056: From Craft to Cannabis, A Soda Story with Bohb Blair

We’ve spoken to many entrepreneurs and business leaders in the cannabis industry, and we’ve noticed one overarching theme: everyone is very new and still figuring it out as they go. Even in the most mature markets, things are constantly changing, and new categories are emerging all the time. Today’s guest, Bohb Blair, is relatively new to the industry but has a proven knack for reinvention. He’s the Chief Marketing Officer at Jones Soda–one of the very first craft soda brands to make a splash over two decades ago. These days, Jones is making a name for themselves with Mary Jones Cannabis, their new cannabis-infused beverage and edibles brand, and Bohb is their Chief Brand Officer. Before joining Jones Soda, he spent over 20 years at marketing agencies, including Starcom, and he’s won countless awards for clients, including Pringles, Budweiser, and Airbnb–to name just a few. In this conversation, Bohb shares how he’s launched new products and brands while reinventing himself along the way, what he’s doing to help take Jones into a new category while retaining brand loyalty, and the unique opportunities that bigger brands have right now to enter this industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Why Jones Soda decided to expand into the cannabis beverage and edibles spaces. The two things that have so many people excited about the cannabis beverage space right now. What Mary Jones Cannabis is doing to build a new, savvy, and age-appropriate community around the brand. How federal legalization, if and when it happens, will change the legality of products across states and require brands to rethink their portfolios. Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/56 To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal

Om Podcasten

Today’s Cannabis marketers are facing the same challenges faced by the alcohol industry in 1933 when prohibition was reversed — how do you successfully market a product and navigate an industry that is on the verge of becoming legalized on a federal level? Join alcohol beverage marketing experts and founders of SoHo Experiential, Rick Kiley and Jeff Boedges, as they interview economists, historians, entrepreneurs, legal experts, and more! Listen in as they track the path to a “Green Repeal”, through the lens of alcohol beverage professionals familiar with the trials and tribulations of marketing a “sin-dustry.” Through the podcast, listeners will get an excellent understanding of the Cannabis industry, how it will be governed, and how to successfully navigate the challenges of marketing a successful product in a heavily restricted industry.