Johnathan McFarlane of RollPros on Being Brave With Ideas

How perceptions of the cannabis industry are changing

Johnathan is the VP of sales and marketing at the pre-roll automation company RollPros. He previously held senior posts at Hybrid Marketing and Mobius. Prior to his entry into the cannabis world, Johnathan worked on fitness campaigns with major brands and athletes like NFL star Rob Gronkowski and UFC legend George St. Pierre.

We spent two minutes with Johnathan to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired. 

Johnathan, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I was born in Winnipeg, spent my early childhood in Sydney, Australia, and made it to Denver in 1990. I’ve lived in various parts of the Denver area since then, minus seven years between Toronto and Vancouver.

How you first got interested in cannabis.

I was 13 and leaving a Denver Broncos game with my dad. There were canvassers in the parking lot getting signatures for something cannabis-related. They looked like normal people, not the typical stoner stereotypes. That was 30 years ago, and I’ve had an interest in cannabis ever since. Side note: I was so excited to go to the Broncos game that I forgot to put shoes on, which we discovered when we arrived at the stadium. So we put grocery bags on my feet, held on with rubber bands. Why the canvassers thought a kid walking around in winter with plastic bags on his feet would be able to provide a useful signature is beyond me. 

One of your favorite projects you’ve ever worked on.

As director of strategy at Hybrid Marketing, I led a research project focused on budtenders. I wanted to dive into the amount of influence a budtender has on consumer purchasing decisions. The result was a first-of-its-kind study that lifts the veil on the most influential and important audience in the cannabis game. Brands focus their effort on consumers. But it’s actually just as important, maybe even more important, to create an advertising push to budtenders as a distinct audience. I proved it.

A recent project you’re proud of.

I love the video case studies we do at RollPros. They are produced and cut more like documentaries. My favorite is a case study on Rebel Spirit, a brand in the Oregon market that built its identity around a family friend of one of the founders who was imprisoned for cannabis cultivation.

The biggest challenge cannabis marketers face today, and how to approach it.

Nine out of 10 cannabis marketers will say their biggest challenge is social media outreach. And it’s true that the rules don’t make any sense and are enforced unevenly. But that’s just so short-sighted and an excuse not to come up with novel ideas or IRL tactics. The biggest challenge cannabis marketers really face is that there are so many products and brands that differentiating yourself can be difficult. My suggestion is to be brave and take a sales-person’s approach when pitching decision makers. Don’t show them cool creative and think it’s going to work. Sell them on your ideas. Polish up those sales skills and you’ll get more green lights.

One thing about how the cannabis industry is evolving that you’re excited about.

In the past when I’d meet someone new, I’d be a little nervous to tell them what I do for work. Five years ago I would get: “What do your parents think about that?” These days, though, most people want to know more because they find it interesting instead of offensive. So, what I’m most excited about isn’t necessarily how the cannabis industry is evolving, but how outsiders’ perceptions are changing.

Someone else’s work, in cannabis or beyond, that you admired lately.

I’m super stoked about Mischief @ No Fixed Address. They are always killing it. Their “It Starts with a Swipe” campaign for Tinder is amazing.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

Daughters of the Cult on Hulu. It’s about a fundamentalist offshoot from mainstream Mormonism that establishes a colony in Mexico where they can practice polygamy. They organized in the ’50s and get more violent as the group progresses through different schisms, prophets and conflicts.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

Touch Sensitive. Neo-disco/house music from Australia. The guy has his image nailed. He has a bit of a ’70s porn-star look, but in a good way. His music is amazing.

Your favorite fictional character.

Bandit from Bluey. Because I have a young daughter, I end up watching a lot of kids’ shows.

Someone worth following in social media.

Joe Hodas, president of Wana Brands. Joe and I have a few funny stories, including when I once anonymously sent him a burner phone with a single number in it. There’s much more to that story, but it was all to try and land Wana as a client—which I did.

Your main strength as a marketer/creative.

Storytelling. I feel like I can find the angle, the story, in any product or brand. People don’t relate to a product, they relate to other people. 

Your biggest weakness.

My role spans both the sales and marketing departments, so I have to jump continuously between many unrelated projects, tasks and goals. Staying organized is critical, and I’m not always the best at it.

Something people would find surprising about you.

I have a green belt in Krav Maga.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the cannabis industry.

Documentary films. That was a huge passion and a major focus of my career in my younger years. I’ve made two feature-length docs, five or six branded features and a few shorts. Even most successful documentary filmmakers have “day jobs,” though. It’s a tough way to make a living.