Key Takeaways

• Relationships matter more in a downturn: Strong connections with industry associations, employees, partners, vendors, and customers can protect brand value when the market is under pressure.
• Customer loyalty is earned in the details: Brands that find thoughtful ways to recognize advocates, support frontline partners, and stay engaged with their audience are more likely to build lasting trust.
• Quality and focus are competitive advantages: In a market correction, the brands that maintain product quality, invest in what is already working, and stay disciplined tend to come out stronger.

6 Cannabis PR Ideas to Strengthen Your Brand During an Industry Correction

Now is the time to build brand value with the things that do not require a bigger budget.

You may look at these six cannabis PR ideas and wonder what they have to do with public relations. But when you think about reputation as something holistic and constantly evolving, the connection becomes clear. Small actions can create meaningful brand value over time.

You’ve seen the headlines. The cannabis industry is going through a correction. Consolidation is accelerating. Business closures are making news. Capital markets have tightened dramatically, even for established operators. For many companies, survival is top of mind.

Corrections are part of how markets work. They happen. But recovery happens too.

And when this market rebounds, it will almost certainly look different than it did before. The cannabis industry is not going away, and the long-term opportunity is still significant. According to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, the U.S. cannabis market was projected to reach $16 billion in 2020 and exceed $19 billion in 2021.

Yes, absolutely—tighten operations, manage inventory carefully, and keep a close eye on cash flow. Those are smart and necessary business decisions.

But because we are a cannabis PR and branding firm, we also want to highlight the ways brands can keep building value during difficult periods—especially in ways that do not require major new spending.

And while this post was originally written in response to the 2019 cannabis correction, these ideas are just as useful in stronger markets. Good brand habits have a long shelf life.

What Should Cannabis Businesses Do to Survive—and Possibly Even Flourish—During a Correction?

The companies that make it through this phase have a real opportunity to come out stronger.

In fact, some marketing and PR efforts can produce even better returns in a downturn because when panic sets in, competitors often pull back, lose focus, or stop showing up consistently.

Branding and PR are inside-out jobs. These six cannabis PR ideas are designed to help you find immediate opportunities to strengthen your brand, your reputation, and customer loyalty. There is far more to brand value than a logo or packaging system. Often, the most important differentiators are already inside the company.

Use these ideas to build a stronger foundation now so your cannabis PR and marketing efforts are even more effective when the market improves.

Double Down on Relationships

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Join and Participate in Active Industry Associations

This is a good time to invest more energy in the industry associations that are actively working to protect and strengthen the cannabis sector at both the local and national levels.

When you join an organization, do more than add your name to the roster. Ask how you can contribute. Look for ways to support the mission, participate in meetings, and build real relationships with the people doing the work.

That kind of visibility matters.

As the industry consolidates, people are increasingly choosing to work with companies and leaders they trust. One of the best ways to build trust is to show up consistently and contribute in meaningful ways. If your membership includes opportunities to speak, publish, or share your perspective, make the most of them. Sharing your point of view can strengthen both your reputation and your network.

At Avaans Media, we have long appreciated how the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) supports its members.

When It’s Time to Say Goodbye

If you need to part ways with employees or partners, do it with clarity, fairness, and respect.

People remember how they were treated in difficult moments. A rushed exit, a cold conversation, or poor communication can leave a lasting mark on your brand.

If you are letting employees go, be thoughtful about timing and delivery. If you are ending a vendor or partner relationship, have a real conversation about how to do it in a way that is fair and professional.

These are hard conversations. No one enjoys them. But during difficult periods, what people remember most is not polished language—it is how you handled the moment.

Treat Your Partners and Vendors Like Gold

When was the last time your CEO went out of their way to make budtenders feel appreciated?

Now would be a good time.

Budtenders are often the face of your brand to the customer. They influence perception at the point of purchase, and many of them are feeling the pressure of the market right alongside everyone else.

So do something thoughtful. Not necessarily expensive—thoughtful.

That might mean a surprise visit to dispensary teams with coffee or gift cards. It might mean handwritten notes, better communication, or simply finding ways to acknowledge their role in your success. If you can do something bigger, wonderful. If you cannot, that is not a reason to do nothing.

Small gestures can travel surprisingly far.

The same goes for vendors and partners. Negotiate smart terms, yes—but honor your commitments. Pay on time. Acknowledge strong work. Treat the relationship like it matters, because it does.

In a correction, the last thing you want is a network of partners who feel lukewarm about your brand. What you want are people who are willing to go the extra mile when things get hard. And the best way to build that kind of loyalty is to show it first.

Celebrate Your Most Passionate Customers

Your customers are still your clearest revenue driver, and this is a good time to make the brand experience feel more rewarding.

Think about what matters most to your audience. Are they price-conscious? Reward loyalty in practical ways. Are they creative and community-driven? Give them ways to participate, share, and feel seen.

That could mean purchase-based incentives, collectible or redeemable promotional items, community campaigns, or creative packaging that invites interaction. It could also mean encouraging customers to share your brand on social media in a way that feels fun and authentic.

Just as important: pay attention to your brand advocates. Notice who is already showing up for you online. Thank them. Celebrate them. Recognize them publicly when appropriate.

No cannabis brand is too large to show appreciation to loyal customers.

Keep Going

“When they go low, we go high.” – Michelle Obama

Lean Harder Into Your Strengths

If last year was too busy to clearly see what was working best, now is the time to look closely.

Find your strongest channels, products, campaigns, and stories—then invest more energy there.

If your social media is performing well, improve it further. If a product line consistently resonates, consider a special edition or a stronger supporting campaign. If one part of your story is landing especially well, build on it.

Brands stand out during corrections when they know what they do well and commit to it more fully.

Focus tends to outperform frantic experimentation.

Maintain Quality

Your customers can tell when you cut corners. Your best customers can tell almost immediately.

It may be tempting to make substitutions, reduce quality, or quietly change formulations to protect margins. Resist that temptation whenever possible.

Maintaining quality helps preserve trust while competitors may be weakening their own products. That discipline can pay off in both the short term and the long term.

Lowering quality may look like a savings on paper, but it often creates a much bigger brand cost later.

Keep Your Standards High—and Your Numbers Close

Set clear, trackable KPIs for your sales, marketing, PR teams, and vendors. Then stay engaged enough to know what the numbers are telling you.

If you pull back too far on cannabis PR, marketing, and sales during a correction, regaining market share later can be far more expensive than maintaining momentum now.

We have seen this repeatedly. Companies cut communications or replace experienced support with cheaper alternatives, and the hidden cost shows up over time in weaker positioning, slower growth, and avoidable brand erosion.

Instead, stay close to the work. Attend sales, marketing, and PR meetings. Watch the benchmarks. Monitor competitors. Understand how your brand is performing in context, not just in isolation.

That kind of discipline helps you catch issues early and make better decisions before they become expensive ones.

In Short

Kindness, professionalism, attention, and time do not require a larger budget—but during a cannabis industry correction, they can make a real difference.

This is a good time to strengthen your brand from the inside out. These cannabis PR ideas are simple, but they are not small. Done consistently, they can improve loyalty, reputation, and readiness for the rebound.

PS: I grabbed this image from Business Insider’s Cultivated newsletter. If you’re not reading it, you should.