Spots for Grass Stores?

[Unregistered]

Out of curiosity: Are radio spots for marijuana stores running in Denver and other Colorado markets? If not, why not? If so, which formats? What sales messages and USPs are they using?

 

[boombox4]

FWIW, I haven't heard any such spots here in WA, where it's also legal.

 

[Radio-X]

Out of curiosity: Are radio spots for marijuana stores running in Denver and other Colorado markets? If not, why not? If so, which formats? What sales messages and USPs are they using?

Neither CO or WA have had blatant spots for stores selling recreational (or medicinal, for that matter) marijuana.

Closest thing to that I can tell you about...in 2011, on the way out to WA (and before either state legalized it), I spent the night in far-western Kansas motel (like, Denver TV stations on cable part of western Kansas). Remember seeing a late-night spot on a TV station (KWGN-TV 2) for a Denver head shop...blatantly showing off various tobacco smoking paraphernalia, showing a "stoned" hippie-looking type in tie-dye going "WOOOOOAHH, DUDE!", and nowhere did I see anything that would've convinced me the commercial was selling things other than pot paraphernalia.

Mind you, where I lived in the Deep South before moving out here, head shops/"tobacco" stores were kinda frowned upon (you'd buy your papers/pipes at the gas station), and nobody in their right mind would advertise it on broadcast media!

Radio-X

 

[FredLeonard]

FWIW, I haven't heard any such spots here in WA, where it's also legal.

I wouldn't expect spots yet in Washington. Not many stores open and most don't have much (or any) product. No need to generate traffic or to lure customers from competitors.

Maybe Colorado stores are getting all the trade they handle right now but there do seem to be a good number of stores in close proximity to each other in Metro Denver and at some point they are going to want to get competitive. In their shoes, I'd use my marketing dollars to "support" public radio.

 

[DaveBayArea]

We've considered it here in California (where medical marijuana is legal) and rejected the concept. There's a concern about possible ramifications to the broadcast license, since marijuana is still a federal offense. Initially there were spots on some of the more hip commercial stations but once the lawyers stepped in with that advice those ads went away. That was several years ago, and there has yet to be any kind of a test case. I think it would be a state's-rights vs. federal oversight thing. But so far no broadcaster has been willing to become the guinea pig, AFAIK. I think the problem is that there really isn't enough revenue potential (yet) to justify the risk.

Dave B.

 

[Kent]

Out of curiosity: Are radio spots for marijuana stores running in Denver and other Colorado markets? If not, why not? If so, which formats? What sales messages and USPs are they using?

As Dave points out, there's some concern that the FCC will block license renewals if stations take marijuana ads. Although they've backed away from the hardline stance they were pushing even after Colorado started allowing the sale of pot, the Feds will have to be dragged into this kicking and screaming. Plus, there's the concern that the next administration's FCC will be less receptive to the idea and may take an even more hardline approach.