{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Kaya Cast","title":"Brand, Operations, and Scale: The Core Trio for Cannabis Brands","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2594,"description":"On this episode of Kaya Cast, host Tommy Truong sits down with John Shute, founder of Puff Creative, a cannabis marketing agency committed to changing lives through thoughtful branding and community impact. John shares his unlikely journey from the service industry to cannabis marketing, shaped by personal loss from the opiate crisis and a strong belief in social justice. He explains how Puff Creative helps dispensaries and brands grow by aligning branding with operations, building a solid foundation, and using data to drive every decision.Together they dive into practical playbooks: defining your tribe and brand story before spending on marketing; why a strong foundation—brand narrative, conversion-friendly websites, SEO, CRM systems, and clean data tracking—maximizes every dollar spent; the debate between native ecommerce versus all-in-one tech stacks and how to choose for your business; the essential focus on retention and lifetime value; how to track ROI with tools like GA4, Alpine IQ, SpringBig, and Klaviyo; the realities of PR, launches, and local strategy; red flags to watch for when vetting agencies; and what dispensaries should have in place before engaging external partners.John also shares Puff Creative Cares, their philanthropic work, and what’s ahead with MJ Biz Con events and a bigger mission to support communities. If you’re a retailer or brand in cannabis looking to scale with integrity and results, this episode is for you.Find Puff Creative at puffcreative.com and connect with John Shute on LinkedIn. John Shute is a leading expert in the cannabis industry, with over 10 years of experience in marketing and branding. He is the founder and CEO of PufCreativ, a full-service creative agency that specializes in the cannabis space.With a background in advertising and design, John has a keen eye for creating visually stunning and impactful campaigns for his clients. His passion for the cannabis industry stems from his belief in the healing properties of...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Nlxm0QKHrXkZaRTzk1hspsaKZ09jzx0wFKCGF_C375k/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82ZWU3/YmZiMDM5Y2VhZTEw/ODE5ZDdjZWY4NTVi/Mjg1My5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}