As a marketing concept, a pop-up event is an effective way for traditional retailers to attract new customers, showcase their products, and generate new orders. But did you know that you can do all of the above (and more!) if you partner with CULTA for a pop-up at your dispensary? In case you’re unfamiliar, a pop-up is a temporary retail space -- often found inside an existing retail space -- that pops up one day and disappears anywhere from one day to several weeks later (hence the name.)
If you’re curious about what a CULTA pop-up can do for your patients, here are five benefits of partnering with us for your next dispensary pop-up.
Exposes patients to new products
As the manager of a dispensary, it can be tough to keep your finger on the pulse of which products are trending in the medical cannabis market. From edibles and THC-infused drinks to tinctures and lotions, there’s a lot to keep track of. Fortunately, a pop-up event can help you expose your regular patients to new products without having to purchase 20 cases of the product. Just don’t forget to check in with attendees the next time they visit your dispensary to find out which products they did and didn’t like!
CULTA tip: To make connecting with your patients even easier, use email or SMS marketing to connect with attendees after the pop-up event. Ask them a few easy-to-answer questions about their favorite products and, if there’s a clear winner, be sure to stock it on your shelves ASAP.
Gives your patients facetime
Another benefit of a dispensary pop-up is that your patients will be able to meet face-to-face with their favorite growers and processors. This is a unique opportunity for them to ask the people who actually grow and make their favorite cannabis products questions about their products and accessories, processes, staff, and company values. Considering more and more consumers prefer supporting brands they trust, this can be beneficial for selling even more of your pop-up partner's products in-store.
CULTA tip: CULTA participates in two kinds of pop-ups; traditional pop-ups (managed and represented by an in-person CULTA employee) and ghost pop-ups (managed by an internal dispensary employee). If you have your heart set on your patients getting facetime with us, connect with your CULTA rep to make sure you’re signing up for the right type of pop-up.
Brings patients inside your dispensary
One lasting effect of the COVID pandemic is the popularity of curbside pick-up. Cannabis patients, retail customers, and shoppers of all types are hanging onto the convenience of purchasing something online and picking it up without having to get out of their car. The concept is great on many levels, but it doesn’t leave much room for getting to know your patients face to face. By hosting a pop-up at your dispensary, you’ll be able to discuss your patient's needs with them on a personal level, ultimately ensuring that the appropriate medication gets into their hands.
CULTA tip: Use FOMO (fear of missing out) to your advantage. Limit your deals and specials to “today only” and be sure to promote and advertise your pop-up starting weeks in advance. Also, make sure that your end caps (displays for product placed at the end of an aisle) and displays are set up in a way that promotes up-selling.
It’s (relatively) hands-off
Depending on the type of CULTA pop-up event you sign up for, the entire process is relatively hands-off. We’ll arrive early the day of the event to prepare the space, we’ll stay late to tear down and clean up, and we’ll even handle the marketing push. (Although, it would be great if you could promote it on your socials, too!) By partnering with CULTA, you can feel confident that your patients will experience a professional pop-up event without having to add even more tasks to your never-ending to-do list.
CULTA tip: We say it’s hands-off, but to do our best job we will need you to be responsive, transparent, and cooperative. Once you sign up for a pop-up, we’ll be in touch within 2-3 business days to discuss next steps so keep an eye on your inbox. :)
Free photos and advertising
Not every dispensary has the budget to hire professional photographers, especially as many are still struggling from the effects of the pandemic. If you’re tired of relying on stock imagery for your website, blog posts, and social media, think of a pop-up event as an opportunity to score some “free” content. Encourage pop-up attendees to snap photos and use a special hashtag (or better yet, tag you in them!) so you can find them on Instagram later. As an added bonus, the photos can also act as free advertising, exposing your dispensary to new, local patients.
CULTA tip: Privacy is important, and so is the law. Make sure attendees know that they may be photographed during the event and that those photos may be shared on social media. Last (but not least!) make sure you’re following all cannabis and HIPAA laws in your state.
A note about ghost pop-ups
Some of CULTA’s pop-ups are considered “ghost” pop-ups, which means members of our team won’t be present at the pop-up event. Instead, you can think of these as CULTA-sponsored events -- we’ll supply you with the swag (aka, free "stuff we all get") and collateral, but it’s up to your team to set up, break down, and host the event. If you’d like to take advantage of some of the above benefits (particularly giving your patients facetime with the CULTA team and being more hands-off with the event), please discuss this with your CULTA rep so he or she can ensure you’re signing up for the appropriate type of pop-up.
Pop-ups aren’t just for patients
Did you know that you can also schedule budtender training events through CULTA? These are similar to pop-ups in that we’ll handle pretty much everything, but these focus on training and educating your budtenders on our own products. If you just recently started carrying CULTA products or could simply use a refresher, we’re proud to offer exclusive budtender training opportunities to our wholesale partners.
Schedule a CULTA pop-up today
To schedule a pop-up event or budtender training, just fill out a form. We’re super excited to get this event planned and look forward to exposing your patients and/or budtenders to CULTA products.
