Positive word-of-mouth advertising is priceless, but the accolades must be earned. For instance, there’s lots of liquid dish soap, but only Dawn brand can save baby ducklings. Proctor & Gamble, Dawn’s manufacturer, has marketed that feel-good notion for decades.
In a similar way, cannabis brands are building reputations for philanthropy. Many say they make more contributions than get publicized, leading to the inescapable conclusion giving back works simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Advanced Nutrients’s Holiday Heroes program, which has provided holiday meals for the homeless in Los Angeles and Bulgaria is one example. Founder Big Mike Straumietis said, “It’s the most incredible feeling. I can tell you all day long to get involved in charity or start one, but until you actually go out and do it and make contact with another human being who is in need, you’ll never really fully understand what you get out of it.”
Bloom Farms also feeds a lot of hungry people. Through its One-to-One program, the company expects to have donated one million meals by November. “At Bloom Farms, part of the mission—the brand, really—is to provide a better quality of life for people,” said media relations representative Jim Walsh. “Part of that comes into play with Michael Ray, the founder of the company… We believe you’re part of a community and you should support the community. In 2017, everybody should be doing that kind of thing.”
Helping others “is vitally important,” said Organa Brands President Chris Driessen. The company’s Grow for Heroes program donates cannabis medicinals to veterans in need. “We have several core values at our company, and one of those is we’re stewards of our environment, community, and company resources. We want to be of benefit and show that cannabis companies are benevolent people. It’s our job to be good corporate citizens because that’s the right thing to do.”
