PR Archives - Green Market Report

StaffFebruary 18, 2020
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The cannabis industry is one of the most unique and restricted industries in general, but when it comes to advertising, marketing and public relations, it stands alone in its capabilities and the landscape in which to operate. 

The keys to any good marketing or PR campaign in cannabis, since advertising is still almost completely illegal to even engage, are creativity, understanding the laws, and relationships. If you have never worked in PR for the cannabis industry, and made the transition into it, you would know there is a learning curve that requires time. No matter how big, long standing or respected a firm may be, it will take 6-12 months to figure out how to navigate the cannabis terrain. 

Unfortunately, many brands and companies will go and hire the most expensive PR firm in the world, only to find out 3-6 months in, that they would have received 20 times more coverage if they would have gone with a firm that has a sole, or major, focus on cannabis for no less than a year. Making the mistake leads to a lot of wasted time and money, which in the cannabis industry as well as any other, are too valuable and can be avoided. 

For the second year in row, the team at the Green Market Report has evaluated the most effective public relations firms available to the industry that embody the experience, relationships and compliance know-how to garner your company’s desired press coverage and message management better than anyone else. 

Each one of these firms have been vetted and yield proven results for their clients. We have carefully selected the teams that we would recommend to any cannabis brand, personality or public company. Some of the firms have specialties with brands, whether it be sustainable farming or extraction, or specifically with luxury positioning, and some specifically specialize in financial markets.

Before selecting any PR firm in any situation, you should always review and interview no less than 3 to 5 thoroughly. Chemistry between your team and theirs is incredibly important. So, take your time and find the right fit. 

We hope that this list can help you and your team find the best cannabis focused PR firm that can achieve your goals most effectively. 

Here is the 2020 Green Market Report list of the Top 12 Most Effective Cannabis PR Firms:

 

1.) ICR Strategic Communications & Advisory:

Mission Statement: Provide strategic communications for business leaders to achieve business goals, build awareness and credibility, and enhance long-term enterprise value.

About ICR Strategic Communications & Advisory: Established in 1998, ICR partners with companies to execute strategic communications and advisory programs that achieve business goals, build awareness and credibility, and enhance long-term enterprise value. ICR’s cannabis practice leverages the firm’s highly-differentiated service model, which pairs capital markets veterans with senior communications professionals, bringing deep sector knowledge and relationships to its clients.  ICR’s roster of cannabis clients include, Tilray, Aphria, Aurora, Hexo, Hydrofarm, Neptune Wellness Solutions, CV Sciences, Weedmaps, Medicine Man Technologies and Bespoke Capital Acquisition Corp.  During the past two years, ICR’s cannabis team has helped its clients navigate several go-public transactions, M&A, capital raises and special situations, while also providing ongoing, integrated investor relations and public relations services to raise awareness, visibility and understanding of their long-term growth strategy.

2.) MATTIO Communications:

Mission Statement: MATTIO creates brand leaders by using our well-honed communication skills, industry knowledge and creative muscle to drive conversations, shape perceptions and help our clients achieve ambitious business goals.

About MATTIO CommunicationsMATTIO Communications was founded by Rosie Mattio in 2005 and is one of the longest running and largest marketing firms in the cannabis space. The company has supported the industry and grown up alongside it, working to normalize perceptions and remove the stigma surrounding cannabis. In fact, the firm placed the first cannabis article ever to appear in both Vogue and Oprah Magazine! At the core of MATTIO’s success is a simple principle: Rosie and her team prioritize delivering substantial, meaningful results. In 2019 alone, MATTIO secured over 3,000 placements for its clients, translating into over 100 billion UVMs.

MATTIO represents some of the best known brands in every sector of the cannabis industry, including Canndescent, Harborside, Papa & Barkley, Headset, LeafLink, PathogenDx and CannaSafe. Despite doubling its client roster over the past year, MATTIO prides itself on maintaining a close working relationship with clients, modeling itself as an extension of their internal marketing and strategy teams. Over the past year, the company has expanded its capabilities, adding investor relations, SEO, programmatic, social media and influencer marketing to better serve and represent clients.

In 2019, the company was ranked on Green Entrepreneur’s Top 100 Cannabis Companies and awarded MG Magazine’s Best Workplaces. Rosie Mattio was also named one of Forbes Fifteen Powerful And Innovative Women In Cannabis and received a High Times Female 50 award.

3.) CMW Media:

Mission Statement: CMW Media’s mission is to help share meaningful messages worldwide. We aim to catapult industry innovators to become household names and implement innovative public relations campaigns that lead to positive legislative and systematic changes. In addition to servicing our clients to the highest standard and becoming an extension of their marketing teams, we aim to be a leading media resource of cannabis, technology and healthcare information for print, broadcast and online journalists.

About CMW MediaEstablished in 2014, CMW Media is a full-service public relations and marketing agency for emerging markets industries including cannabis, sustainable energy, technology, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and psychedelics. The company’s management team has more than 50 years of combined experience and brings a unique blend of knowledge from a variety of backgrounds including journalism, internal communications, agency, and in-house.
CMW Media Founder and CEO Andrew Hard is a Fox News veteran and two-time Neal Award-Winning journalist who started the agency to help share powerful messages about how cannabis was positively changing lives across the globe. Many of CMW Media’s founding campaigns were based upon a series of strategic non-profit efforts, telling the stories of children who were suffering from a number of debilitating diseases and disorders who got a second chance at life because of cannabidiol (CBD). Traveling the globe to meet with these families and film their stories was CMW Media’s Creative Director Jordan Guzzardo, a two-time Emmy Award-Winning videographer. These stories helped, and continue to help, those who are brainwashed by the War on Drugs understand CBD’s many wellness benefits. In addition, Andrew Hard spearheaded media relations efforts that led to the legalization of CBD product imports in Mexico, as well as the legalization and government subsidization of CBD products in Brazil.

Since its inception, CMW Media has expanded its services beyond public and media relations to include digital and email marketing, social media, video production, brand development, web design, PPC campaigns and e-commerce management. Specializing in publicly-traded companies, CMW Media helps companies convey their value to shareholders and investors alike by promoting financial reports, drafting shareholder letters and call scripts, aligning investor relations strategy with media outreach and creating attractive, easy-to-navigate pitch decks. The agency also boasts impressive creative offerings and its own professional photography studio in its downtown San Diego office where expert media training, headshots, promotional video and product photography can all be handled in-house.

From seed to sale, CMW Media represents both ancillary and plant-touching businesses in the cannabis industry in more than 20 countries. The agency’s current cannabis clients include Medical Marijuana, Inc., Tilt Holdings, Bhang, Inc., Sparx Cannabis, Hemp, Inc., Axim Biotechnologies, Kannalife, Inc., Ecogen Laboratories, and Emerald Scientific, among others. In 2020, CMW Media was listed among the top 10 PR agencies in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal.

4.) KCSA Strategic Communications:

KCSA Mission Statement: We Inform, Influence and Inspire.

At KCSA Strategic Communications, we deliver high-impact corporate visibility that supports sales, attracts capital, builds shareholder value and communicates to current and potential employees.

About KCSA Strategic CommunicationsKCSA Strategic Communications, an integrated strategic communications firm specializing in public relations, investor relations and social media, celebrated its 50th Anniversary in September of 2019. Along with the anniversary celebrations came a “KCSA brand” refresh, updating its acronym to “Knowledge. Creativity. Strategy. Advocacy.” KCSA also experienced exceptional growth with an increase in revenue of 35 percent and more than 25 new executive hires in 2019.

KCSA is one of the only independently-owned communications consultancies and brings these offerings to bear through integrated, business-to-business campaigns. With vertical expertise in financial services, healthcare, tech, and for the last six-plus years, KCSA has become the most well-known integrated corporate cannabis communications firms. KCSA works with its clients – which range from high-growth startups to mid-cap publicly traded companies – to communicate to their most important stakeholders, build their brands and support their sales efforts.

KCSA’s cannabis practice has been representing companies in the cannabis industry for more than five years. Clients span the entire supply chain from companies that grow the plant, process it and dispense it, to companies that provide consulting services, financial services and even ancillary products such as lighting, nutrients and packaging

In 2017, KCSA launched The Green Rush, a podcast about cannabis, the capital markets and culture. On a weekly basis hosts Lewis Goldberg and Anne Donohoe from KCSA Strategic Communications, speak with the CEOs, Regulators, Legislators and Cultural Icons pushing the cannabis industry forward.

In 2018 KCSA acquired leading cannabis and hemp PR firm Salar Media Group. Some of their current and past cannabis clients include public companies such as Acreage Holdings, KushCo Holdings, Terra Tech, iAnthus, Curaleaf, Aurora Cannabis and Akerna as well as industry leaders such as The Emerald Cup, Vangst, and High Times Holdings.

KCSA’s cannabis highlights include:

  • KCSA Cannabis Investor Survey – KCSA released two investor surveys in 2019 resulting in coverage in Investor’s Business Daily, Bloomberg, Benzinga, Marijuana Today, Green Market Report, MG and IR Magazine. This survey puts KCSA front and center in providing key, branded market intelligence in order to better understand the cannabis investor.
  • KCSA was named to mg Magazine’s 2019 list of Top 50 Cannabis Employers
  • KCSA was ranked as a top M&A PR Advisory Firm by The Deal

  • KCSA was named one of the most Powerful PR Firms of 2019 by the Observer

  • KCSA’s management team was featured on a number of panels and keynotes including: Benzinga’s Cannabis Capital Conference, The Green Market Summit, Cannabis World Congress, NCIA Seed-to-Sale, NCIA Northeast Cannabis Business Conference and OTC Cannabis Day. 
  • Through its partnership with the OTCMarkets, KCSA hosts the Virtual Investor Conferences, the industry’s foremost online investor conference series that provides a unique, interactive forum for publicly-traded cannabis companies to meet and present directly with investors.
  • To date, KCSA has hosted seven conferences, with more than 35,000 attendees. KCSA hosted the inaugural Congressional Cannabis Day Forum in coordination with The Cannabis Caucus at the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC on May 21, 2019. 
  • KCSA’s flagship podcast, The Green Rush, hit 100,000 downloads in February 2020!

5.) Rosen Group:

Mission Statement: Rosen Group is committed to providing high-quality, strategic public relations services by integrating innovative approaches with tried-and-true methods that translate directly to clients’ objectives for their bottom lines. We understand that the best relationships are seamless. Rosen Group integrates itself as its clients’ full-fledged partner, communicating closely with their internal teams to customize PR programs and to maximize efficiency. Our goal is to achieve results that exceed clients’ expectations. Moving beyond the traditional media relations role, Rosen Group is a consultant and sounding board for its partners, executing insightful and detail-oriented client campaigns.

About Rosen Group: What do you get when you combine old school values, contemporary thinking, New York moxie, deep-rooted cannabis experience and a best-in-class professional team? Meet Rosen Group, a 360-degree public relations agency headquartered in Manhattan, with more than three decades of experience cultivating regional and national awareness for clients through targeted media outreach, innovative programs and a nimbleness to move with the rapidly evolving media landscape. Our focus may be on the green market, but our savvy team is far from green when it comes to our breadth of knowledge and capabilities.  

Rosen Group has strong roots in business, advertising, legal, media and entrepreneurial sectors, while our cannabis experience is unparalleled. The firm has worked since the inception of adult-use in Colorado to bring cannabis messaging to the national stage.

The agency has worked with vertically integrated companies, products, consultants and others to expand into emerging markets while educating target audiences and conveying critical narratives. Past and current cannabis clients include NUG, Vertosa, Azuca, Keef Brands, Wana Brands, Nanosphere, Cannabis Business Alliance, TheWeedTube and MMJ Business Academy, among others. In the ever-transforming cannabis market, we foster creativity, innovation and growth to both client and media relations.

Rosen Group clients receive customized, personal service and strategic initiatives specific to their objectives that are executed through broad-spectrum public relations campaigns to maximize coverage. Press placements span print, digital and broadcast, from leading cannabis trades such as Green Entrepreneur and Marijuana Business Magazine, to mainstream general interest, news and business outlets such as Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, Rolling Stone and Forbes. The firm also highlights each of our clients’ presence and establishes thought-leadership opportunities by “newsjacking” on industry trends, drafting and securing placements for bylined articles, as well as generating speaking opportunities at prominent industry conferences, including NCIA, Engage for Good 2020, Bev Net Events Cannabis Forum, and MJ Biz Con International.

How does Rosen Group move the needle forward in the ever-transformative canna-communications industry? With key accomplishments such as:

  • Brand equity for social equity – Spearheading brand awareness for NUG’s significant role in the Oakland, California, social equity program, including engaging with city officials and generating earned media placements in noteworthy regional and national outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Cannabis Now Magazine and Comedy Central’s “Klepper” show.
  • From 0 to 360 – Blooming from an idea for a water-friendly cannabinoid infusion process, Rosen Group played an integral part in the successful launch and growth of culinary-driven edibles brand Azuca. From establishing the company’s now industry-known name to supporting its product partnerships and expansion initiatives in both the consumer and B2B markets, Rosen Group continues to be an intrinsic collaborator in each part of the process to align Azuca with the top media movers and shakers in the industry.

6.) GVM Communications:

Mission Statement: Great Visions and Minds Communicating

About GVM CommunicationsGia is the Founder and CEO of GVM Communications, Inc. a public relations, brand & business development consulting firm which launched in 2012. GVM Communications Inc. has a core team that consists of Tracey Henry the Lead Public Relations Strategist (aka “Media Pitch Master”), Alicia A. Brown the Director of Client Relations (aka “The Client Whisper”) and N’Dia Dugue the Social Media Maven (aka The Millennial Connect), GVM also engages a team of consultants & freelancers demonstrating talents and skills in an array of industries: Arts, Education, Financial Services, Diversity & Inclusion, Publishing, Sports & Entertainment, Technology, and Wellness. In 2015, the firm expanded its services into the cannabis industry. GVM Communication, Inc. is currently regarded as one of the top 10 firms in the country specializing in cannabis & hemp. 

Although, increasingly renowned, within the cannabis & hemp space. GVM Communication, Inc. remains equally vested in diverse markets of business ranging from: (Non-Profits, privately owned to Publicly traded Fortune 500 companies. The firm has a client base ranges from small to mid-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, authors and celebrity clients). 

The GVM team has cumulatively with over 60+ years of experience. Gia is also the President of Women Grow and come with extensive experience from Goldman Sachs Group Inc as Media Relations Officer and the Fremantle Corporation as Director of Promotions & Publicity, while her team Tracey Henry is a cannabis media expert CEO of THC Tracey Henry Consulting & Type A Media and has extensive experience in politics, hospitality, health & wellness; Alicia Brown is a master of the 4’P’s (People, Product, Processes & Partners) and has leveraged her superpowers on behalf companies like; General Motors & W. W. Grainger and has an extensive background in Marketing & Business Development in (publishing, entertainment, and food & beverage); N’Dia Dugue  has worked with the One/35 Agency which specializes in targeting multicultural consumers and business professionals with clients such as Google, Oprah Winfrey Network, Fox Broadcasting Co. and A’24’s moonlight. 

Gia is a board member of the following organization’s Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM, Advisory Board member of Cannabis World Congress Business Expo, Coalition Member of Start-SMART New York and founder of the New York Cannabis & Hemp Trade Association. Equally compelling, Gia mentors enterprising young women entrepreneurs across the country and intercontinental in countries like South Africa. Gia currently resides in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY.

7.) 5W Public Relations:

Mission Statement: Resourceful, innovative, and nimble, 5W works hard, thinks big, and delivers successful results.

About 5W Public RelationsFounded by Ronn Torossian in 2003 in one-room, with one intern, and three clients, 5W Public Relations today employs 175 professionals, taking up two entire floors in the iconic Helmsley Building. In 2019, 5W grew 3.1% and reported record-breaking revenue of $36.4M. The Beauty and Health practices exploded, boasting 19.5% and 28.4% increases in revenue YoY, respectively and the Cannabis division skyrocketed from zero to revenue of $1.7M in just one year onboarding nearly 20 clients in the space.

5W has an expert ability to narrate the stories of emerging brands and launch them into mainstream fame. 5W equips clients with the necessary knowledge, innovation and creativity to achieve top-tier engagement and drive growth-oriented results in an ever-changing world. The firm and its employees understand this is a “defining moment” for cannabis and has maximized its presence while the industry is hot; and for this reason, the Firm’s speed in capitalizing on this moment is coupled by real time analysis of every possible scenario prior to taking action.

5W is dedicated to cannabis, because the Firm believes in the future of the industry and understands that the health and wellness benefits of cannabis have the potential to not only change a life, but the course of history. The passion and focus the Firm has on the industry means that it is up to date with all relevant legislation, trends and new players on the scene.5W drives this awareness and perception by breaking down barriers and ideating impactful stories to an unmatched network of outlets.

5W now services roughly 260 clients at any given time including world-class brands like SAP, L’Oreal, Topps, Sparkling Ice, Santa Margherita, Careerbuilder and SodaStream as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies, six members of the Forbes 400, hedge funds, and four technology unicorns including N26, Payoneer, AvidXchange and ironSouce. The firms notable Cannabis clients include CBDistillery, a Balanced Health Botanicals Brand and the number one online retailer of hemp-derived CBD products; Cannabiniers, leaders in smoke-free cannabis consumption brands with products such as Two Roots, Creative Waters, and Just Society; NABIS Holdings, leading investment company focused on multiple aspects of the cannabis sector; KOI CBD; Bluebird Botanicals; Ionic Brands, national cannabis holding company focused on building consumer brands; and canafarma, a hemp investment company involved in growing, processing and product development including Yooforic, hemp oil infused chewing gum.

8.) Grasslands Agency:

Mission Statement: Grasslands’ seasoned team—well-versed and legit experienced in all sides of the public relations / communications / media paradigm—employs the ethical standards we learned in Pulitzer-winning newsrooms to provide world-class content and media-savvy public relations services that helps our clients grow their businesses. We are proud to work exclusively with businesses and organizations that align with our agency values of inclusivity, compassion and dignity; engage openly with their communities and customers; practice transparency in their business relationships; and respect the important contributions of journalists and the news media. Our communications philosophy is centered on a journalism-minded, Aristotle-modeled approach to content creation, marketing, public relations, branding, social media management, events and more. That means using only vetted information, distributing professionally written copy, getting things right the first time, listening actively to our clients and media partners, and thriving on tough deadlines. At Grasslands, we put our clients’ brands, executives and messaging front and center in broadcast, online, print, podcast and social media.

About Grasslands AgencyGrasslands is a full-service boutique communications agency working with clients in highly regulated industries—including marijuana and hemp—specializing in public relations, content marketing and thought leadership work. Founder and CEO Ricardo Baca, a 25-year newspaper veteran, has built a seasoned team with more than six decades of top-level journalism experience at outlets including Men’s Health, The Denver Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, Seventeen, The Daily Beast and Wonkette—and PR experience with clients including Twitter, Victoria’s Secret, Sports Illustrated, Ulta Beauty, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Whirlpool. Grasslands has a deep bench of experience supporting clients through product launches and rebranding efforts, acquisitions and IPOs, crisis management and capital funding initiatives.

Two Accomplishments to Highlight

  • Supported client ebbu through a major pivot, and elevated the brand and its executives via a global communications strategy—leading up to the brand being acquired by Canopy Growth in fall 2018. In the year-plus leading up to the acquisition, Grasslands managed ebbu’s public relations, thought leadership program (including speaking engagements and contributed columns), weekly blog and other content marketing projects.
  • Created and produced a multi-panel event, The (Complicated) Future of Cannabis Media. Panel discussions covered the future of cannabis journalism, spanning the influential microcosm of Instagram influencers to the important role of the mainstream media. Panelists included: Katie Foody of the Associated Press’ cannabis team; Lee Ann Colacioppo, editor-in-chief of The Denver Post; Chris Walsh, president and founding editor of Marijuana Business Daily; and Jonathan Rose, associate editor of The Denver Business Journal. The panel drew more than 125 attendees and sold out the Denver Press Club, which also happens to be one of Grasslands’ pro bono clients.

Awards & Acknowledgements

  • Ricardo Baca named AdCann Marketer of the Year 2018
  • Cannabis Tech & Today named Grasslands Founder & CEO Ricardo Baca as one of the top 25 cannabis innovators of 2020
  • Ricardo Baca is a two-time veteran of the TEDx stage (TEDx Boulder in 2018; TEDx Marin in 2019)
  • Grasslands named as one of the top 10 Most Effective Cannabis PR Firms 2019 by Green Market Report

Clients to Highlight

  • Willie Nelson’s suite of cannabis brands, including Willie’s Reserve, Willie’s Remedy and Willie’s Rescue
  • City and County of Denver
  • National Cannabis Industry Association
  • Medicine Man Technologies
  • SLANG Worldwide (a.k.a. the joint venture between Canopy Growth and OrganaBrands)

Agency Milestones

  • Raised more than $5,000 for nonprofits specializing in progressive drug policy reform (Drug Policy Alliance, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Last Prisoner Project), global human rights (Human Rights Watch), continued medical research (MAPS) and media organizations (Colorado Public Radio News, Propublica, The Marshall Project).
  • Without outside investment, scaled agency to 13 full-time colleagues and 10-plus subcontractors—and purchased a $1.2-million agency headquarters in central Denver—in first three years of operation.
  • Created, produced and launched Destigmatized, a 120-episode Instagram TV docuseries documenting America’s ever-transforming relationship with the cannabis plant.

9.) Nison Co:

Mission Statement: NisonCo is the oldest and largest cannabis, CBD, and hemp-specific PR firm and has worked with over 125 cannabis companies. Established in 2013, our mission is to build trusting relationships with members of the media in order to advance inclusive and sustainable social policies, while ethically monetizing our influence.

About Nison CoNisonCo is rated as a top cannabis PR company that can get and keep your company in the news through an unmatched network of cannabis industry leaders, reporters, product reviewers, and social media influencers. We have developed over 4,000 active relationships with reporters and reviewers who cover cannabis and related products, including CBD, from nearly every major outlet across the country. Our team of over 20 employees is made up of experts in specific niches of the industry, and are passionate about maintaining a positive image for the industry. Our hyper-attentive approach generates fast results, while our campaigns are backed by strategy and data. In addition to our ability to get you in the news, we have social media experts, bloggers, content writers, marketers, and SEO consultants in-house ready to get you and your brand maximum exposure.

Since 2013, NisonCo has worked with over 125 cannabis companies including Brightfield Group, Cannabis Voter Project, and Verano/Harvest, which helped to establish ourselves as a go-to source for reporters who cover the legal and medical cannabis industries. We use our active relationships with journalists to promote innovation, sustainability, and thought leadership for companies such as covering the front lines of the 2019 vape crisis, leading tech innovation trends and assisting new product rollouts, to normalizing the spread of CBD nationwide. For our work we’ve been recognized in articles such as The Observer’s PR Power List Cannabis Honor Roll of 2019 and Green Market Report’s Top 10 Most Effective Cannabis PR Firms 2019. In recent years we’ve continued to grow to remain the largest cannabis specific public relations firm and at the request of our clients we’ve expanded our service offerings to other things we do really well, like content marketing and SEO.

10.) Coppertop Media Relations:

Mission Statement: Coppertop Media Relations strives to work with good actors that make an impact in their local communities and the greater global cannabis industry. It prides itself on being a leading industry resource for partnering cannabis brands and professionals with opportunities, ranging from national media placements to collaborative ventures.

About Coppertop Media Relations:

Coppertop Media Relations is a full-service communications firm, established in 1995. Led by its founder, Jim Walsh, and Bruce Dunbar, an accomplished communications executive, the Firm has focused on the legal cannabis industry globally since 2016.  Coppertop works with top brands and with clients spanning every sector in cannabis: cultivation, manufacturing, technology, distribution, financial and ancillary services. Specializing in media relations, financial and crisis communications and thought leadership, Coppertop brings extensive media connections, an understanding of the brands, consumers and structure of the industry, as well as deep financial and consumer communications experience to the table.

Over the last four years, Coppertop has represented some of the most respected and established brands in the industry, including Bloom Farms, CannaCraft (Absolute Extracts, Care by Design, Satori Chocolates), Flowr,  iCan CannaTech, Project CBD, Puffco, and Scotts Miracle-Gro.

11.) Lola Red:

Mission Statement: Amplify Greatness

About Lola RedLola Red is a dynamic, integrated PR, social and digital agency located in Minneapolis and Denver. Founded by Alexis Walsko in 2002, the agency was rooted on results and service with the spirit and strategy to help clients make an impact on their business. Lola Red serves clients across multiple industries including: consumer electronics, technology, health and wellness, fashion and beauty, CPG, franchise, food and beverage, hospitality and non-profit industries. Lola Red is certified as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The Denver office opened in the Summer of 2019, marking the first expansion of the firm. Lola Red has received accolades from Ragan’s PR Daily Awards, Shorty Awards, Ad Club Co, Twin Cities Business and the PRSA organization. The agency’s sports marketing division, Lola Pro, amplifies athlete’s time in the spotlight through integrated brand partnerships, media relations, community relations and social/digital strategies. Lola Pro also works with companies and brands across various industries to help them achieve objectives utilizing professional athletes.

12.) Maverick Public Relations:

Mission Statement: Maverick Public Relations provides big agency expertise with outstanding client service by seasoned and knowledgeable communications experts.

About Maverick Public Relations: Maverick PR was established in December 2018 and quickly was recognized as one of the most effective cannabis agencies in the industry. Our cannabis and hemp experience is unparalleled, with most of us working in the sector for 5-10 years to bring cannabis messaging to the national stage and working closely with national and trade reporters as well as infiltrating specific emerging markets to educate and convey critical narratives. We are experts in cannabis, but we also have deep experience representing a multitude of sectors including health & wellness, biotech, agribusiness, sustainable technologies, renewable energy, associations, the regulated cannabis industry and media companies.

Our mission is to provide big agency expertise with outstanding client service by seasoned and knowledgeable communications experts. Maverick PR offerings include public relations, media training, investor relations, content development, thought leadership development, speaking engagements, response strategy/crisis management, event support and consulting. What sets us apart: We are hands-on, sincere, genuine and responsive. We’re ridiculously enthusiastic, hard-working and nimble. We think outside of the box, and we’re good partners to our clients. We root out good story ideas and then help our clients share their narratives.

At our core, we’re passionate about good journalism. We want to see the Fourth Estate not just survive but thrive. Each of us brings such a unique skill set and background. We come from all different ages/levels in our careers. That helps to foster a successful and supportive environment. And while more than half of our team is based in the Denver metro area, we have outposts in California, Florida and Pennsylvania, which we believe lends to a diverse perspective.

Cannabis clients, including Wana, Wana Wellness, Elixinol, Quicksilver Scientific, Mary Jane’s Medicinals, Resource Innovation Intuition, Fortis Law Partners, Capitol Wellness Solutions, L’Eagle, L’eela CBD Body Care and Cannabis Doing Good.


Cynthia SalarizadehJanuary 29, 2020
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As journalists, brand owners and industry professionals, daily we must interact and engage with communication specialists to accomplish a myriad of goals. Like anything, some individuals tend to be more efficient, trustworthy, effective and more of a pleasure to work with overall.

There is nothing more upsetting than wasting time and money on services that do not meet your company’s needs, especially if it can be avoided. So understanding who these people are can help us in our collective decision making when it comes time to scout talent or in hiring firms and consultants.

Over the last year and a half, our team at the Green Market Report has created a running list of the top communication professionals that we feel warrant recognition. After careful consideration among the GMR team, we have selected the top ten that we feel you and your company can engage with effectively.

We feel comfortable recommending each person in this group for their work and accomplishments within their special areas of the industry for communications.

Each one of these individuals rank among the most knowledgeable, influential, helpful and professional to work with.

 

Daniel Yi, Chief Communications Officer at Shryne Group Inc.

Daniel is a seasoned communications executive with more than two decades of experience crafting narratives that connect with audiences.

In 2016, he joined a little known cannabis management firm called MedMen and helped the brand become one of the most recognized names in the industry, earning the company more than six billion earned media impressions in 2018.

As a former journalist, Daniel understands and believes in the power of narrative to change minds and hearts. In the span of a 10-year career at the Los Angeles Times, he covered several beats and later transitioned to marketing communications and public relations, helping organizations like the Port of Long Beach, the County of Los Angeles and Edison International connect with diverse audiences.

Today, Daniel is the chief communications officer of Shryne Group, a vertically integrated cannabis enterprise focused on California, the largest, most mature legal cannabis market in the world.

 

 

Rosie Mattio Founder & CEO of Mattio Communications

Rosie is the founder and CEO of MATTIO Communications, the preeminent cannabis marketing agency in the U. S. She helped usher in the New Cannabis Age, garnering global media coverage in mainstream publications for clients, including the first cannabis article ever published in Oprah Magazine.

Over the past year, her New York firm has grown alongside the industry, adding marketing and communications services for clients, including content, SEO, investor relations, event planning, and influencer marketing.

Today, Rosie is considered a market maker in the world of cannabis. She has been acknowledged in High Times Female 50, and Forbes Fifteen Powerful and Innovative Women In Cannabis. MATTIO Communications has been named in MG Magazines Top 50 Cannabis Employers and Green Entrepreneur’s Top 100 Cannabis Companies.  Ranked the #1 cannabis PR firm by Greenmarket Report, Rosie is a strategic powerhouse, industry connector and influencer. 

 

 

Jason Erkes, Chief Communications Officer at Cresco Labs 

Jason joined the leadership team of Cresco Labs as their Chief Communications Officer and Spokesperson in 2018 after working with the company as a consultant since its inception. Cresco Labs (CL:CSE), based in Chicago, is one of the largest vertically integrated multi-state operators in the United States. The company has a mission to normalize and professionalize the cannabis industry and bringing in subject matter experts like Erkes greatly helps Cresco move closer to that goal.

Erkes has been a journalist, political advisor, entrepreneur, Influencer, turnaround expert and philanthropist. He has been identified as a “rising star” as a Crain’s Chicago Business “40 under 40”, won Emmy Awards for excellence in journalism through his work at ABC and FOX News, and received national political recognition as a recipient of the prestigious Reed Award from Campaigns & Elections Magazine.

Erkes has been instrumental in helping craft and share Cresco’s narrative overseeing the company’s media relations, employee relations, investor communications as well as working cross-functionally with all departments on any external communications.  Most recently he facilitated the company’s launch for Illinois adult-use sales achieving a record one billion earned media impressions in the first week for their Sunnyside* Dispensaries.

 

Gia Moron, Founder and CEO of GVM Communications, Inc

Gia is the Founder and CEO of GVM Communications, Inc. a public relations, brand & business development consulting firm launched in 2012. She has a team of consultants & freelancers work with an array of clients in the Arts, Education, Financial Services, Diversity & Inclusion, Publishing, Sports & Entertainment, Technology, and Wellness.

In 2015, the firm expanded its services into the cannabis industry. Gia leverages her 25+ years of experience in corporate communications, and her firm remains equally vested in diverse markets of business ranging from: (Non-Profits, privately owned to Publicly traded Fortune 500 companies. The firm has a client base that ranges from small to mid-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, authors and celebrity clients).

Prior to launching her firm, Gia was a Media Relations Officer in the Corporate Communications department for fifteen years at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. While at Goldman Sachs, Gia oversaw various business areas from Private Equity, Urban Investment, Investment Research and Technology to the firm’s organizational focus on Corporate Engagement, Diversity, Recruiting, Human Resources and Corporate Services. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Gia was Director of Promotions and Publicity for six years at The Fremantle Corporation, an international television distribution, and production company. 

 

Linda Marsicano, VP Corporate Communications at Green Thumb Industries

Linda Marsicano joined Green Thumb Industries in February 2018 as Vice President of Corporate Communications and manages all aspects of media and public relations. She has more than 20 years of experience in communications working for publicly traded companies, private entities and nonprofit organizations.

Her background includes leading external communications for Fortune 500 nuclear power company Exelon Corporation, serving as Vice President of Corporate Communications for Playboy Enterprises, and Vice President of Public Relations for mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate. She has also overseen public relations for medical societies and not-for-profit professional associations. Linda has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Miami University in Ohio.

Marsicano serves on the advisory board of the Civic Leadership Foundation, an educational organization dedicated to preparing under-served young people for college, career and active citizenship. She lives in Chicago with her husband and 12-year-old twin daughters.

 

Alex Howe, Head Of Corporate Communications at Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc.

Howe has two decades of experience working in corporate strategy and communications for cannabis, consumer, technology, Fortune 50 and sports and entertainment companies and has helped launch dozens of companies and build brands across industries.

Howe is currently the Head of Corporate Communications for Harvest Health & Recreation Inc., a vertically-integrated cannabis company with one of the largest and deepest footprints in the U.S., where he leads communications and strategy focusing on patients, consumers, media, regulators, investors, local communities and partners.

Howe formerly served as president and co-founder of Powerplant Global Strategies, the first strategic partnerships, communications and investor relations firm exclusively focused on the legal cannabis industry. At Powerplant he worked closely with many of the best-known companies in the cannabis industry, including PAX, Arcview, Merida Capital Partners, I Heart Jane, THC Design and many others. In 2018, he was named one of Marijuana Venture magazine’s “40 Under 40.”

Prior to joining Powerplant, Howe was a director at fama, North America’s premier boutique PR firm for technology companies, where he launched startups and developed thought leadership campaigns for enterprise companies in the B2C and B2B spaces. Before fama, Alex was a vice president at Global Strategy Group in New York City, where he provided public affairs support, digital, traditional and crisis communications and produced award-winning campaigns for Google, Formula 1, UFC, Nestlé Waters, Time Warner, Inc. and the New York Road Runners.

 

Shawna Seldon Mcgregor, Founder & CEO of Maverick Public Relations 

Shawna Seldon McGregor is the founder of Maverick Public Relations, which was established in 2018 and quickly garnered recognition as one of the most effective cannabis PR agencies.

McGregor’s cannabis and hemp experience is unparalleled, working from the inception of adult-use in Colorado to bring brand messaging to the national stage and working closely with national and trade reporters, as well as infiltrating specific emerging markets. With two decades of experience in New York City and Denver, McGregor has deep experience representing a multitude of sectors including health & wellness, biotech, agribusiness, associations and media. Her mission is to provide big agency expertise with outstanding client service by seasoned and knowledgeable communications expert.

She’s passionate about good journalism and wants to see the Fourth Estate not just survive but thrive. She is hands-on, sincere, genuine and responsive, and oversees a diverse team based in metro Denver, California, Florida and Pennsylvania.

 

Lewis Goldberg, Managing Partner at KCSA Strategic Communications

Lewis is a Managing Partner at KCSA and oversees the firm’s public relations practice.For more than 20 years, Lewis has worked to implement eminence, thought leadership, and public affairs programs designed to build business and garner fairer valuations.

Lewis developed a campaign mentality working in national, state and local politics for U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli and then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. He designs programs with a specific business objective in mind, a targeted timeframe, attention to maximizing limited resources and a measurable ROI.

In 2015 Lewis helped found KCSA’s cannabis practice and has become recognized as one of the most effective strategic thinkers in this growing field. He is the co-host of KCSA’s weekly podcast, The Green Rush, and speaks regularly at conferences on the use of strategic communications to achieve specific business objectives.

 

Evan Nison, Founder & CEO of Nison Co.

Evan Nison is the youngest member of the NORML Board of Directors and sits on the Board of Directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. He is the founder of the PR firm NisonCo, which connects leaders in the legal cannabis, medical marijuana, and hemp industries with influential journalists across the U.S. and world. As part of his mission to build socially driven businesses, he co-founded Whoopi & Maya, a women’s-focused cannabis brand with actress Whoopi Goldberg and fellow NORML board member Rick Cusick. He then went on to co-found Emerald Farm Tours, a Northern California-based cannabis tour company to give the public a transparent hands-on view of the cannabis industry from seed to sale, and Bloody Good Vape & Smoke, a smoke shop in New Jersey he founded with a victim of cannabis prohibition who was held in jail for a year awaiting trial.

Evan has been mentioned in news sources such as the NY Times, CNN, Politico, USA Today, NBC New York, Bloomberg TV, Forbes, and has been profiled in The Cannabist, Civilized, Ithaca Times, Home News Tribune, The Marijuana Times, and the Sun Times. He also received the 2011 NORML Student Activism Award and High Times Freedom Fighter Award for his advocacy. He also received one of the pens used to sign the New York 911 Good Samaritan Law and New York medical marijuana law for his involvement in the passage of both bills.

Heidi Haller Groshelle, Founder & CEO of Groshelle Communications

After four decades of technology public relations, which included launching consumer products like the first plasma TVs, the first mobile phone for kids, and the first flying car, Heidi tackled the cannabis industry in 2015. Heidi’s passion for the plant has allowed her business to thrive with a stellar client roster including PHILTER Labs, PLUS Products, PrestoDoctor, CannaBiz Connections, TraceTrust, and Solful Dispensary to name a few. 

In the past five years, Heidi has introduced the first cannabis-infused gum, rolled out the first line of doctor-designed and approved cannabis topicals, and launched dozens of cannabis brands onto the national stage. 

Heidi has earned numerous accolades for her work including the Hermes Award, Bulldog, and Communicator awards. Heidi’s unique approach to cannabis (and her stellar client roster) has given her a reputation as a leader in the cannabis market and more importantly as a champion of all women in the industry.

 


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The Green Market Report focuses on the financial news of the rapidly growing cannabis industry. Our target approach filters out the daily noise and does a deep dive into the financial, business and economic side of the cannabis industry. Our team is cultivating the industry’s critical news into one source and providing open source insights and data analysis


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