[weedtracker]

I have an idea and a question..

First the question..

How come ASA, GLACA, etc. never invest any money in Public Relations Professionals? Why do we always react instead of act? Why is there no positive MMJ stories to counter the negative ones? You can bitch about the DA and the DEA and the City Council all you want on your blogs and to your friends, but thats not doing anybody any good if the mass-general public isnt seeing and hearing what your saying.

and now the idea...

Why not hire some professional PR people to spin the negativity into some positivity? So heres my idea, I am going to put some money into PR for the community. I will find out how much it cost, I will find out how to do it and what needs to be done and I will make it happen since nobody else out there seems to be motivated to do more than complain...

So what I need from the community is this.. Once I get this all figured out and how its going to work, would the community be interested in "donating" some money and then WT would match (or more) whatever is contributed so we would have a much bigger pool of money to work from?

Any thoughts...??

[BrattonBasher]

Who are you going to lobby to? The press? They don't like good stories, only doom and gloom.

[weedtracker]

Originally Posted by BrattonBasher

Who are you going to lobby to? The press? They don't like good stories, only doom and gloom.

good question.. i dont exactly know.. i guess the press and media, try and tug at some heart strings i guess...

[ladyknight]

Is it not doom and gloom what they are doing to the MMJ community?

I know without a doubt, that college newspapers would print this. Just 1 example

[BrattonBasher]

Originally Posted by ladyknight

Is it not doom and gloom what they are doing to the MMJ community?

I know without a doubt, that college newspapers would print this. Just 1 example

"They" have the bully pulpit. "They" can just call a press conference and spray Raid around. We are not in a position to just declare ourselves newsworthy, we must show up in numbers like at protests. I am not against this idea, I think ASA is about the only public relations arm we have in MMJ. It would not suck to have our views made public, we need to find the proper venue.

[ScrewyLewy]

I really like the NORML TV commercials although I have never seen them on TV just when someone posted them on UTube. I have posted many times we need a new face on Medical Marijuana. Like me there are thousands of if it wasn't for MMJ stories. But like me the best stories are more than not from people with long hair beards or dredlocks. I would give my eye teeth for a beloved retired politician that has cancer and can't eat anything without first using Cannabis edibles. I dont wish any bad on anyone but an x-presidents wife would be perfect.
WT bless you for this site and your passion. WE now need all the big brains to come up with a stellar idea for your presentation. I am in but it wouldn't be much but look what the many can do when we put 5 or 10 buck each towards something.

[steveadams203]

Originally Posted by ScrewyLewy

I really like the NORML TV commercials although I have never seen them on TV just when someone posted them on UTube.

i love that NORML commercial, except at the end where they are giggling or laughing or whatever, it just seems stoner-ish. if they would get rid of that giggle, and find a sympathethic station, i would love to see it on the air. but as it is, i dont think there is a single station that is willing to air something like that. maybe comedy central, but whats the point of preaching to the choir? the problem is almost all the stations taking gov. money for the pathetic anti drug commercials, and in the paperwork they ahve to sign their is a clause that bans them from airing pro-drug commercials while collecting anti drug money for airing their commercials...

Originally Posted by BrattonBasher

Who are you going to lobby to? The press? They don't like good stories, only doom and gloom.

ok. play to what they want.give them the destroyed lifes, the pain, the suffering that the police and laws and agents and DAs cause to people who are sick and suffering. make outrageous claims against the DAs that will catch headlines. like WHY DOES THE DA WANT ME TO DIE? ... etc...

you put out a few ads looking for peoples lifes destroyed by the police because of their cannabis medicine, im sure you will find some horrible stories.

hell, ive seen agents rip parapalegic elderly patients from their wheelchairs and drop 250 lbs of agent blubber via their knee onto the patients back

>>

i also seen agents hog tie patients and carry them into interrogation rooms.

im sure some people have seen some pretty horrible shit. i know we all remember the pictures of them smashing up duncans shop in hollywood. ive seen agents bust down my friends door (a door that doenst even have a lock on it...) and rip off everything from his store that was of value (including 2x 48" flat screen LCDs) yet shit that wasnt worth anything like the scales were left....

anyways i wish you all the best of luck. maybe you can look to those huge advertisment signs that tower the freeways.... they are more likely to support your message than any local news medias.... anyways best of luck . i love the idea, and if you need help, id love to support it. -steve

<<<<HONESTLY, if eeveryone could put their egos aside and all the pro-reform orgnizations pulled funds, wed have enough to send lobbyists to washington and pay off some of these assholes that block legislature for the relegalization of cannabis.

but everyone wants their name as the sole reformer of the weed plant and nobody wants to work together and with split forces results in split funds, which makes accomplishing your goal that much harder.

were never going to see REAL change until we start making it benefitial to the politicians. they have no reason to endorse us without greasing their wills, alcohol companys know this, tobacco companys know this, two of the most dangerous substances. people need to lose this vietnam hippie pipe dream that weed will never be taxed and some day politicians will "do whats right". well they only do whats right for them. if that means we need to donate some funds to their campaign drives.. LETS DO IT. making signs and banners wont change shit. the majority of america knows or has experience with cannabis or someone close to them does. this isnt the DUCK AND COVER generation that took everything that is said, we can make a change, and that change is going to start with some real change, i.e. political financial contributions.

[weedtracker]

Originally Posted by BrattonBasher

" We are not in a position to just declare ourselves newsworthy....

money talks. we will buy newsworthyness if thats what it takes to be heard.

[ScrewyLewy]

YouTube - Legalization: Yes We Can
This could be changed to say don't take away my legal and so needed medicine.

[ShiningSkull]

Originally Posted by weedtracker

money talks. we will buy newsworthyness if thats what it takes to be heard.

Thanks for this, weedtracker.
Thanks for being so supportive of all of us.

If any production is done, and it's done down here, I have some connections that could help out, i.e. crewmembers, teleprompter and maybe other equipment. Lots of people in production are patients.

[Justonevoice]

Originally Posted by weedtracker

I have an idea and a question..

First the question..

How come ASA, GLACA, etc. never invest any money in Public Relations Professionals? Why do we always react instead of act? Why is there no positive MMJ stories to counter the negative ones? You can bitch about the DA and the DEA and the City Council all you want on your blogs and to your friends, but thats not doing anybody any good if the mass-general public isnt seeing and hearing what your saying.

and now the idea...

Why not hire some professional PR people to spin the negativity into some positivity? So heres my idea, I am going to put some money into PR for the community. I will find out how much it cost, I will find out how to do it and what needs to be done and I will make it happen since nobody else out there seems to be motivated to do more than complain...

So what I need from the community is this.. Once I get this all figured out and how its going to work, would the community be interested in "donating" some money and then WT would match (or more) whatever is contributed so we would have a much bigger pool of money to work from?

Any thoughts...??

GLACA has been talking about this for sometime now and the problem has been $$$$$$. I sent you a pm with a suggestion. Please make that call.

[VooDoo Chile]

I'd be willing to pay monthly dues, not that I have a ton of cash.

I don't know anything about this, I'll say that right off the bat. But it seems to me that tv stations are more or less outta the picture because of the F.C.C. I could be wrong.

Let's pretend I'm not. Steveadams mentioned billboards- that's an option. I'd try and steer clear of plunking money into print media i.e. newspapers because their audience is shrinking. Then again, their main demographic is older folks, and they vote consistently.

Focusing on police brutality sounds like a good idea in theory, but I honestly doubt it'll garner much sympathy. People know cops abuse their power, and for the most part I think their overall attitude is that "criminals" get what they deserve. Focusing on patients with chronic conditions who are "productive" members of society might be a better angle.

Anyways, this is definitely worth a shot. Interesting idea.

[cephas]

You are having basically the same idea as the thread I posted about running sympathetic ads. similar to the ads ran by the American Cancer Society and other non-profits to garner public support for their cause.

The idea skipped the PR guy and went to the meat, ads in major metropolitan newspapers with ads putting a "face" on MMJ. Think a pic of a cancer patient and text that says please do not take my medicine away.....That is a simplification of the idea if anyone is interested in making it happen PM me for a better description and a roll out plan (Studied PR and marketing in college as part of my business degree. Not a pro but have some knowledge, and if I didn't know how to market - myself and others - there is no was I could make my living in the music industry right now....)

I contacted the LA Timed about this, they said they would have to see the ad before approval, but as long as it doesn't violate advertising rules they would accept it, I read the rules and the basic idea is seems good, no real way to know without a submission.

The hard part is money. A full page ad on the 2nd-4th pages of the LA Times is about $90K per day (more on Sunday), a billboard in downtown, or right on the 5 or 405, runs about $50-$100K p/mo. depending...

...personally those are the venues I would go for cheaper with more impact than TV...a billboard in particular would put the message out for all to see everyday....billboards are wonderful ways of putting your message into people's heads without them realizing it.....people don't realize they are seeing it everyday and it affects thier opinions- why they are used so regularly for movies..people see the sign everyday, after a month they want to watch it, they convince themselves they movie is good because they have seen the billboard everyday (lots of studies to this effect).

I would love to see someone run with this idea....because you are right, we need sympathetic, positive, advertising to change the public's mind about MMJ.

Keep in mind, it may be best to keep the ads positive about MJ without being negative about anyone, or thing else. The best way to sell your product is to explain why the user needs it, why it is good. If you just insult all your competitors people do not respect you and do not buy your product...sales 101.

Generally the public does not respond to smear campaigns. The only exception is when that campaign is put on by our government...we are so brainwashed into thinking they know what is best, in general, we believe negative press put out by the government...

....negative press or attacks by independent parties tend to be ignored, made fun of. The key would be to get public support using positive ads that build sympathy first, then start talking about LEO and city council failings....although if the support is widespread enough, the LEO's and cities will regulate and change thier tunes, most likely, without us having to figh further, or mount any type of smear campaign.....PS. smear campaigns against cops don't work......even the Rodney King incident wasn't enough to get people mobilized against the problems in PD, think about it....we would need to find a more positive and less confrontational way of getting support. Regardless though, we do need good PR and advertising.

I have done some basic number crunching and if we create our own ads (no agencies involved at first at least)...about $50.00 per mmj patient p/mo. and $500.00 p/mo per CoOp, would easily pay for running a deluge of ads in LA county. My check is made out, just need someplace to send it...

[boogerlayne]

I fully agree that the angle that needs to be taken is that of a "productive" individual who seeks relief from MMJ. Just like the article that was written in the ladies mag that covered working women who use marijuana. We need to loosen the stigma that is associated with marijuana use and not just focus on med patients who are in dire need. You will reach out to a much greater demographic and will help the conservative base relate more. Marketing is all about how an individual relates, and frankly not enough people can relate to a terminally ill individual. Sad but true.

Originally Posted by VooDoo Chile

I'd be willing to pay monthly dues, not that I have a ton of cash.

I don't know anything about this, I'll say that right off the bat. But it seems to me that tv stations are more or less outta the picture because of the F.C.C. I could be wrong.

Let's pretend I'm not. Steveadams mentioned billboards- that's an option. I'd try and steer clear of plunking money into print media i.e. newspapers because their audience is shrinking. Then again, their main demographic is older folks, and they vote consistently.

Focusing on police brutality sounds like a good idea in theory, but I honestly doubt it'll garner much sympathy. People know cops abuse their power, and for the most part I think their overall attitude is that "criminals" get what they deserve. Focusing on patients with chronic conditions who are "productive" members of society might be a better angle.

Anyways, this is definitely worth a shot. Interesting idea.

[Justonevoice]

LA Times will publish damn near anything if you pay for it! We have also looked at that for an op-ed

[cephas]

VDC makes a good point about newspaper's audiences shrinking. That is because the average person under 40 no longer reads them, preferring to get their news from the internet...

But I promise you, grandparents, and the politicians, and the politician's wife, and the politician's supporters, and staff members all still predominantly read the newspaper according to current demographic info....that is the audience we need to sway, and I think the paper is the best way to reach them... just my opinion.

[happyjack]

I've always liked MediCann's ads. You know, the "A Typical Stoner" handouts. They impress me with how they make the message so clear... "This is medicine and it helps people to function in society". I wish their PR team would go freelance.

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by happyjack

I've always liked MediCann's ads. You know, the "A Typical Stoner" handouts. They impress me with how they make the message so clear... "This is medicine and it helps people to function in society". I wish their PR team would go freelance.

I've seen those around and I like them, too. I don't know anything about that company. Does anybody know people who work for them? What's their deal?

[Evades]

Not only do I think that a professional PR firms needs to be hired by someone or a "group of someones" but it will become absolutely mandatory if any of the propositions that people are talking about putting on the ballot to legalize marijuana becomes true. There is absolutely no way a law will pass to legalize marijuana without having many, many PR people involved. The other side will have DAs, Attorney Generals, cops, police chiefs, church leaders, etc, etc and what will the movement have?

Have a Great Day,

Evades

[Smilodon]

I wholly agree that we need more positive positions affirmed before the greater community. I do wonder if the timing is right.

In the next year there will be competing attention for at least 3 MMJ initiatives at the ballot. The LA City Council fiasco continues and SD begins making regs that will work. Add to that the announced raids and continued barrage of misinformation from the DA and other sources.

I like the idea, its just that it seems kinda like spitting in the wind with the other high impact issues crowding the air. I would not like our ideas, or money, to be cast upon a wind that is too chaotic to bear the weight of it's own import.

Like usual, I start giving 2 cents and leave a dime.

[HHCFairfax]

Originally Posted by weedtracker

I have an idea and a question..

First the question..

How come ASA, GLACA, etc. never invest any money in Public Relations Professionals? Why do we always react instead of act? Why is there no positive MMJ stories to counter the negative ones? You can bitch about the DA and the DEA and the City Council all you want on your blogs and to your friends, but thats not doing anybody any good if the mass-general public isnt seeing and hearing what your saying.

and now the idea...

Why not hire some professional PR people to spin the negativity into some positivity? So heres my idea, I am going to put some money into PR for the community. I will find out how much it cost, I will find out how to do it and what needs to be done and I will make it happen since nobody else out there seems to be motivated to do more than complain...

So what I need from the community is this.. Once I get this all figured out and how its going to work, would the community be interested in "donating" some money and then WT would match (or more) whatever is contributed so we would have a much bigger pool of money to work from?

Any thoughts...??

I am a publicist and have been in the pr/marketing/ad world for a good 20 years.

What I suggest is perhaps WT partnering up with ASA and also media outlet like High Times etc and sending out newsworthy stories to the media on a consistent basis.

Majpr pr firms can easily charge $3000-$20,000 a month depending on who they are and what they will do. Obviously, you need to find a firm that both supports MMJ and isn't afraid to support it PUBLICLY. Many firms may be afraid that their support would lose clients and/or credibility with others.

There are pr support firms who will tape newsworthy footage and send it out to all of the major media outlets for you, edited and ready to go. I can give some reccommendations for that, if needed. That usually runs $5,000-$15,000 per story.


A more cost-effective way to go is to put together your own "team" of people who want to help and perhaps get a couple "team managers" who can oversee, plan everything that needs to be done. Perhaps get some students whose major is communications/pr who are passionate about this?

[HHCFairfax]

Originally Posted by happyjack

I've always liked MediCann's ads. You know, the "A Typical Stoner" handouts. They impress me with how they make the message so clear... "This is medicine and it helps people to function in society". I wish their PR team would go freelance.

Perhaps you reach out to MediCann and get them involved.

Their pr team maybe in-house or perhaps they hired an outside firm.

[BrattonBasher]

Originally Posted by Smilodon

I wholly agree that we need more positive positions affirmed before the greater community. I do wonder if the timing is right.

In the next year there will be competing attention for at least 3 MMJ initiatives at the ballot. The LA City Council fiasco continues and SD begins making regs that will work. Add to that the announced raids and continued barrage of misinformation from the DA and other sources.

I like the idea, its just that it seems kinda like spitting in the wind with the other high impact issues crowding the air. I would not like our ideas, or money, to be cast upon a wind that is too chaotic to bear the weight of it's own import.

Like usual, I start giving 2 cents and leave a dime.

I agree! Throwing alot of money at something that is going to go poof into thin air might be a terrible waste. I do give alot of credit however to Weedtracker for volunteering to get this going. Somehow we need to band together and strike back at the liars!

[Evades]

Originally Posted by HHCFairfax

What I suggest is perhaps WT partnering up with ASA and also media outlet like High Times etc and sending out newsworthy stories to the media on a consistent basis.

A more cost-effective way to go is to put together your own "team" of people who want to help and perhaps get a couple "team managers" who can oversee, plan everything that needs to be done. Perhaps get some students whose major is communications/pr who are passionate about this?

I have to disagree somewhat with the idea of WT/ASA/High Times partnering up. The source of the PR may just be MORE important than the actual PR itself. By that, I mean that WT/ASA/High Times will be seen as somewhat of a self serving proposition in everything that they do. Just human nature to question the validity of reports and PR when a conflict exist.

However, members getting together not under any logo to provide a PR arm to the movement could work and be more productive. I like that idea very much.

Money needs to be "thrown" at this with the knowledge that much of it will go to waste. You may need to get to millions to get the vote that we will need but money will be "wasted" on many, many of those that simply will not consider it. In a situation like this, you simply cannot know what money works and what doesn't.

Have a Great Day,

Evades

[labud]

Remember that Indian guy.....support Indian casino initiatives....those were effective commercials

Local spots on tv...