We are a generation that witnessed the end of the Blockbuster rental era, and the rise of the streaming service. Now we consume entertainment like it’s going out of style. Whether it is escaping to a far off fantasy where the North remembers and a girl has no name, studying documentaries on ancient aliens, or watching some dude hand out roses, people love TV. When we love a show we talk, text, tweet, and meme about it. And when we don’t… well… same. And the digital landscape has only made it easier for us to enjoy our favorite series.
If your cannabis CRM is all about connecting with your customers to better market to them, why not take advantage of something that already helps connect countless people all over the country? Using TV shows as special interest options can offer dispensaries a unique and effective way of communicating with loyalty members.
the age of streaming
There is this new thing you’ve probably never heard of called Netflix. This tiny unknown brand helped pioneer the age of streaming and now has a modest 150 million subscribers (imagine how many they would have if you didn’t give your password to all of your friends). And they aren’t even the only game in town. Another little start-up you may have heard of- Amazon- has an estimated 100 million US subscribers. Hulu and Hulu with Live TV have over 28 million subscribers, and after that, there are a dozen other memberships millions of people use to watch whatever new series has them hooked.
All this is just to illustrate just how massive this captivated audience truly is. But just how committed are people to their shows?
binge the stats
Just to emphasize the point, a 2018 survey found:
- 52% of all TV watchers stayed up all night to watch a show
- Among 18 to 29-year-olds it was 76%
- 51% of all TV watchers binged the same series more than once
- Among 18 to 29-year-olds it was 69%
Another 2018 survey investigated binge-watching frequency. When it came to how often people were hitting the ‘next episode’ button on a regular basis:
- 34% of 18 to 29 year-olds binged several times a week
- 26% binged every day
- 33% of 30 to 44 year-olds binged several times a week
- 17% binged every day
Remember that little Netflix platform? They did a survey and found that 61% of users regularly watch 2-6 episodes in a single sitting. One of their more popular series, Stranger Things, saw over 361,000 people binge all nine episodes of season 2 on the first day!
Despite fans being split on how they felt about the series finale of Game of Thrones, the last episode drew a record of 19.3 million viewers. You can take those kinds of numbers to the Iron Bank. Probably safe to say people are invested in their entertainment. But what does this mean to you? How can you leverage the next big series to help your cannabis retail business?
4 steps for using TV interests in your cannabis text marketing
1. set up your own ‘TV guide’
First, you should determine which TV shows you want to include in your digital wallet. With the springbig dispensary CRM platform, you have the ability to set up an almost unlimited amount of ‘special interests’ for your customers to include in their profile. This means that if you wanted, you could create a category for fans of any show on any network, or just the shows that you and your team like the most.
Try looking at the most popular shows on television right now. For instance, the top 5 most-watched shows for the week of August 16th include:
- The Boys
- Mindhunter
- Stranger Things
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Succession
One strategy would be to include each of these as a ‘special interest’ in your wallet. Then you can stay current by adding new titles as they become popular. Or just take your time in the beginning and add a long list of shows or movies you know your customers will love.
2. do some channel surfing
Next, you might consider sending out an SMS marketing campaign that encourages your loyalty members to add their favorite shows to their profile. After all, not everyone tunes in to the same channel, if you know what I mean. For example, there are two kinds of people- those who think The Boys is an amazing show, and those who are wrong. But both kinds of people deserve a personalized marketing experience (maybe some more than others).
Try something like:
“Hey VIP member, we want to know what you are binge-watching right now. Go to your profile and let us know what episodes have you hooked in ‘special interests’ so we can send you special offers for your next watch-party!”
If you want to prime the pump, even more, you could first send out a text campaign to all members highlighting a show and including an offer. For example:
“Hey VIP member,! The premiere of [inset series title] starts this weekend! We are so excited to see what happens to [insert character] this season. To set you up with all the goodies you’ll need for each episode, [business name] is offering [insert promotion]. While you’re at it, let us know what other shows you watch in your digital wallet so we can send you other binge-worthy bud bundles!”
Once your loyal customers have actually seen these benefits in action (even if they don’t watch the show you pick), they might be more enticed to complete their profile.
3. send out some fan service
This is where the fun starts! Once you’ve been collecting information on your customers’ favorite TV shows, it is time to start running campaigns that put the data points to good use. Fandom has its own language, and now you can create SMS and MMS messages that speak to that audience.
Starting in September, the Fall season brings a lot of exciting television. Soon, there will be plenty of opportunities to connect with your dispensary loyalty customers through fan service.
Here are some quick campaign suggestions:
September 25th- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season premiere
“Can I offer you a nug in this trying time? The new season of Always Sunny is kicking off this week, and [business name] has concentrates that will make the Night Man take a nap! Come in and get [offer here] on concentrates and get ready for a good case of the giggles.”
October 8th- The Walking Dead season premiere
“We are SO READY to see Daryl, Michonne and the gang take on more walkers, biters, and whisperers in season 10 of TWD! To help you get in zombie-mode, we are having a special on edibles before the season premiere this week! These will have you walking in slow motion and looking for munchies (don’t worry- your brains are safe).”
October 8th- The Flash season premiere
“It’s time for the fastest man alive to get back to saving the world! In honor of the season premiere of The Flash, we at [business name] are offering specials for [deal here] on flower strains:
– White Lightning
– Blue Lightning
– Purple Lightning
– Tropical Lightning
And for our fellow metahumans, we will combine them all for a half-price ‘Speed Force’ p-roll!
October TBD- Watchmen series premiere
“Who watches the Watchmen? You can bet your smiley-face button we are! Time is running out on the Doomsday Clock (tick-tock) for the series premiere, and we are so ready for the masked mayhem. Come into [business name] and get [offer here] on Sativa to put you on Mars with Dr. Manhattan.”
November TBD- Rick and Morty season premiere
“Wubba lubba dub dub! Aw geez, Rick and Morty are finally back! Season 4 starts this week, and we are running a special on our Space Bomb strain. Grab your portal gun and blast your way over to [business name] for [offer here]. Dab your way to another dimension, but whatever you do, don’t talk to the squirrels.”
4. engage your audience
If you want to step it up a little, you can try running contests or promotions that bring together fans of your favorite shows who just happen to be fans of your cannabis products. For example, maybe you offer a weekly special for anyone who can predict which character gets killed off in the next episode.
Or maybe during Con season, you can reward customers with gifts for coming into your retail location in their best cosplay! San Diego gets it. The best part is, you will be optimizing these promotions through the ‘special interest’ segmentation in springbig, meaning only the people who are interested in the shows will get the messages.
At the end of the day, special interests are just one more way the springbig loyalty platform helps you make the most out of your cannabis text marketing. Think of every data point as a key to unlocking a lifetime relationship with a loyal customer. Get them coming to you every week with binge-worthy bud specials that build your fandom.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
CEO and Co-founder of springbig
Jeffrey Harris