In the dynamic world of cannabis retail, success hinges on more than just compliance and product selection—it demands strategic marketing, strong team culture, and innovative customer engagement. Chelsea Mulligan, widely known as the Dispensary Whisperer, continues to lead the conversation with industry insiders, sharing her expertise on what truly makes or breaks cannabis businesses.
With a track record of opening and triaging over eighty dispensaries and influencing more than 120 licenses nationwide, Mulligan specializes in transforming chaos into compliance and cultivating teams that thrive. Supported by Beard Bros Media, Mulligan’s platform offers transparent, grounded insights into the challenges and opportunities facing license holders today.
A Deep Dive with Sandra Bergman: From Higher Ed to Cannabis Marketing
This week, Mulligan is joined by Sandra Bergman, founder of Esbe Marketing and a seasoned retail marketing strategist and loyalty expert. Bergman’s twenty-year career spans corporate, agency, and higher education sectors before she turned her focus to cannabis marketing. Her journey into the industry was inspired by her husband’s involvement in Colorado’s Amendment 64 and his role on the governor’s task force for regulation.
Bergman’s hands-on experience includes working with two of Colorado’s largest MSOs, redesigning websites, managing e-commerce, loyalty programs, and digital marketing—gaining invaluable insights into scaling retail operations across multiple states.
Strategies for Scaling and Sustainability
Bergman emphasizes the importance of strategic systems and team structures that make rapid expansion possible. Initially focusing on loyalty technology like Alpine IQ, she has shifted toward creating data-driven, customer-centric strategies. Her approach involves designing loyalty programs that are compelling yet financially sustainable, emphasizing the importance of targeting long-term customer value rather than just acquisition.
“Customer retention is the low-hanging fruit,” Bergman explains. “Existing customers spend more and are easier to keep than constantly chasing new ones. Strategic lifecycle communication flows—like welcome series, milestone alerts, visit series, and win-back campaigns—are proven to increase retention rates significantly.”
The Power of Human Connection and Automation
Bergman advocates for automating personalized communication that builds genuine customer relationships. She highlights the importance of opt-in messaging, milestone notifications, and in-store staff empowerment—like giving budtenders discretion to offer small tokens or samples—to foster loyalty and create memorable experiences.
“Nothing kills loyalty faster than staff complaining or being disengaged,” she notes. “Empowering employees to make small gestures shows customers they’re valued, which builds trust and long-term loyalty.”
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Cannabis Marketing
Mulligan and Bergman identify several frequent mistakes retailers make: neglecting to sign up customers for loyalty programs, over-relying on generic promotional blasts, and misaligning rewards with customer spending behaviors. Bergman underscores that simple actions like enrolling customers in loyalty programs at checkout can dramatically boost revenue.
She also warns against overcomplicating loyalty tiers, recommending a maximum of five levels to avoid choice paralysis. Rewarding top spenders with higher-value incentives encourages deeper engagement without overwhelming customers or cutting into margins.
Leveraging Data and Technology Effectively
With evolving tools like Alpine IQ, Bergman advises retailers to focus on campaign analytics. Regularly reviewing reporting metrics—such as open rates and click-through rates—helps refine messaging and improves engagement.
She also cautions about recent regulatory and technological shifts, including the impact of the ten-digit long code (10DLC) for SMS messaging, which has increased delivery rates but introduced challenges like generic messaging and spam filters. Crafting relevant, valuable, and branded messages can mitigate these issues and enhance customer trust.
Inspiring Future Growth and Industry Normalization
Bergman shares her pride in milestones like her company’s historic sponsorship of a professional sports team, which helped normalize cannabis in mainstream culture. She remains optimistic about the future, citing newer markets like Pennsylvania and regulatory revisions in states like New York as signs of positive change.
Her hope lies in continued regulatory reform and the development of marketing-friendly policies that support responsible, human-centered retail strategies.
Connecting and Learning
Listeners are encouraged to follow Bergman on LinkedIn and explore her website, esbmarketing.com, to stay updated on her innovative approaches. Mulligan also invites industry professionals to connect and continue the conversation about building profitable, compliant, and customer-focused cannabis businesses.
Watch the full episode here.
