Consumer Awareness Biggest Hurdle for Cannabis Beverage Makers

Assorted Cannabis Beverages

SoapBoxSample Poll Shows 45% of Consumers Unaware of Cannabis Beverages, Presenting Opportunity for Marketers

August 18, 2020, Los Angeles, CA — While the cannabis-infused beverage category is expanding rapidly, product awareness and brand awareness lag behind, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. cannabis consumers fielded July 2nd through July 16th, 2020 by consumer insights firm SoapBoxSample. Results revealed that the top reason cited for not having tried cannabis beverage products is that 45% of consumers simply did not know they existed. Meanwhile, those who have tried it are likely to try it again. The most popular types of beverages consumers have tried and say they will have again are juice or fruit punch (68%), hot chocolate (61%) and non-alcoholic wine (60%). Certain categories of cannabis-infused beverages have even become a part of some consumers’ weekly routines including coffee (42%), tea (42%) and juice or fruit punch (41%).

“This study illustrates the enormous potential of the cannabis beverage market,” said Jacqueline Rosales, COO of SoapBoxSample. “Cannabis consumers are eager to try new products and they are expecting brands to bring products to market that speak to their specific tastes and preferences. By connecting with their target audience, brands can make strategic decisions supported by market insights.”

Beer without cannabis is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the United States. However, that popularity doesn’t seem to translate to the cannabis category. SoapBoxSample asked consumers who hadn’t tried a cannabis beverage about their interest level in 13 different types of beverages. The only beverage that ranked lower than beer were aperitifs. Only 33% expressed an interest in trying cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beer. By comparison, 79% said they would like to try a cannabis lemonade or limeade. Other popular choices for would-be consumers include iced and herbal teas (79%), juice/fruit punch (77%), and soda/sparkling seltzer (72%).

Cannabis beer brands may be hoping to win over consumers once they sample the product. However, consumers who have tried cannabis beer have less interest in trying it again, compared to other beverage categories. While 39% of those who have tried cannabis beer said they would drink it again, 68% of those who have had cannabis juice or fruit punch said they would drink it again and 61% of those who tried cannabis hot chocolate would have it again. Adoption rates of cannabis sparkling water (59%), infused coffee/cold brew (58%) and infused iced or herbal tea (56%) were also relatively high, while cannabis beer (39%) and aperitifs (28%) ranked lowest.

The emerging popularity of cannabis beverages is reflected in the data. Among those who have tried cannabis beverages, 29% tried it for the first time in the last month. To understand rapidly evolving consumer preferences, SoapBoxSample looked at consumer interest in beverage types and awareness of cannabis beverage brands. Overall, brand awareness is low. Around 60% of consumers said they were unfamiliar with all 23 of the brands tested in this study, indicating there is room for cannabis brands to earn market share by increasing brand awareness.

The reasons people cited for consuming cannabis beverages mirror the trends that can be observed in the larger cannabis market. The desire to ease anxiety (53%), aid in sleep (46%) and manage pain or illness (37%) are some of the top reasons cited for consuming cannabis generally. A few drivers of consumption that are unique to the beverage category include enjoying the flavor (40%), curiosity about the taste (25%), ease of concealment (22%) and faster onset (21%). Demographic information from this survey shows that the cannabis beverage consumer is likely to be a white male between the ages of 21-54, who is married with children.

Learn More About Cannabis Research here.

UCI’s Customer Experience Advisory Board Welcomes SoapBoxSample’s COO as Their Newest Member

Image of UCI Campus

Jacqueline Rosales Joins Industry Thought Leaders to Guide the Next Generation of Professionals in CX

August 12, 2020, Los Angeles, CA — Research firm SoapBoxSample announced today that Jacqueline Rosales, COO of SoapBoxSample/icanmakeitbetter, will be joining the Advisory Board for the Customer Experience Program at the University of California-Irvine (UCI). With 25+ years in consumer research, Jacqueline Rosales was a natural fit for the Advisory Board role. Through her leadership at multiple insights firms she has demonstrated expertise in providing top brands with research they need to create great customer experiences. Consistent and collaborative research approaches enable brands to create feedback loops where consumers can feel heard and organizational strategy is supported by market insights.

“I am proud to share my knowledge and experiences with a group that will one day be among the leaders in their industries,” said Jacqueline Rosales. ”I’m excited to take this opportunity to give back to the industry and support the next wave of people who will contribute to the Customer Experience discipline.”

Executives from across the country are carefully selected by UCI to serve on the Advisory Board. They search for people who offer expertise within a multitude of industries in an effort to provide students with insights from industry thought leaders. The Program offers either a four-day, hands-on immersion program or an eight-week online program. Students will learn to apply principles that drive Customer Experience Innovation and the techniques developed by top companies. Jacqueline and other experts in their fields will be guide the students throughout the program.

UCI and SoapBoxSample also collaborated in the Spring of 2020 with a partnership to conduct epidemiological testing in an effort to understand the cumulative incidence of both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in Orange County, California. With experience in managing serosurveillance testing in Los Angeles County, SoapBoxSample was able to lend their expertise in reaching diverse, multicultural audiences to aid in this crucial research initiative. SoapBoxSample’s COVID-19 research was featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Business Insider, and the KTLA 5 Morning News.

SoapBoxSample’s Cannabis Research Featured in MG Magazine

The August 2020 issue of mg magazine features an article co-authored by Adriana Hemans, Director of Demand and Special Projects for SoapBoxSample. In the spring of 2020, two consumer insights companies, SoapBoxSample and KNow Research, joined forces to explore consumer behaviors, needs, and preferences around the gifting and sharing of cannabis products for special occasions, including holidays. They gained rich insights into the category—ones that can provide gifting options at a wide array of holidays and for a variety of recipients. Here they share what they learned about what brands and retailers can do to make their products relevant, appealing, gift-able, and share-able.

Defining A Gift

Throughout the course of the study, we heard many definitions of “gifting” and what constitutes a “gift.” We came across three main cannabis gifting attitudes:

  1. Traditional Gifter: Some define a gift as something presented, typically in a package with a bow. “I got some chocolate-covered cannabis strawberries for Valentine’s Day from my husband,” one participant said. “There weren’t many. I kind of wanted to save them for myself, so he didn’t get any.”
  2. Shared-experience Gifter: Purchasing something to enjoy together was not necessarily a gift, even if the item was purchased with the holiday in mind. Rather, cannabis often can be a component of a shared experience that makes the holiday special. When asked why they wouldn’t consider cannabis a Valentine’s “gift,” one of these gifters clarified: “It’s more routine than a gift, because my husband and I smoke on a regular basis.” For these gifters, experiencing the cannabis gift together is part of the giftgiving experience.
  3. Altruistic Gifter: Some give without an expectation of sharing. Some used cannabis as a “hostess gift,” so the host or hostess could decide whether he or she wanted to share with guests or save the gift for later. Other altruistic gifters gifted with only the recipient’s pleasure in mind. “My friends and I took a road trip and the driver brought some candies for everyone to have, so she kind of gifted us a little bag of hard candies for each of us, for fun,” one participant revealed.

To gain more cannabis gifting insights, download the full issue of mg Magazine.

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SoapBoxSample Helps Riverside County Gauge the Spread of COVID-19

Antibody Study Shows COVID-19 May Have Infected 5.9% of Riverside County Residents, to Date

August 3, 2020, Los Angeles, CA — In an effort to understand and slow the spread of COVID-19, SoapBoxSample partnered with Riverside University Health Systems to test a representative sample of Riverside County residents for the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in their blood. The study was unique because it included adults and children aged 5 and older. This test was administered to 1,726 county residents to gain a more accurate picture of the spread of the virus in Riverside County.

Based on the county’s study, officials estimate there have been between 118,000 and 175,400 infections in Riverside County. On the low end, that would be 235% higher than confirmed case totals; on the high end, it would mean a confirmed infection prevalence that is 431% higher than the county’s current total number of confirmed cases. Riverside County has about 2.5 million residents.

SoapBoxSample recruited a random sample of Riverside residents through their proprietary sampling techniques, designed to ensure reach and diversity. Study participants were included via invitation only. Residents were not allowed to volunteer to be a part of the study, so that health officials could obtain a representative sample of the community, which is a critical component of the study. The study showed a positivity rate of nearly 6%, and officials used that percentage to estimate how many residents likely had the virus by applying the positivity rate to the overall population. These results emphasize the need to practice safe social distancing by wearing face masks and keeping 6 feet of distance from others.

“It is an honor to work on such impactful point-in-time research. We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done here, assisting Riverside County with understanding the true spread of COVID-19 within their community. We will continue to partner with county officials, medical professionals, scientists and epidemiologists. We have a lot to learn about antibodies beyond just the prevalence.” said Jacqueline Rosales, SoapBoxSample COO.

“We continue to learn new information about coronavirus, and this survey adds important research to the growing knowledge of COVID-19,” said Riverside County Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.

SoapBoxSample attracted attention from the local and national news media last March when the results of their serosurveillance study of Los Angeles County was released. The study, which tested 863 LA County residents, revealing a positivity rate of 4.06%, was conducted in partnership with the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Department of Health. SoapBoxSample recruited the participants, developed the research instrument and designed the results portals, where residents learn the status of their tests. Read the full article in the Journal of the American Medical Association here.