Mini Woodstock and Mexican Wrestling: Cannabis Retailers Go Big to Boost Traffic

There’s a mini Woodstock in the works for next summer—featuring food vendors, local artisans and immersive activations—with a headlining performance by Grammy-nominated rock band Queens of the Stone Age, which will be dropping its first new record in two years. Organizers are looking at the tiny Midwest town of Sauget, Ill., and its 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium—home of the Gateway Grizzlies—as the potential venue for an event that could stretch over an entire warm-weather weekend. While music-steeped marketers like Budweiser, PepsiCo or Ford might jump to sponsor such a festival, the prime movers involved aren’t looking for a brand backer. In fact, they already have one—a cannabis retailer called Beyond/Hello, which will be the sole and exclusive presenter. A mirror selfie moment at the Movement Festival. A lifestyle play Jushi Holdings—Beyond/Hello’s seed-to-sale parent company and owner of 33 dispensaries from Pennsylvania to California—is the driving force behind the gestating Sauget event, which would set precedents for its ownership and scale. Senior leaders at the multistate operator believe the time is right to launch a big-tent festival that could be the largest cannabis-backed entertainment property in the U.S. The event, meant to be a modern version of the groovy, iconic Woodstock, would serve multiple purposes. “We want to build a sense of community and give something back and, at the same time, normalize the plant to a wider audience,” Andreas “Dre” Neumann, Jushi’s chief creative director and a Saatchi & Saatchi London alum, told Adweek. “It’s an opportunity to go beyond our own footprint and have some fun in a lifestyle way. We’re really trying to bring unique experiences built for the next era of cannabis.” Only game in town Neumann readily admits the conditions are unique: the company owns the only two dispensaries in the 5-square-mile Sauget village (population 233), which do a booming $60 million business annually, he said. The stores draw consumers from their home state of Illinois, where recreational sales are legal, and from the more conservative neighboring metro area of St. Louis, Mo., where only medical sales are allowed. A splashy high-wattage festival, even if the Beyond/Hello logo isn’t plastered on every surface, would no doubt drive foot traffic to the company’s retailers and create a flood of consumer- and brand-generated content for social platforms. And though it would be a sizable investment, the payoff could be equally significant, particularly if Jushi collaborates with Queens of the Stone Age on branded weed products (discussions have already started). Breaking the grass ceiling Jushi isn’t the only company looking to stretch beyond its own real estate. Dispensaries in a number of states are taking part in locally-based music, art and food fairs alongside brands from major CPG categories. Jars Cannabis, a chain with 17 stores, became the first weed retailer to sponsor the popular Movement electronic dance music festival in Detroit during Memorial Day weekend. For the upcoming Breakaway Michigan music festival, Jars will again be front and center—this time as the mainstage title sponsor—along with its on-site “complex” of art installations, merchandise sales and influencer appearances. “We’ve found that it’s imperative to authentically immerse ourselves and establish an emotional connection with customers outside of the four walls of retail,” Stefanie Michels, Jars' marketing director, told Adweek. The move drives brand awareness, recognition and loyalty, Michels said, “while simultaneously connecting with customers during some of life’s greatest moments.” Others are following suit: Sovereign, a Mendocino, Calif.-based store, partnered with the groundbreaking, advocacy-minded Northern Nights music fest in July for on-site cannabis sales in the “Tree Lounge,” named for the surrounding redwoods. Meanwhile, Southern California’s Wyllow will host an infused debut party at L.A. Magazine’s Food & Wine Festival in October. And Jushi, as an early beta test, has cultivated an exclusive relationship with music venue Pop’s Nightclub in Illinois for on-site programs aimed at both artists and fans, like backstage passes, green room perks, special discounts and swag sales. Tarot, reiki and Cannabition Many dispensaries took advantage of this year’s April 20—the industry’s most revered holiday, also known as the Black Friday of weed retail—to amp up their experiential marketing within their own square footage. As post-lockdown restrictions have lifted in a “return to normal” environment, retailers have continued that focus, with programs ranging from tarot readings and reiki sessions to Jeeter Marts and Mexican wrestling matches in parking lots. On the showiest end of the spectrum, fitting for its Las Vegas locale, Planet 13 plans to open a 13,000-square-foot Cannabition museum on its property in 2023. Award-winning Broadway vet David Korins, who has mega-hits like Immersive Van Gogh, Hamilton and Beetlejuice on his résumé, will steer the exhibit as its creative director. Creating moments, cementing goodwill Execs at San Jose’s Airfield Supply Co., with a history of innovative on-site marketing, are coming off their most extensive 4/20 activations ever, which included pottery making and mural painting, brand activations, gardening demos and live entertainment. The festivities—with strong educational, digital and social components and an ask-me-anything attitude—will serve as a spiritual blueprint for others to come, according to Chris Lane, Airfield’s CMO. “The point is to create events for the community that just happen to be at a cannabis retailer,” Lane told Adweek, noting first-time alliances with local artisans and non-profit organizations. “Not only were more mainstream groups willing to collaborate, but everyone was spending more energy to think creatively about what a collaboration could look like.” The goal is to develop retail experiences that wow a crowd with added-value content, not just discount products, Lane said. “We want to identify ‘magic moments’ and execute a rich experience,” Lane said. “It’s high risk, high reward because you’re putting a lot of chips in a basket. But when done beautifully, you’re changing someone’s day.” Adweek Podcast: Cannabis Goes to the Fair