How Sports Interests Give Your Dispensary Rewards Program the MVP Treatment

why loyal fans are important for your cannabis CRM

Loyalty is a highly regarded trait in almost every setting and appreciated in as many cultures. You hear stories about a king’s loyal adviser or your grandpa’s loyal boyhood dog, but what about Bob from Dallas who hasn’t changed his monthly order from your dispensary in 3 years? Bob isn’t just a loyal customer- he is also a die-hard Cowboys fan, and to die-hard sports fans, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Sports fans are very intriguing creatures. Most are bred from childhood based on factors completely out of their control, like their birthplace or grandfather’s favorite team.

And it’s more than a feeling- it’s a territorial pull they are loyal to regardless of time or performance (trust me- I’m a Browns fan), hence the term ‘die-hard’.

So there is an entire demographic of people more likely to cheat on their spouses than to wear their rival’s colors. What does this mean to you? How could you leverage that loyalty to make consumers associate your dispensary with the same energy they feel with their favorite teams? How can acknowledging customer sports interests further set you apart from your competitors? By building relationships with marketing campaigns geared toward consumer’s exact interests. The springbig cannabis CRM is designed specifically to help you get your own die-hard fans.

checking the stat sheet

According to a Green Market Report, a survey of approximately 1300 cannabis consumers in 32 US cities found some very interesting stats on cannabis using sports fans.

• 55% are fans of the NFL, not far from the 57% of the general population (GP)
• 36% said they are fans of the NBA, compared to 40% of GP
• 36% said they followed the MLB, a wide margin from the 51% reported from GP
• Both cannabis consumers and GP reported that 28% of them are fans of the NHL
• 31% of the marijuana users said they are fans of college football, compared to 56% of GP
• 38% of GP are college basketball fans, compared to the 26% cannabis consumers surveyed

Need more evidence that sports interests can impact your cannabis business?

• Eaze reported a 47% spike in deliveries in CA in the hours leading up to SB XLVIII in 2016
• According to the president of Medicine Man (the largest dispensary in Denver), they experienced a 30-40% uptick from Thursday before Broncos played in the Super Bowl in 2017
• 51% of Broncos fans said to have smoked during that year

Needless to say, sports matter to a large portion of your prime demographic. The scoreboard shows that highlighting these events using your CRM software can be a game-changer. So how do you get started?

campaign suggestions for your loyal sports fans

By evoking the spirit of sportsmanship, an effective loyalty and rewards program can draw a big crowd into your dispensary every game-day. First- encourage your customers to submit their special interests. This can help you better understand what text messages offers are relevant to them.

Here, we offer some suggestions for sports-inspired text message marketing campaigns that we believe could turn some casual customers into MVPs.

nba

With 36% of cannabis users surveyed being dedicated NBA fans, you can keep the rock in your hands by utilizing your cannabis CRM and loyalty program to offer deals to box out your competition. You can offer up extra loyalty points to customers/patients who beat the buzzer on game night or start lobbing up some alley-oops with discounts ready for the customer to slam home. We suggest something like:

• For NoCal-ers and Canadians- after securing your $500 nosebleeds for Game __, we’ll minimize your *necessary expenses*- secure the bag and save 20% on sativas
• CA squared: help take the edge off a stressful NBA finals series with some Northern Lights or LA Confidential- legally
• Series is going at least 5 games, bound to go 6 or 7- stock up now and save
• Golden State is the favorite to win in these next games (what else is new), but you can still make the games interesting with a new strain
• Whatever the outcome: Numb the pain of a 3-peat/ cringing at Canadians begging for Kawhi to re-sign with 20% indicas
• Tame your hate for the refs and L2M with Lemon Jack and sleep like you just played a basketball game instead of watching one on TV

nfl

More than half of surveyed cannabis users (55%) are NFL fans. Remember Bob from Dallas? You want him to stick with your dispensary the same way he has with America’s Team. For the hardcore football fans, draw up a go-route and send ‘em deep with some deals that will have them coming back to the huddle ready for another play. Use text messages through your CRM software to get into a 2-minute drill with a flash sale to make sure they’re back in time for Carrie Underwood on SNF. Try something like:

• Keep the defense guessing: try a new strain and get double points
• Unless you’re a Pats fan (which if you are, congratulations on your state securing another W), you’re susceptible to some late Sunday afternoon depression. Spark up some God’s Gift to fend off the Sunday scaries
• As a lifelong Browns fan, I’ve often turned to Grape Ape to offset the usual disappointment a Sunday afternoon brings
• Some Jock Horror will keep those wings you picked up for the tailgate from becoming leftovers
• Keep the wife happy by staying away from Mr. Budweiser’s empty calories and munch on some real food- scoop some Durban Poison and start feasting

ncaa

About a third of cannabis consumers surveyed said they follow college football while a bit more than a quarter follow college hoops. Use your cannabis CRM to get those numbers up and corner the market to keep those Cameron Crazies coming back to your cannabis dispensary. For the fans, we recommend offers such as:

• College sports are and will always be more hype than pro sports, so help your customers get (and stay) hyped with discounts on sativas to keep up with those whippersnappers in the student section. And if you want to go back with them, stay away from those shady campus dealers with better “stuff” at better prices at your cannabis dispensary.
• Skip the post-game hangover and opt for clearing out the grill with double points until kickoff.
• That body paint you’re about to splatter all over yourself? You’ll feel a lot more normal with some OG Kush in you. Stop by in your gameday “outfit” and get a special offer on sativas!

mlb

36% of pro-cannabis surveyees said they follow the MLB, a solid number considering the sluggish nature of the game. Good thing we’re serving up a meatball for you to take 450 feet dead center with the leading CRM and rewards program, guaranteeing your slugging percentage and sales revenue to skyrocket. Use the home-field advantage to entice your loyal customers to increase their total dollar spent per visit with marketing campaigns like:

• Don’t be the guy that falls asleep at the ballpark- the game has enough haters attacking its inactivity as it is – grab an eddy to keep you going into extra innings
• True baseball fans love a pitcher’s duel, so grab a sativa to stay locked in and appreciate the greatness
• Those ballpark hot dogs are delicious but expensive. Enjoy them a *little* more after saving big on some edibles- your wallet (and CB reactors) will thank you

nhl

More than a quarter of surveyed cannabis consumers said they were fans of the NHL with that number likely to grow thanks to some new laws north of the border. Turn your one-timers into second- and third-timers with your cannabis CRM and make your cannabis retailer a tradition synonymous with the puck drop.

• Spark up some Headband to combat the board-crashing and horn-blasting the world’s most violent sport brings
• Compliment your $5 souvenir soda with 20% off Dragon’s Breath to get all of the excitement the new 3-on-3 overtime has to offer
• Find some comic relief in grown men repeatedly falling on their asses with The Cough. You’ll be coughing and crying of laughter after a rip (or three)

take home the ‘W’ with springbig

At the end of the day, customer relationship management is about communicating with your customers and making meaningful connections that help you better serve those who use your products. Utilizing the special interests feature in springbig is one more way our platform facilitates that result (call us cp3). By understanding the unique needs and interests of your customers/patients, you are given a whole playbook of ways to enhance their experience. That way, no matter what sport they follow or what team they are rooting for, your dispensary always takes home the W.