How Interviews and Social Media Benefit Image and Brand Recognition
Cannabis understanding is changing due to social media exposure
One of the biggest challenges the cannabis industry is struggling with and can only be dealt with head-on, is the misunderstandings/misconceptions of the general consumer. People like Fotis Georgiadis are helping change this by interviewing seasoned individuals in the cannabis space. People like Aaron Riley, the President of CannaSafe, who have the first cannabis lab to be ISO accredited, are key to changing this stigma surrounding cannabis, that hemp = cannabis = marijuana = getting high.
The 3 good and 3 bad section of the interview:
“Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the Cannabis industry? Can you share 3 things that most concern you?
Most exciting:
We get paid to be around cannabis and don’t have the risk of getting arrested!
The growth, its amazing and exciting.
The people.
Concerns:
The Black market, the taxes and cost of regulation has been high and has encouraged the black market to continue to thrive.
Federal Government, still an unknown when and how it will be legalized.
Taxes.” - Aaron Riley and Fotis Georgiadis1
The tide is slowly turning, with more people opening their eyes to the cannabis industry. This can be clearly seen with the passing of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill and Canada's nationwide legalization. Release of new articles and interviews with factual information will continue to build that tidal shift. This is where Fotis Georgiadis' expertise in branding and imaging is helping. In the below 3 good and 3 bad section of the interview with Dr. John Oram, Ph. D., we see how the tide hasn't reached the government yet, imposing taxes of 40%, but that'll change as more people push back against it.
“Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the Cannabis industry?
Taxes, regulations, and the unlimited future. I know it is weird to list taxes and regulations as two things that excite me. Especially when I also list them as two things that concern me (see below). But the fact that we are being taxed and regulated means cannabis is a game changer for those of us that have been working for normalization for years. We are now a legitimate industry, one to be reckoned with. We are paying our dues and we are providing great products and great services. This leads me to my third most exciting thing, an unlimited future. I truly believe that the sky is the limit for the cannabis industry. There is no telling where we are going from here. But I am excited about the growth of the industry and the innovative products and services that are in our future.
Can you share 3 things that most concern you?
Taxes, regulations, and the black market. Taxes and regulations are a business challenge that I am actually thankful for. They both mean that the industry is here and we have a pathway towards normalization and acceptance. However, the taxes in California are simply too high. A State excise tax of 24 percent is levied on all cannabis products that enter the marketplace. Add local taxes and sales taxes and the consumer can see a combined tax rate of near 40 percent on their receipts. This is simply too high. The result has been the growth of the black market in California. It is very difficult for legitimate businesses to compete. It has created a situation where only the well-capitalized businesses will survive. It is a feeding frenzy for venture capitalists and private equity groups. They can, and do, use their capital to change the shape of businesses and their products. And not always in a good way. Fortunately, there is a solution: the State can lower taxes (even just temporarily), simplify regulations, and enforce regulations against the black market.” - Fotis Georgiadis speaking with Dr. John Oram, Ph. D.2
Fotis Georgiadis continues to push the envelope for the cannabis industry. The biggest part of the push is in digital marketing. It has the biggest reach and best impact when it comes to retention. The interview with Cain Castor, CEO of Good People3, highlights this fact. They are a full-service cannabis marketing agency. In this part of the interview, we see how using the Instagram platform really launched their company:
“Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
When our team was creating our go-to-market strategy, our co-founder swore by Instagram to land cannabis clients. I thought he was absolutely crazy but I trusted his judgment because he has a knack for these things. He spent weeks developing the social media calendar for all platforms, all while I was focusing on the blog content and sales funnel.
Within 4 posts on Instagram, we had generated numerous leads and landed a large client. Moral of the story: Trust your team.”
As one can see, digital marketing is changing the face of the cannabis industry by molding a new brand and image. Slowly the 'stoner' stigma will be shed and the market will see a more wide acceptance due to social media work, like that done by Fotis Georgiadis.
About Fotis Georgiadis
Fotis Georgiadis is the founder of DigitalDayLab. Fotis Georgiadis is a serial entrepreneur with offices in both Malibu and New York City. He has expertise in marketing, branding and mergers & acquisitions. Fotis Georgiadis is also an accomplished VC who has successfully concluded five exits. Fotis Georgiadis is also a contributor to Authority Magazine, Thrive Global & several others.
Contact and information on how to follow Fotis Georgiadis' latest interviews:
Website: http://www.fotisgeorgiadis.com
Email: fg@fotisgeorgiadis.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fotis-georgiadis-994833103/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FotisGeorgiadi3 @FotisGeorgiadi3
Fotis Georgiadis
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WATCH NOW: Inside a High-End Cannabis Grow House at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeQVUw4HXkk
1 https://www.fotisgeorgiadis.com/5-things-i-wish-someone-told-me-before-i-started-leading-a-cannabis-business-with-aaron-riley-and/
2 https://www.fotisgeorgiadis.com/5-things-i-wish-someone-told-me-before-i-started-leading-a-cannabis-business-with-dr/
3 https://www.fotisgeorgiadis.com/digital-marketing-is-the-future-of-cannabis/