In a crowded cannabis marketplace, brands are always looking for proof that marketing activations actually deliver a return. Hibuddy.ca set out to answer that question by analyzing Ontario’s Top 100 searched cannabis brands against 50 activation-driven brands between July 21 and August 31, 2025. The data tells a clear story: activations move the needle.
What Are Marketing Activations for Cannabis Brands?
Marketing activations are hands-on brand experiences designed to connect with consumers or industry stakeholders in real life. For cannabis companies, these can take many forms, including:
Event presence at consumer festivals, trade shows, or conferences (both B2C and B2B).
Hosting branded events such as product launches, educational workshops, or community gatherings.
In-store activations at retail partners, featuring product sampling (where legal), staff training, or immersive brand installations.
Pop-ups and experiential campaigns that bring the brand directly to consumers in creative ways.
These activations go beyond passive advertising. They create memorable touchpoints that build equity, spark conversation, and—according to Hibuddy’s data—translate into measurable digital demand.
Search Rankings Tell the Story
When it comes to average search ranking changes, activation-driven brands significantly outperformed the pack.
Top 10 Activation-Driven brands jumped an average of +58 ranks, compared to +44 for the Top 10 brands overall.
Across the broader dataset, activation-driven brands moved 13x more in rankings than the Top 100 average (13 vs. 1).
This suggests that activations aren’t just driving awareness in the moment—they’re creating lasting traction in brand discovery.
Search Volume Growth: A Clear Advantage
Search percentage change reinforces the same trend.
The Top 10 Activation-Driven brands surged by +79% in average weekly searches after six weeks.
By comparison, the Top 10 brands overall grew +68% over the same period.
All activation-driven brands increased searches by +18%, while the Top 100 overall barely moved at +3%.
The takeaway: while brand equity and positioning certainly matter, activations create measurable spikes in consumer curiosity and engagement.
Correlation or Causation?
It’s worth asking: are activations driving growth, or are the strongest-selling brands simply the ones with the resources to activate more frequently? Big players with established distribution have the budgets to sponsor conferences, set up in-store installations, and host large-scale events. At the same time, the data suggests that even smaller, craft brands that prioritize activations see real benefits in consumer engagement. The relationship likely runs both ways: strong sales provide the budget for activations, while activations fuel the cycle by generating fresh interest and demand.
Which Brands Are Leading the Charge?
The Hibuddy.ca dataset includes a diverse mix of legacy names, craft producers, and innovative newcomers. Brands like Buzz’d, Rosin Heads, Jonny Chronic, Lowkey, and Station House appeared among the monitored activation-driven cohort, alongside many of the market’s most recognized players.
This demonstrates that activations aren’t limited to a single brand archetype—they’re being deployed across premium, craft, and value segments alike.
What This Means for Marketers
For cannabis marketers, these findings validate a key principle: activations deliver ROI when measured in digital demand.
Search data acts as a proxy for consumer intent—when people look up a brand online, they’re entering the consideration funnel. With activation-driven brands showing anywhere from 6x to 26x higher performance than the market average, it’s clear that experiential, in-store, and digital activations continue to pay dividends.
Conclusion
The cannabis retail environment is increasingly competitive, but the August review from Hibuddy.ca provides empirical proof that brand activations drive both awareness and discoverability. For marketers debating whether to invest in activations, the numbers speak for themselves: those who activate, grow.
Last Updated on September 23, 2025 by Colin Bambury
