the funnel.
While we see food and sex all the time in marketing, maybe those images aren’t appropriate for your brand. Although this knowledge is particularly useful for the cannabis industry – imagine using a cupcake instead of a joint in everyone one of your Instagram posts. Not only would this spark some word-of-mouth PR, but it solves many of the problems cannabis brands have with their own Instagram presence. Imagine how much harder it would be for Instagram to punish a pro-cupcake brand. Not only does this stike at the consumers’ anticipation in two different ways, it also creates another type of seeking.

Guess what else fuels our anticipation?

Just guess.
This is super important because not all businesses and campaigns are suitable for triggering the food, sex and drug urges.
Curiosity.
The brain experiences dopamine rushes when we’re curious for more information.
Think about the last Google search you did. Ever been sucked down the rabbit hole of Google and found yourself coming out of the other side 45 minutes later? That’s your insatiable, hormone-driven seeking and wanting trigger. That’s your brain on the anticipation train.

Our quest for information is basically never-ending. We’re hard-wired that way, and from an evolutionary perspective, this is a very, very good thing. Now, WHAT information triggers this is the key. This is where we circle back around to audience identification and personalization.
We’re inundated with information, so we have to be very clear on our audience so we understand WHAT kind of information or curiosity triggers our target audience. Motivational triggers work on all people, but what triggers the motivation is where your marketing research and strategy come in.

Unexpected prompts, audio and visual also trigger our wanting and seeking hormone. You know what does this exceptionally well?
Your phone.

It beeps or vibrates or a message pops up and you almost ALWAYS stop what you are doing to look at it don’t you? This is why SMS messaging is so powerful.  If you do manage to ignore your phone’s notifications, it takes an active and conscious effort on your part.
This is why my most hated and dreaded marketing tactic, pop-up messaging, is so powerful. I drop right out of a page when I get a pop-up because I feel like it’s insensitive to the reader, but the truth is, it works on the vast majority of people because the surprise triggers the wanting and seeking. Novelty and unpredictability also trigger our seeking behavior. Therefore, “New and Improved” works. It’s also why the above cupcake example works.

The Counter-Intuitive Path

You’ve probably heard over and over again to simplify. The message is too long. The funnel is too long.
Overall, this is good advice.
However, once you really understand the “seeking and wanting” hormone, your path can actually be quite long, so long as it keeps triggering curiosity and gives information in small bits and pieces if it gives anything until it offers the solution. Cannabis marketers can use this hunting and seeking trigger on their own websites too. And this is really important, because as federal legalization looms, cannabis brands will need to have a digital presence that is in control of them.

As cannabis education to a larger base becomes more important, you may find this technique particularly relevant in your cannabis marketing.

Have you ever found yourself reading a really ugly landing page with all text? Really awesome copywriters understand how to use this tactic in writing to move you through the process. Interestingly enough, the more time you spend on something, the more committed you are. So long copy, long funnels, they have a purpose and in the right situation, the right circumstance, the right audience, they work. You can use this strategy in your digital cannabis marketing to your benefit, particularly for product launches and blogs.

In A Nutshell:

Here it is in a nutshell, for fast and motivational results: trigger the wanting and seeking hormone.
Make your audience curious.
Lead them down a path that satisfies in bits and pieces.
Experiment with what triggers curiosity in your audience, experiment with the strength of their curiosity with funnel length.
Triggering the “wanting and seeking” hormone is the very premise behind free information in content cannabis marketing and the internet in general.

This article has been slightly edited from the original version on poodlemafia.com

About the Captivation Motivations:

The Captivation Motivations are all built around what I call our “other 90%” of our brain. The part of our brain that is the oldest and most developed part of our brain.
I didn’t make up the Captivation Motivations, I’ve simply been studying them and their effects for the last four years. I’ve been testing them in my strategies and tactics, reading and writing about them.
Simply put, these motivations are not some flash-in-the-pan-do-whats-trendy-now strategy, these are strategies which trigger reactions from the oldest part of our brain.  More and more is now understood about these motivations. But one thing is clear: despite the fact that these motivations developed in the earliest days of humanity’s survival of the fittest experiences, these motivations are very much alive and well today. What triggers them in the modern world is just different than what triggered them in our earliest evolutionary days.

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5 Often Untapped Strategies of Early Adopter Marketing

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Ah, the early adopter. Their the people who grab on to things first, they start trends and they are influencers in their respective communities.

Whether you’re a startup, a movement or a personality, you need these early adopters. Marketing to early adopters can be slippery though, what they grab on to is almost entirely motivationally based. Toss out your traditional “Three P’s” of marketing if you want to capture this crowd, you’re going to need to think through what makes them tick.

Whether you’re building a product or starting a movement, keep your early adopters in mind. Strategies of early adopter marketing require a deep understanding of their motiviations.

Early Adopters Value Intellectual Stimulation

It doesn’t matter what your target market is, a certain segment of them are early adopters and early adopters like to be challenged and stimulated.  Puzzles and quizzes are intriguing to these people, but they get bored easily, so make sure the content matches the intelligence level.

Don’t mistake this to assume that every puzzle or quiz is intriguing to early adopters. They aren’t necessarily the “Buzzfeed” quiz takers. They like to learn and be challenged but they aren’t interested in dumbed down versions of anything. By the time something has caught mass adoption, early adopters have either “been there/done that” or are already deeply engaged in using the product.

Early Adopters Have High “FOMO.”

Because they value their role as early adopters, they never want to be “out of the loop” or miss something that’s particularly cool.

Tap into that “Fear of Missing Out” during the earliest stages. Give them ways to be cool to their community by letting them be the gateway to a broader audience and you’ll be tapping into their desires to be seen as an early adopter.

Google generally does this really well when it launches products. It does an initial invitation to known early adopters and gets everyone else clamoring to be part of it in the first phase and SEEN as an early adopter. Google definitely has marketing to early adopters down.

Early Adopters Are Attracted to Art, Emotion and Adventure

Perhaps more than any other target market, early adopters are pulled in by emotion, art and adventure.

This is one reason why Apple’s early emphasis on design caught on with early adopters, they loved the elegance of the product and interface, the art of the experience.

Remember, art, emotion and adventure can happen online and offline. This is a place where you can really get creative and have some fun. It’s also easy to identify these people based on where they go because events like TED and TEDX inherently draw early adopter personality types.

Because of this constant searching early adopters have, curiosity is a primary trigger for action. Tripping the curiosity trigger requires some thought because early adopters aren’t generally suckers for the usual mass-marketing techniques; they’re a little more sophisticated than that. You’re going to really have to think of something that genuinely makes them curious.

The “Why” Seriously Matters

Early adopters are very observant they generally see through tactics and need a reason to be inspired.  Your marketing message to early adopters needs to be centered around something inspiring.

Instead of focusing on product features, tap into the deep intellectual and emotional reservoir of early adopters and give some insight to them about why this product or movement matters. You’ll likely need to do some message testing here, but it will be worth it once you hit on the “why” that matters most.

Don’t Confuse Early Adopters for Extroverts

It’s easy to lump the two together, but research shows that messaging that targets extroverts actually repels early adopters. Early adopters like intrigue and creativity, they aren’t particularly attracted to social attention in a public way. This doesn’t mean they aren’t on social media, it just means that their triggers are different. They like to have their role as early adopters confirmed, but they also like to be the messenger of that delivery.

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3 Cannabis Branding Tips for Businesses Preparing for Adult-Use

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Cannabis Branding Is About To Become Extremely Important To Cannabis CMOs and Founders

Adult-use marijuana is on the ballot and in the minds of thousands of people in the United States this fall. Adult-use, especially in California, because of its market size will change everything for cannabis companies. What should cannabis brands be thinking about in preparation for market expansion? As a cannabis entrepreneur, you might be so busy keeping up that you haven’t given much thought to branding.

Before we jump into our 3 tips for cannabis branding, let’s talk for a minute about what branding is (and isn’t) so we’re all on the same page.

Branding: the emotional response the consumer has to your company and products. 
Branding: the humanity of your company.
Branding:  the often difficult to define, but easy to spot feeling people get when they know whether they want to “hang around” your brand.

 

Maybe the most important question is why should you CARE? Strong brands develop customer loyalty and they sell products for premium prices. Interested?

I thought so.

You know what companies are branding masters? Alcohol and tobacco. Technology. Beverages like soda, water, and sports drinks.

Truly great brands incorporate values, voice, design, and especially the customer into their presence, whether it’s in-person, online, or in-store. Notice I did NOT say that branding is the packing and logo. Those two are important aspects of branding. Logos and packaging should not be the last thing you ever do with branding. Branding should be a cornerstone of culture, communication, and position that your customers continue to relate to.

Strong cannabis branding will be a steady platform from which you make decisions on everything from products to partnerships, hiring and marketing campaigns. Cannabis brands need to nurture and develop their brands to be ready for the expansion of adult use. This is particularly important in California where consumers expect sophisticated brands and branding.

So, regardless of where you are in your branding process, it’s never too late to consider these 3 tips for cannabis brands in the adult-use market:

 

BE REALLY CLEAR: WHO is your customer?

Many people hear this question and they immediately think of demographics. That’s fine, be clear on demographics, it will save you time and money. But dig deeper. Think about your customer’s lifestyle, their other passions, and what motivations you’ll be tapping into when they see your brand.

Are your customers proud proclaimed pot users or have they been an “in-the-closet” user for most of their adult lives? If they aren’t open cannabis users, why is that? Is it because of kids, jobs, cultural fear? The potential of adult-use is tapping into the existing cannabis user or the adult whose perception of cannabis is changing and they’re beginning to see marijuana like a craft beer. This is future of cannabis branding-it’s wide open. You can do some really powerful branding when you understand these deeper aspects of your customers.  Do 2-3 customer profiles as you would if you were writing a bio on someone, this simple exercise can give you extraordinary clarity on your customer.

The potential of adult-use is tapping into the existing cannabis user who is in the closet or the adult whose perception of cannabis is changing even though they aren’t regular marijuana users. These new to marijuana customers will gravitate towards brands that are as well-rounded and credible as the other brands they’re used to buying. This is the future of cannabis branding-it’s wide open. You can do some really powerful branding when you understand these deeper aspects of your customers.

To prepare for these different customers, do 2-3 customer profiles as you would if you were writing a bio on someone, this simple exercise can give you extraordinary clarity on your customer.

 

ASK YOURSELF: Do I really SPEAK to my customer?

Now it’s time to look at the way you speak to your customer? Depending on how you view your brand, your voice might be “friendly-let’s-hang-out” or it might be “knowledgeable advisor” “edgy-hipster” or “couch-locked stoner”. There is room for each of these voices, but not within the same brand.

Whatever your voice is, be sure it’s one that your ideal potential customer can relate to. The cannabis market is expanding beyond the traditional young person’s product and while there’s still room for that branding, the market is expanding.  Today’s marijuana user isn’t necessarily hiding from their parents, they might be hiding it from their kids. I hear a lot of cannabis entrepreneurs say that they absolutely understand their market because they are marketing to their friends. Well, that’s a great start, but the average person only has 338 Facebook friends – you’re going to need your business to be a lot bigger than that, so you may have to dig deep and really think about whether your brand is relatable to a larger audience.

 

REMEMBER: Be consistent!

Now that you’ve identified your customer and the voice, take a hard look around at the rest of your branding. Is your branding consistent from the four senses perspective – does it look, feel, smell, taste like your brand? Would your ideal target customer buy and, more importantly recommend to their friends? Sophisticated branding will take all this into account.  Commanding a higher price for your cannabis product requires that you consider these elements. Set some branding goals for your company and prioritize based on budgets. But do set them because as the market opens up, the strong brands who have developed loyalty will be the ones truly capitalizing on the future of cannabis branding.

 

The A-Team specializes in converging great brands with marvelous stories the media wants to write about.

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Is A Press Release Worth It?

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Is the press release dead?  For years now, that question has been hanging over the public relations/journalism world. And the question is a fair one – when millions of press releases are issued daily, often without consideration of the journalists receiving them, do press releases work anymore? And issuing a press release through a credible pr distribution wire service is an extra cost of about $3,000 or more depending on variables like length, number of images or videos, and frequency.

Given their expense, is a press release worth it?
What we’re talking about here is legitimate company news that is appropriate for a wire service, but isn’t securities and exchange or public shareholders requirement. So this legitimate news could be based on research, a new hire, a new product, it can even be a statement based on industry news, issued over a pr distribution wire service like PR Newswire, Business Wire, Globe Newswire or similar who distribute and publish an online press release.

A press release is but one tactic in the media relations tool kit. It’s extremely unusual that your news, even your most exciting news, (“We launched..! We bought…! We secured…!”), applies to every single media site, without customization about why it applies to the reader or journalist’s beat. There are plenty of occasions when direct outreach to the media contacts database will generate better quality and more tailored media coverage. Plus, journalists aren’t really all that jazzed to receive the same (untailored) information as hundreds of thousands of other journalists; at that point, they view it as a status update instead of news.  But then why do these services charge so much?

Well, most quality pr distribution wire services reach thousands of outlets at once and most will get reprints of your press release in at least a few national online media outlets.  But that press release syndication can come in handy on the web.

The press release isn’t dead, it’s just viewed differently by both journalists and public relations professionals today. So when SHOULD you go through the expense, sometimes over $1,000 per release, of using a wire service? Here are 5 times issuing a press release over a wire service can serve your strategic interests.

It’s Still Got Social Proof:

When you search on a business name and  the release appears under “news,” tell me that doesn’t impress you a little? Of course. That’s why earned media is so valuable. Vendors, customers, investors, they all like seeing that too. It shows you’re committed to your brand, your growth, and your reputation. If you’re positioning for acquisition, IPO, or investors, having a consistent history of press releases provides credibility and social proof.

Consistent (but not overwhelming) press releases are also a good way to stay in front of news outlets. When your brand is top of mind at the moment editors are assigning stories or looking for ideas, it allows your public relations budget to go even further. Press releases also offer background information for journalists writing today’s story; they serve as a good historical marker to your company’s achievements, which can get buried on a website.

You’ve Got Video on a Major News Item:

If you or your company has a unique point of view on a breaking news item, especially if it’s video,  TV stations are always looking for high-quality video for of-the-moment topics, that’s a great opportunity to send out a well-timed press release.  Make sure your video has a distinctive point of view and that it’s relevant to your key messaging. Make sure your video is high quality enough for TV and name your video using relevant and keyword researched words.

Help producers and journalists by using your press release to give context to your quote and be sure to show the speaker’s name clearly in the content.

You’re ABSOLUTELY Clear On Your Audience:

Most of the time your audience is the press, after all, those are the subscribers to wire services – to pretend there is any other primary audience is misleading. But given that most journalists aren’t responsive to press releases, there may be an opportunity to be a bit disruptive.  There may be an occasion in which your release speaks directly to the consumer as opposed to the journalist with a jazzier (note: not promotional) lingo, maybe direct to consumer quotes, and direct to consumer ideas or recommendations that could also interest slow-news-day fodder. Note: we’re not really dealing with many slow news days these days.

Sometimes those press release reprints can give you enough legs to support other content initiatives and social proof initiatives.

Let me be clear: do not treat a press release like a blog post, they are complementary, not interchangeable. But, addressing to the consumer’s issues within the context of a newsworthy release may be a useful, if non-traditional, tactic occasionally.

You’ve Done Keyword Research:
If your website is new, or if you’re trying to build traffic, these consistent high-value links can contribute nicely to your SEO. Let’s be clear sending out press releases alone isn’t enough to radically change your SEO, but it can be part of your off-page tool kit that supports your overall SEO strategy.

Keep in mind, a press release jacked up with keywords isn’t effective AT ALL. Google’s got your number and generally, a press release written only for search engines is ineffective; it’s also considered spammy by journalists, so used wrong, it can discredit your company in the eyes of the media outlets.

What you want to do is keyword research on ACTUAL news so you maximize the opportunity. Wire releases DO create high-value inbound links. Plus, wire service releases generally present well in search results, so it’s a double-win if you or your PR team have done their keyword research.

The Moment is Momentus

Using a press release to document a historic moment in your company’s history presents a timeline and momentum to your company and adds social proof. Also, going back to the keywords, press releases live in “news” for much, much longer than even an earned media story.

Press releases using this strategy also serve as a way to get press on track to watch for future announcements, clarify your business positioning, or get stakeholders on the same page.

Do we believe press releases are dead? No, we do not. We also don’t believe every announcement needs to come in the form of a press release. Use press releases strategically, and to compliment your media relations,  and they will serve you well.

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