NUWU Sessions: The team of Rove Brand discuss marketing strategies and the brand’s unique designs
Welcome to NUWU Sessions, where we invite guests to enjoy one of our top-shelf table packages in Las Vegas' first and only cannabis consumption lounge: The Vegas Tasting Room. In today's episode, we are excited to have the Director of Manufacturing, Chris Marroquin, and Monique Ridgeway, the Marketing Manager from Rove Brand. Read on as we learn how Rove Brand came to be, all while trying fantastic Rove Diamonds and discussing their uniquely designed product lines. It's only here on NUWU Sessions, so let's get into it!
Introduction to Rove Brand
Rove Brand was founded around 2016 as a California cannabis brand. As a brand, Rove exists for the wanderers, artists, and adventurers who enjoy cannabis while exploring new heights of human creativity. Known for its sleek product designs and wide-reaching network that spans seven states, Rove Brand has been an industry trendsetter since its inception.
"Rove was born at the intersection of art and science." This creed is a testament to the brand's dedication to science and its commitment to designing products that stray from traditional product designs. Now, let's dive deeper into the Rove Brand and the representatives who have helped the trailblazing company make its mark in the cannabis industry.
Introducing the Team
The two Rove representatives that we have with us today have not only grown in the cannabis industry, but one of them also worked in NUWU Cannabis Marketplace. Monique Ridgeway (nickname Mo) and Christopher Marroquin (who goes by Chris) have been long-time cannabis fans. Their growth in the cannabis industry is a testament to their passion for quality cannabis products that their customers (and they) can enjoy!
Interview Q&A
First, let's talk about you guys and what you did before cannabis.
Mo - Before cannabis, I was a makeup artist for many years. I was a cosmetologist, but I specialized in makeup. And honestly, in that industry, everybody was smoking weed. I mean, there have always been people heavily smoking weed everywhere I've been around. So, transitioning from the makeup artist world to the cannabis world was a different financial mindset.
Cannabis is a judgment-free zone, like cosmetology, where you still have creative freedom. But for me, it was a totally different world because, before that, all I ever did was cash-in-hand jobs, and cannabis is a corporate environment. It was a whole new world to me. That was about seven years ago now. We're about to hit seven years, and I won't touch a makeup brush now for someone else; it's only on me.
Chris - For me, cannabis has always been a part of my life. But before joining the medical and recreational industry here in Nevada, I was in the nightclub industry for about eight years. I also helped my sister build her Garden Grill restaurant, a brand we also have here in Vegas. Because I worked in the nightlife industry, I only worked about three days a week, which helped me develop my cannabis skills. I had the time and resources to be able to dive into it.
So, when was cannabis first introduced in your life?
Chris - For me, it was early on, in high school. My friend grew cannabis back then, and I was just fascinated by the whole aspect of it. From growing the plant, the effects of it, the taboo of it being illegal, and everything about it. But I didn't start consuming it as much until I was about 20-21.
I didn't feel anything the first few times I smoked weed. I remember the first time I did feel something; it was honestly an out-of-body experience.
I saw myself from ten feet away. I was on the phone with my buddy, who had given me the joint I was smoking. And I'm telling him, "You know, I'm halfway through it, and I'm not really feeling anything." Suddenly, I'm looking at myself from about ten feet away, smoking the joint on the telephone. When I realized that I was looking at myself, it was like I stepped back in, thinking, "Oh my god, am I high?"
Mo - Well, I grew up in Cali. I was 12 years old when I was hanging out with some older kids (because that's what you do in Cali when you're young and crazy, I guess). But I was hanging out with some older kids, and this guy handed me a pipe, and he said, "It's cherried," and I said, "I love cherries," and just hit the pipe, and I didn't even use the carb. And the rest is history. That's how easily I got into cannabis.
What inspired you guys to pursue a career in the cannabis industry? And how'd you get started?
Chris - As far as cannabis, I've always been fascinated by it. From growing it, extracting its essential oils, extracting the THC from it, making hash capsules, anything. All forms of cannabis have always interested me. For a while there, before it was legal here in Nevada, some dispensaries would pop up and get shut down. I would supply them with clones and MCT Hash capsules that I would make. So, when an opportunity came up to join the industry, I quickly took it.
That was in 2017 when Rove was getting started. They were beginning to build their team out, and a good friend of mine whom I've known for at least 10 years, Scotty Barnett, who I met in the nightclub industry, opened the door for me to be able to join the team. At the time, it was only three employees, and the rest is history.
Mo - This industry is full of instant gratification, so I can't go anywhere. You guys were talking about your experiences with weed and those out-of-body experiences. I'm fascinated because I have never had an experience with weed that made me think, "Woah, what's going on?"
Maybe with RSO; when I got into the cannabis industry, I fell in love with RSO and started studying it immediately. The only thing that can cause apoptosis of a cancer cell (the cancer cell's death) is over 55%. And I thought it was something that actually could help people. I feel like when you're studying cannabis, it's so wordy, and you have to really break the science down. I love the challenge.
There were times when I considered going back to makeup to go back to getting cash in hand because it's so much easier. But adapting to this has been a challenge. And I love the challenge, but I know cannabis has always been something that not everybody loves. I remember when I went to pick up my daughter from school, a pre-roll dropped out of my pocket, and I was so worried that she would get banned from school, and I was paranoid! But I love the challenge and the balance in this industry. I love that it's ever-changing and it keeps you on your toes.
In my cosmetics industry, I wore all the hats as well. If you're a makeup artist, you are your own billboard, you do your own marketing and stunts. It's comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time, and that's what I love.
What's a session at home look like for you guys?
Chris - Well, for me, that starts with dabs of concentrate. Right now, it's Rosin. Before that, it was Live Resin. I have little moments where I dab different things. I start with dabs and transition into a pre-roll every time. Either pre-roll or flower because I'm a cougher, and what happens to me is that the joint really eases the coughing for me. That helps give that dab direction.
Mo - I love the combo of a dab and then flower right after. I will say a sesh for me typically starts when I wake up and then start my morning routine. I begin with dabs, of course. That's my cup of coffee in the morning. I usually start the day with a dab, then I'll make my smoothie, put 30 milligrams in there, and coast on that. Smoke some weed after and then you have the trifecta! I definitely do incorporate edibles throughout my entire day as well. I love it all though. There's no cannabis form I've tried that I didn't want to try again.
Let's talk about how you guys came to work for Rove. How did that happen? And describe your current roles.
Chris - I started in 2017 when Rove was starting out. They had two employees at the time and needed to start building up their team. So, they had reached out to Scotty, but he was still working under contract for the nightclubs. He still had about three months to fulfill his contract. Scotty told them, "Listen, I can't do it right now, but my buddy Chris is your man for this job." So, after I met the Rove representatives, we went out to our lab, about 40 miles outside of town near Moapa. From there, we met the owner and clicked, so I took the offer there. I started as a packager to get my foot in the door and show him what I could do. Within three months, I was the lab manager, and then Scotty came on, and we took off from there.
Mo - I was initially at Reef Dispensaries for two and a half years. That was my first foot-in-the-door job in the cannabis industry. Then, I went on to be a brand ambassador for five brands. That's when I started coming to different dispensaries, including NUWU, and doing pop-ups with many other brands. But then the Pandemic happened, and there was a point where it was like musical chairs in the industry.
Fun fact; I worked here at NUWU, where I was a guest budtender for a week and a half until Jennifer Deppler from Rove walked in and offered me a position at Rove. I sent my resume, and that week I quit NUWU and went to where my heart was calling me.
Some people want to be in multiple stores, so they work with a brand, and then some want to work in a single store, so they instead work in a dispensary. I realized when working with multiple brands that I was the brand person. I want to put on a shirt and personify that brand. So, for about two years, I've been at Rove, I was a brand ambassador at first, and then a year in, I became the Marketing Manager. So, here I am now! I represent them, and everything I talk about is a good representation of that brand.
When did Rove first come together, and how did we land on the name?
Chris - The name Rove means "to wander," as far as where you consume and how you consume it, it felt fitting for the brand. We started here in Nevada in 2017 but were in California a few years before that. That's where the slogan comes in "Where do you Rove?"
I have to give a shout-out to the branding and packaging at Rove. You guys have always had a consistent and sleek aesthetic. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Mo - coming from cosmetics, I am obsessed with the packaging for Rove. In cosmetology, you're always looking at the packaging; a lot of this package is very similar.
Chris - Really, that's all from Phil Han, who is one of the founders of Rove, and he's the one developing those designs and constantly evolving them. There's no shortage of quality down to the stickers and the QR codes, and the entire packaging stands out. In competitive marketing, especially if it's saturated, it's crucial to stand out with something like packaging while meeting all compliance requirements.
What hurdles have you guys had to overcome regarding compliance issues?
Chris - There are a few examples, like when Metrc was integrated in December 2017 here in Nevada. Dispensaries needed to be on metric for us to ship orders to them. We had to coach them on using Metrc, completing manifests, and receiving orders. That was a hurdle, but we could develop good relationships with the dispensaries by coaching them through the process.
Certain things have to change whenever there's an evolution in the regulations. In Nevada, the tough one here is 1g concentrate products. Any one-gram product cannot exceed 80% THC, but we like potency. So, if you have a 1g concentrate jar, it cannot exceed 80% THC, which is a challenge and why we came up with the Rove XL Edition, which allows us to put over 90% THC on cartridges. We've been doing the XLs for over a year, which will mean phasing out the full-gram cartridges that can't go above 80% in THC.
Beyond that, another challenge we're facing is the differences in regulation and maintaining consistency across multiple states. It's challenging, but it's still fun!
Mo - I faced a lot of challenges in the Cannabis industry online. One day the words "Rove Brand" was a banned hashtag on Instagram. Which hurt my heart because I run all of our socials, so if somebody doesn't like our brand I'm one of the first to see it. It's not fair that we cannot advertise the way we want to online.
I can't show my outfit of the day if it has weed leaves on it. For example, the other day I was at Puffcon, holding up a Puffco and our Rove Rosin in my hands. It was reported for nudity and taken off Instagram. They didn't let me appeal it, so a lot of the challenges I face are online. I do get away with a lot of fun on TikTok, I didn't even think I could transition into TikTok, but our CEO told me to try because he wanted us to thrive there. We've gained around 30-thousand followers on TikTok.
It's our second account because the first one was being run by somebody else, and then I took it over. The TikTok account already had a lot of violations on it, so I was treading lightly. I got away with posting a barrel of weed, and somebody's scooping it with their hands, and I put the text caption "Oregano." That gave us 1.3 million views, and it was reported, we appealed it, and they gave us back the account and apologized.
What have been some strategies that have really worked for you on that platform?
Mo - So Instagram is where we say what we are, and TikTok is where we joke about what we're not. So we play with different props. For example, I've made videos where a carrot is a joint or a giant barrel of honey is just distilled in the cartridge. It's just playing with fire, but it's crayon-drawn fire.
Let's talk about the Rove loyalty program. How did that come about?
Mo - With the "Where do you Rove?" campaign, the Rove Rewards program is definitely for the adventurer. There are items on the reward program like a foldable bike or canteen water bottles. Fun items for people that are active or want to be involved, the wanderers. Then there are also our pro-pack batteries that are on there as well.
It's essentially an authentication program. When you flip your Rove product on the back, there will be a QR Code. You scan it with your phone, and boom! It takes you to a landing page that tells you not only about this product, but it lets you redeem points for this product that you also purchased. Then we have promotions like double points on certain holidays or stuff like that. We get ready for that on my end on marketing, and that's a big part of what I'm doing this week with the holidays coming up.
What are your favorite Rove products?
Mo - Rosin. It's the Rosin for me.
Chris - I have a favorite in every category, but it's definitely the Rove Rosin. We have it launched in California only. We're looking to expand that product line to other states where it's feasible. There are a few challenges because we need to be vertically integrated with any of the states we're currently in. Slowly but surely we'll get there.
Mo - As far as the states that Rove is currently in, Chris and I are both remotely working in every state. So far, we're in Arizona, Oklahoma, California, Michigan, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Nevada.
Chris - That's seven states, and we're also working on moving into New York.
What have been some of the most challenging aspects of scaling Rove as a business? What were some of the most complex parts you had to overcome?
Chris - With scaling the company, the challenges have been mainly compliance differences, regulation differences, dealing with different entities, and scaling up the operations. Also, just maintaining a presence in an ever-evolving market. This industry evolves about every 3 to 6 months. The only constant is the change in this market. So, being able to keep up with the changes in the market and launch products fast enough to keep up with the demand.
Where do you see the market changing over the next couple of years? What do you see changing in the market right now?
Chris - We're looking at the marketing at the national level. We've always worked towards a more national production and distribution mentality. We've always adopted that mindset: what would legalization look like if it happened nationwide? Whether it's regional, national, or state-by-state. We're ready for something like that and always preparing for that future.
What is coming down the pipeline besides Rove Rosin?
Chris - We always have something up our sleeves, and as far as what we have in the pipeline currently, we have our ice packs and evolution into our vape line. In the near future, there'll be a little evolution regarding our hardware and what we'll offer. The ice pack we call "Rove Ice Packs," a five-pack of pre-rolls infused with kief, diamonds, and Rosin. An all-in-one trifecta, and they will be half grams. Since we had so much success with the Rove Features Farms product line, we want to do something with the Rove Premier Line, and this is a great fit. The product is still in production. We're expected to launch in 2023.
What words of wisdom would you give to the next generation of cannabis entrepreneurs?
Chris - I would say embrace change, be tenacious, and don't give up! Just keep going because there will be many hurdles you'll have to overcome, and you'll have to embrace that if you want to succeed!
Mo - I was going to say, keep going! Don't give up. If you want to get to the top, you will keep going. If you slow down, that's not gonna get you where you want to go. You'll get there if you speed it up but in a calm and approachable manner. It's helpful to be able to pivot when you can. Pivot when you need to, and go with it!
Conclusion
This has been another NUWU Sessions blog post, where we update you on all that's happening with NUWU Sessions. Don't forget to follow Rove Brand on Instagram and all their great product lines, such as Drink Loud, Featured Farms, & their CBD brand Rove Remedies. Of course, if you want to try any of the Rove product lines featured in Nevada, check out our menu here at NUWU Cannabis Marketplace.