‘My Guy’ is the Brand Leader with Equity and Trust (A Cannabis Industry Article)

While Licensed Producers seek to find their equilibrium, My Guy is in full flight and reaping the rewards.  

‘My Guy’ is the name currently associated with an illegal dealer of cannabis.  While My Guy may appear to be very simple and non-descript, My Guy is a multi-faceted and complex individual (and sometimes network) that poses as the single biggest threat to the licensed cannabis industry.  The current limited supply due to government restrictions and poor quality of legal cannabis means that consumers are clinging to My Guy with both arms, and as a result, the relationship with their dealer if flourishing. 

So, what is it that My Guy has that cannabis companies are vying for but may never attain?

Personalized Experience. Accessibility. Quality Products. Trust and Loyalty 

Personalized Experience

Uber Eats, Foodora, Door Dash and Skip the Dishes are great of examples of what My Guy is able to provide that legal channels can’t. These products and services are ‘uber’ personalized offerings, available within the hour and delivered right to your doorstep.  My Guy is the Uber Eats of the cannabis industry.  The expediency of My Guy’s delivery system cannot be matched by legal cannabis channels.  The Provincial government has taken measures to provide more entrepreneurs with cannabis retail licenses, but the process is glacial at best and unlikely to have a footprint nearly as vast and intricate as My Guy’s.  

My Guy 1 – 0 Licensed Producers

Accessibility

24/7, 7 days a week, all day, every day – My Guy has you covered! 

My Guy 2 – 0 Licensed Producers

Quality

The elicit market has set a high-quality precedence. Bud is the most frequently purchased product and delivered fresh to the consumer’s door. The bud is vibrant with the plant’s crystals (kief) in full display.  Consumers have a clear understanding of the type of plant they are buying; Indica versus Sativa and this education is provided by My Guy.  The rest of the sales pitch is based on the dealer’s personal experience, so the description is honest which immediately confirms that the product is of high quality and going to deliver.  And deliver it will.  The elicit market has no restrictions on the genetic profile of the plant which means the cannabinoid and terpene profiles can deliver out of this world experiences.  Experiences that cannot be delivered through legal channels. 

My Guy 3 – 0 Licensed Producers

Trust and Loyalty

Consumers are not looking to change from their current supplier; My Guy.  My Guy has been a part of their lives for many years and is their Trusted Advisor. He is trusted to deliver product of the best quality, consistency and variety. Oh! and let’s not forget that all of this can be delivered at a lower price point than the legal market.

Inversely, there is a distrust around legal channels. Why are they taking copies of my legal documents as proof of age? How is this information being used?  Will this affect my ability to travel to the US? I am a nurse/teacher etc., will knowledge of me being a cannabis user get to my employer?

My Guy 4 – 0 Licensed Producers

While this article may paint a very bleak picture for cannabis companies, the truth is all is not lost, and growth is inevitable.  

There is something that My Guy can’t provide that the Licensed Producers can – a safe and legal experience.  There are consumers out there who want to reside on the right side of the law.  They want to try cannabis in a safe and responsible way, and they are unlikely to seek out My Guy.  Aging Baby Boomers who are seeking cannabis for health and wellness reasons will likely be the biggest growth segment in the next few years.  

My Guy 4 – 1Licensed Producers

To wrap up…

You can potentially argue that there are other unique traits that cannabis companies have to offer that supersede My Guy, but what is abundantly clear is that My Guy is the brand leader and main competitor.  And while cannabis companies strive to generate profitability and growth in a legislative rife market, My Guy is their nemesis and needs to be minimized if the legal cannabis industry is to succeed.

It is going to take time and significant work for a Licensed Producer to displace My Guy but we have some pointers that will help:

1.     Deeply understand the cannabis consumer

2.     Be different from the competition

3.     Be authentic

To find out more about how On Point Insight can help fuel your business needs contact us at info@onpointinsight.com.