Cannabis sales or consumption are not allowed at either Boston venue, operated by entertainment giant Live Nation, which also had to give its blessing for the deal.
But the multilayered agreement puts Nature’s Heritage in both physical performance spaces, via media screens, QR codes, branding and ambassador activations, and on related digital channels through display ads on ticketing sites.
As part of the sponsorship, Nature’s Harvest can commingle its brand with logos from both venues—billboards have already gone up in high-traffic areas around town with taglines such as, “Rock & Preroll,” and “Like It Loud?”
The brand will heavily promote the deal in its dispensaries through store-level displays, outreach to budtenders, consumer ticket giveaways and other tactics.
‘Massive investment’
While MariMed wouldn’t give details on the cost of the sponsorship, it marks “a massive investment,” O’Malley, a Boston Beer alumnus, said. “It’s over our traditional spend, a bit out of our comfort zone, but we know it’s the right thing to do.”
It may be tough to measure the full impact, although there will be some concrete measurement for success, like a spike in Nature’s Heritage sales.
“Putting ROI (return on investment) against deals like this is a challenge,” O’Malley said. “It will come down to how well we can translate this partnership to retail.”
MariMed, already established as a savvy marketer, isn’t the only cannabis brand cozying up to the music world. To name just a few: Dispensary chain Jars Cannabis has sponsored the well-trafficked Movement electronic-dance festival in Michigan, with its own branded stage and immersive art installations; and edibles maker Wana Brands has partnered with Sofar Sounds, intimate concerts in unique venues around the country.
