Great … and our readers know that cannabis and hemp beverages are my wheelhouse. I wrote on beverages years ago predicting their rise and especially if they embrace health and wellness – you know, not syrupy sugary elixirs that taste like cold medicine to mask the flavour profile of cannabis.
Much like the Bayer Aspirin, typically one expects the same beverage to taste the same consistently over time and without regard to geography – within reason of course. So two part question here … do you agree that beverages and edibles will be a significant market and from there … does Vireo intend to enter the space (edibles or beverages)? I say that because you are not the only presence from the beverages space … as per Vireo’s May 29th news release:
Additional members of the sales and marketing team include: Jennie Leuzarder the VP of Sales, who brings years of experience from the highly regulated wines and spirits industry, where she held various leadership positions at global luxury brands Diageo and Pernod Ricard.
So … ?
Cannabis-based beverages and edibles will absolutely continue to grow and be a major part of the industry. I believe beverages and edibles will serve certain consumer needs during specific occasions. I am thrilled to have Jennie as a key member of my leadership team. She brings significant relevant experience from her 10+ years at Diageo building brands on both the Marketing and Sales side of the business and also time at Pernod Ricard.
Adding numerous executives like Jennie and myself that have a beverage alcohol background is not necessarily a sign we are moving immediately into cannabis-based beverages. More so, marketers, brand experts, and sales people that have experience in highly-regulated markets like the alcohol industry are ideally positioned to help lead brand marketing and sales for cannabis companies. Another core team member of mine, Aisha Kahn, comes from Johnson & Johnson, where she led one of the largest Health & Beauty eCommerce businesses for J&J. Aisha and Jennie are perfect examples of talented and passionate team members who bring exactly the right kind of experience from regulated consumer industries. The rules and regulations around cannabis will continue to evolve at a rapid pace and Vireo will be ready to adapt our branding and marketing to adhere to those laws.
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