053: MJ Unpacked Recap & A Chat with Old Pal CEO, Rusty Wilenkin

Today, Rick and Jeff “unpack” their experience at the MJ Unpacked conference at the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan as they share their thoughts, highlights, and the sights and sounds from the event. At this high-energy event, they saw more deals get done than ever before, tons of new brands working to enter the space, and a huge number of opportunities taking shape as New York and New Jersey grow into the gigantic markets they’re inevitably going to become. While they were there, they caught up with Rusty Wilenkin, CEO of Old Pal. In his words, Old Pal is aiming to create the “Bud Light of weed”–a cannabis product for the everyman that’s accessible, affordable, and simple, reminiscent of the era when weed was weed. In this episode, you’ll hear more from MJ Unpacked and learn about a ton of exciting brands we discovered at the conference. Then, in our interview with Rusty, we get into how he transitioned out of the legacy market and invented a category, how he’s building a cannabis brand at a massive national scale, and his long game for growing Old Pal’s portfolio in a fast-moving industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Why the cannabis industry is maturing so rapidly, attracting more capital than ever before, and on track to skyrocket with legalization on the East Coast. How Rusty defines the “core user” in the world of cannabis–and why so many brands aren’t reaching those people. Why great brands often fail to achieve success at scale–and how Rusty learned from the critical mistakes he made in the first year of Old Pal. What Old Pal is doing to get themselves into emerging markets as they open up. What it means to launch the “Four Loko” of cannabis products–and why Rusty is so excited about it. Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/53 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.