4 Lessons from Cannabis Innovators on How to Appeal to Baby Boomers
The vast majority of marketers do not need to worry about overcoming a lifetime of prohibition and stigmatization in order to connect with one of their fastest-growing demographics. However, brand professionals in cannabis must find creative ways to adapt in order to be more approachable to the valuable Baby Boomer segment.
To investigate this key marketing problem, I had the privilege of speaking to 4 cannabis innovators to learn what their brands are doing to appeal to Baby Boomers.
At Highbrow Cannabis, they know that the first step to earning the support of their customers is to become a credible member of their community. Speaking to Josh Taylor, Creative Director of Highbrow Cannabis, I learned about the power embracing local culture and giving back can have in gaining the trust of Mainers curious about trying cannabis.
“The art has to be Maine as fuck,” says Josh, as he describes Highbrow’s unique creative aesthetic. “It’s so important to us that we show customers that we are by their community, for their community.” There are six Highbrow medical and recreational locations across the state of Maine. Each location has a distinctive label identity, featuring local landmarks and references. Acting as easter eggs or inside jokes, Highbrow uses art and design to develop a sense of comfort and familiarity with locals.
Beyond embracing local culture, Highbrow recognizes its responsibility to strengthen and support its community. This starts with giving back to their neighbors through charity. Every winter, Highbrow delivers Thanksgiving dinners to families in need, operates a month-long food drive through Christmas, and provides dinners to homeless shelters. Responding to the impact rising heating oil prices were having on their community, Highbrow stepped in, aiding Mainers in need. Giving back to their community also takes the form of supporting local art and music festivals. For the past few years, Highbrow has been a major sponsor for the annual Augusta Beer Festival.
Throughout my experience of bringing Baby Boomers to their first dispensary visit, I observed the impact that community acceptance can have on older people who are considering cannabis. Many of my participants shared that they were only open to trying cannabis after doing so became more accepted in their social circles. By establishing itself as an active and contributing community institution, Highbrow is accelerating the process of social acceptance.
When Laura Beohner founded Healing Rose in 2016, the vast majority of people were unfamiliar with CBD. Seven years later, Healing Rose can be found in over 200 retail locations and has improved the lives of countless loyal customers.
Healing Rose has bridged the gap between Baby Boomers and the cannabis industry by focusing on high-quality CBD, CBG, and CBN products that make people feel better. Laura’s topicals and tinctures are a safe and approachable introduction to cannabis and a gateway to experiencing the health benefits of its derived products. “If you can help an older person, find relief, comfort, or sleep, they’ll believe in what you are doing,” says Laura. Healing Rose earns the trust of Baby Boomers the right way, by helping them.
Transparency is a core pillar of Healing Rose and a valuable tool in driving trial among Baby Boomers. Starting with ingredients, a large amount of attention is put into making sure they are clearly and legibly communicated on all packaging. It is critical to Laura that all ingredients are something customers are familiar with and feel safe using. Healing Rose has also observed the level of trust that can be established with the customer by being upfront with who’s behind the product. “For a lot of the cannabis and hemp space, you don't know who's behind the product, who makes it, or where it’s from. So, my fiancé and I always try to be the face of our brand. We want to show that we are family owned and operated.”
One-on-one interactions and conversations have been massively beneficial for Healing Rose’s ability to connect with new customers who are new to cannabis products. Healing Rose is full of compassionate professionals who share Laura’s passion for helping people. Laura and her team spend countless hours on the phone with older potential customers, answering every last question and concern. In addition to phone calls, Healing Rose offers a live chat on their website where the team often find themselves filling any free time in their day by building powerful connections with their customers. Laura shared that “sometimes we're having deep heart-to-hearts with older people on live chat. I’ll have great conversations with people; sometimes I'll send out free products. It's all about going above and beyond customer expectations when you're a small business wanting to grow organically.”
When Levia was founded in 2016, their original intended target audience was Baby Boomers, specifically women. Based on a trend of studies indicating that this demographic was having poor experiences with recreational products, Levia sought to create a new and unique way to consume cannabis. The resulting THC-infused beverage hit Massachusetts dispensary shelves in Fall 2020.
Kristin Rogers is the co-founder of Levia and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion National Manager of Ayr Wellness, a multi-state operator who acquired Levia in February 2022. Speaking to Kristin, she shared that while their original target was Baby Boomers, it didn’t take long for them to learn that Levia appealed to all demographics. Levia’s innovation is their rapid and predictable onset time, providing a similar benefit of control and dosing flexibility that flower consumption provides. “With Levia, you can actually navigate your feelings around what your tolerance is much easier, just like alcohol,” says Rogers.
The control provided by Levia’s fast-acting effects is a very powerful thing for Baby Boomers. As part of this project, I took forty-five baby boomers to their first dispensary visit. One of my key takeaways is that Baby Boomers’ largest concern about trying cannabis is the fear of losing control. Speaking to my participants about what products were interesting to them, Levia’s promise of control made them a very appealing choice for Baby Boomers.
““I would probably choose Levia. I like that I can try a little and wait to see if I want more. I don’t need to commit to a dose that might be too much””
By being a beverage with a fast onset time, Levia taps into the social expertise of drinking, while still being a wellness product. Drinking a Levia is a refreshing, sugar- and calorie-free, alcohol alternative that can still be enjoyed in a group setting. With effects that range from “bubbly” to “mellow”, these THC-infused beverages offer a lot to more health-conscious Baby Boomers.
Attending NECANN 2023, it appeared to me that the dominant narrative surrounding the cannabis industry’s appeal to Baby Boomers revolved around edibles, drinks, and tinctures. While smoking alternatives provide a more discrete and potentially less stigmatized cannabis consumption experience, the data shows that for many Baby Boomers, flower is still an appealing choice. In a 2022 Massachusetts CCC Report, 70% of subjects ages 55-65 indicated that they consume cannabis flower, as compared to 55% percent of respondents who indicated the use of edibles. To better understand the appeal flower and bud have for Baby Boomers, I spoke to Rusty Wilenkin, co-founder, and CEO of Old Pal Cannabis.
“Where we are today, you walk into a dispensary and its sensory overload. There’s a ton of packaging, there’s vape hardware, there’s drinks, there’s edibles, to a point where I think what somebody knows and is familiar with is a lot less scary,” Rusty described.
Beyond familiarity, the greatest benefit of bud/flower consumption is that it pairs well with the new user experience. The rapid onset time of smoking cannabis results in significantly easier dosing. This then limits the potential for overconsumption and leads to a more manageable experience. A single bad experience, especially from a curious new consumer, can often result in the end of their willingness to try cannabis.
Through memorable and timeless branding, Old Pal successfully delivers a cannabis experience that is approachable to a wide audience of consumers, regardless of age. Old Pal’s branding is deeply rooted in Americana, an aesthetic they find to be more versatile than the dominant minimalist style in the cannabis industry. The modern minimalist style might only appeal to younger consumers and could be potentially more polarizing to Baby Boomers.
