You can spot a real brand in the wild.
It walks into a room before the founder does.
You see the logo on a skateboard, a guitar case, the back of someone’s neck.
That’s the test.
If people wouldn’t tattoo your brand on their skin, maybe it’s not a brand. Maybe it’s just merch.
Josh Kesselman doesn’t complicate this. He doesn’t hide it behind a presentation or a “thought leadership” keynote. He looks at a room full of founders and says the thing people don’t say out loud.
“When you launch a brand, ask: Is it tattooable? If the answer is ‘yes,’ you’ve got it.”
This happened at the IgniteIt Cannabis Market Spotlight: California. A panel on authenticity and culture. Josh showed up with his usual mix of humor, truth and fire. No slides. No bullshit. Just the founder of RAW explaining how to build something people love with their whole chest.
Start with the person, not the product
Kesselman doesn’t begin with marketing. He begins with the human being.
“It’s all about authenticity. If you’re not an authentic person, how the fuck are you going to make an authentic product?”
He doesn’t talk about authenticity. He shows it.
Say what everyone else hides
Most brands hide flaws. Kesselman talks about them on purpose.
“When you talk about your products, talk about the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said. “We make jokes about how my gum line curls. It does. I could fix it, but the solution is a chemical I don’t want to use. So I just explain that, completely honestly. It won’t stick as well in the summertime. Now you gotta let it dry more before you fly.”
He shrugs. That’ …
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Author: Javier Hasse / High Times
