The Future of Cannabis Marketing Event Speaker Spotlight: Naima Abdi
On February 7, 2023, the Cannabis Marketing Association is hosting our third annual Future of Cannabis Marketing event. This forward-thinking, half-day virtual Ted-style event will discuss the cannabis future we want and what cannabis mar-com leaders need to do to shape this future.
Meet Naima Abdi, Digital Marketing Specialist at Above The Fray, and get a sneak peek at her presentation:
What topic will you be speaking about at the Future of Cannabis Marketing?
The importance of fully owning your customer data. With insights on how to leverage what you know about your customers to create personalized experiences that keep them coming back.
Why is what you are discussing at the event interesting and important?
It highlights a missed opportunity for cannabis companies who do not have systems in place to own all the critical customer data collected. Which, ultimately, puts them at a disadvantage over competitors because when you don’t own your data, you’re leaving prospective revenue off the table.
What is your background in the cannabis marketing industry?
Naima Abdi is a Digital Marketing Strategist at ecommerce-focused agency Above The Fray. Over the past half-decade, she has worked in the cannabis industry to orchestrate digital strategies and content creation for Schwazze, Star Buds, R.Greenleaf, Method Seven, Real Wellness, and more retail cannabis brands, MSOs, and ancillary companies in the cannabis space.
What do you bring to the cannabis marketing industry that sets you apart?
Emotional intelligence. I’m the kind of person who prioritizes sentience when communicating with people from all walks of life, for any reason, be it working, marketing, networking, dating, or simply to conversing. To me, actively understanding how others may be feeling, is the first real step in bonding and making connections that feel more genuine. And through my exploration of applying emotional intelligence to cannabis marketing (and observing others do the same) I’ve learned how useful a tool it is to hone in on the needs of people in order to provide them with the value and sense of comfort they’re seeking.
Why do you think the future of cannabis marketing is important and why should people be educated about it?
I believe cannabis marketing is and will continue to be one of the chief catalysts to diminish the stigma around cannabis use and the industry as a whole. It’s both a science and an art form that if done well and intentionally has the potential to make a longstanding impact that goes far beyond securing metrics alone. This is precisely why I think it’s important for cannabis marketers to understand the opportunity they have to take the industry, from where it is now well into the mainstream, globally. The reality is there is a lot of information to take in when it comes to the world of cannabis, and even more misinformation because of the long, complex history with its ongoing legal status. So the role cannabis marketing plays in solving this problem is paramount. Especially as new markets come online and scores of new cannabis curious people are seeking information and marketing materials that will lead them down the path where they are actively forming a new framework around how they perceive cannabis.
Buy your ticket to hear Naima speak at the Future of Cannabis Marketing event here!
