Chasing The High: How We Managed The Largest Ever Study Into Cannabis Users

Reaching the right audience

When universities approach digital marketing agencies, it’s usually to drive users to their websites and encourage prospective students to consider enrolling. But King’s College London came to Literal Humans with a different kind of challenge — generating enough awareness to drive survey participants to their Cannabis & Me study.

Led by Dr. Marta Di Forti, Cannabis & Me was the largest ever independent study of its kind. It aimed to combine DNA genetic and epigenetic testing, psychological and cognitive analysis, as well as virtual reality to get a better idea of the link between a user’s biology and how cannabis affects them.

To achieve this, Dr. Di Forti needed 6,000 London-based participants, aged 18 to  45, who were either regular cannabis users or had never used it.

However, it’s notoriously difficult to get cannabis users to openly agree to testing, given the complex legal landscape surrounding the drug. We were tasked with creating a strategy that would effectively engage as many interested users as possible while navigating this sensitive environment.

Another challenge we faced was ensuring a diverse pool of respondents. We all know that the more diverse the survey participants, the more valuable the results. But convincing cannabis users, particularly people of color, to participate in a study from an institution like King’s College London required extra effort and thoughtful outreach.

The first hurdle we needed to face, however, was finding out exactly where our target audience was. Here’s what we did, and how we did it.

The beginning

We took on the responsibility of community management for King’s College London, overseeing the process of gathering participants for the study. But getting marijuana users to openly share their experiences with such a prestigious university proved to be more challenging than anticipated.

We had to navigate both the legal and illegal cannabis communities. We quickly discovered that the legal cannabis community often intersects with the illegal one, as events and conferences featuring reputable cannabis vendors are held across the UK—where attendees can also purchase everything needed to grow their own marijuana.

Interestingly, cannabis is technically legal in the UK, but only when purchased from a private, authorized dispensary that specializes in cannabis products. However, despite its legal status, fewer than 10 prescriptions have been issued by the NHS in the seven years since it became legal, which shows how new and limited the system is. With so few users possessing a legal prescription or CanCard, we had to turn to the wider, illegal user base to gather the volume of respondents we needed.

We also found that even individuals with a legal CanCard often continued to purchase marijuana from local street dealers. This was due to the limited selection and higher costs of legally available products, which made the illegal market a more appealing option for many users.

Content marketing

Not ones to back down, we set out to become experts in both the legal and illegal cannabis markets in the UK. Through in-depth market research, we identified where the UK cannabis community gathers online, which allowed us to craft a targeted marketing strategy.

Our primary goal was to reach as diverse an audience as possible, ensuring the study would generate valuable insights and accurately represent the UK cannabis community — not just white, middle-class users, but individuals from all backgrounds. 

We pinpointed a variety of forums, subreddits, Facebook groups, and private online communities where illegal cannabis users had formed active networks. These were the audiences we needed to engage.

However, reaching them wasn’t enough; we had to ensure our messaging was spot-on to attract survey respondents. We strategically targeted online communities, press outlets, and publications to:

1. Encourage as many cannabis users as possible to participate in the study
2. Secure the appropriate press coverage for both the study and King’s College London

Another key part of our role was managing communication between the team conducting the study and the cannabis community. We encountered significant pushback from these online groups, who were understandably cautious and needed reassurance that the study was legitimate and not a scam.

To address this, we ran newsletters and managed social media accounts to build trust and prove the credibility of the Cannabis & Me study. We created engaging assets to encourage sign-ups and interactions, while also publishing posts to maintain ongoing community engagement.

PR work

Alongside our extensive market research and content creation, we developed a PR strategy to maximize awareness of the Cannabis & Me study. This involved crafting tailored value propositions for the specific audiences we aimed to reach.

For cannabis users, we needed to effectively communicate with both the legal and illegal segments of the market. This was a delicate task that required a carefully considered approach to our messaging. It was essential to emphasize that participation in the study could help advance the legalization of cannabis and provide an opportunity to “set the record straight” on the often-misinformed psychological effects of cannabis use.

We also faced another challenge: much of Dr. Di Forti’s previous research had been misrepresented in the media, often used to justify keeping cannabis illegal. Our goal was to reshape the narrative and combat this stigma.

For the press, we needed to identify angles that would capture the interest of major publications. We discovered that the Cannabis & Me study incorporated a virtual reality (VR) component to test symptoms of paranoia among participants. Additionally, it was the largest study of its kind, addressing widespread misinformation about cannabis use.

Brand establishment

Our extensive community management and PR strategy allowed us to establish Cannabis & Me as a genuine study among the cannabis community. The effectiveness of our approach resulted in securing speaking opportunities for Dr. Di Forti at two major UK cannabis events — Cannabis Europa and Product Earth, the only legal cannabis events in the country.

In addition, we secured free exhibition space for the study at both events, providing direct access to the cannabis community. As part of this, we designed the sponsorship signage for the booth and created all the visual assets the Cannabis & Me team needed for their presence at the events.

PR results

Our strategic work with the press didn’t go unnoticed, with much of our success attributed to selecting the perfect angles for media coverage — and it paid off. We secured features in nearly every major UK mainstream media outlet, including the Daily Mail, BBC, Forbes, and The Guardian. 

These articles were subsequently picked up by syndicate publications, further amplifying the reach and exposing more readers to the Cannabis & Me study.

A key to this success was our carefully curated PR playbook. We developed personalized press releases tailored to each publication and journalist, ensuring the angle resonated with their audience and motivated them to publish. This approach resulted in exceptional coverage across the UK, driving approximately 4,000 cannabis users to sign up for the study.

One standout article alone generated 1,000 newsletter sign-ups. To capitalize on this, we introduced a referral scheme via email, which further boosted survey participation.

ROI highlights

Despite working with an incredibly tight budget of around £2.5K per quarter, we achieved an impressive return on investment for King’s College London. 

Our efforts resulted in thousands of sign-ups, extensive media coverage, and valuable exposure at major cannabis events — all for a fraction of what such results would typically cost. The impact of our work far exceeded the financial input, delivering exceptional value to the study.

Professor Marta Di Forti said, “Literal Humans were particularly helpful in supporting us to recruit a diverse sample that represented London and its social demographic. To do that they created bespoke adverts for different parts of the population belonging to different ethnic groups.

It’s been a great experience working with them. They’re very professional, very supportive, and always answer emails promptly; coming along with new ideas. Working with them has paid back given the success of our study. We are extremely grateful to Literal Humans for the support they’ve given us and for having helped us to achieve our goals.” 

If you’re looking for community management help and PR work to promote your cause, get in touch with our team! Schedule a strategy session with us or drop us a message on LinkedIn to find out more about how we can help!