Brown Budda

Brown Budda NY launched as the first legal cannabis dispensary in the Hamptons, a highly seasonal and competitive market with a transient customer base, elevated expectations, and limited tolerance for inefficient spend. Success depended on capturing short-term demand while building repeat customers through digital ordering platforms and local visibility.

PHASE ONE

Challenge

  • Low initial awareness in a newly legalized, seasonal market
  • Fragmented online presence across WeedMaps, Leafly, Google, and social platforms
  • Menu structure not optimized for digital browsing or conversion
  • Risk of wasted ad spend without clear performance signals
  • Need to drive both in-store traffic and online/delivery orders simultaneously
PHASE TWO

Strategy

The HLP DSK implemented a conversion-first digital strategy focused on increasing order volume without increasing overall spend.

Key priorities included:

1. Optimizing digital platforms for how Hamptons customers search, browse, and buy
2. Restructuring the menu to improve discoverability and sell-through
3. Aligning paid and organic channels to eliminate redundant spend
4. Using events to drive spikes in awareness that translated into online orders

Execution

Platform Optimization

  • Fully optimized WeedMaps and Leafly listings, including imagery, descriptions, categories, and promotions
  • Improved Google presence to capture high-intent local searches
  • Refined Meta campaigns to focus on audiences most likely to convert during peak seasonal windows

 

Menu Curation

Curated a balanced menu based on:

  • Price sensitivity during off-peak periods
  • Premium demand during high-season weekends
  • Highlighted high-performing SKUs to increase average order value
  • Reduced friction in online browsing to shorten time-to-purchase

 

Spend Efficiency

  • Identified underperforming placements and reduced wasted spend
  • Shifted budget toward channels and creatives showing the highest conversion rates
  • Prioritized organic and platform-native visibility where possible

 

Events & Activations

  • Produced consumer-facing events to establish Brown Budda NY as a destination dispensary
  • Used events as acquisition drivers, converting new customers into online and delivery users
  • Reinforced digital touchpoints at physical activations to support repeat ordering

Results

  • Online and delivery orders doubled following platform and menu optimization
  • Increased conversion rates without increasing total ad spend
  • Improved ROI by reallocating budget toward proven channels
  • Stronger alignment between events, digital visibility, and repeat purchasing
  • Established Brown Budda NY as a recognizable retail presence in the Hamptons

Key Takeaways

  • In seasonal markets, efficiency matters more than scale
  • Menu structure directly impacts online conversion rates
  • Platform-native optimization outperforms broad, unfocused ad spend
  • Live events can be leveraged as digital acquisition tools when paired correctly

The HLP DSK helped Brown Budda NY build a high-performing digital and retail ecosystem that maximized short-term seasonal demand while laying the groundwork for sustained online and delivery growth—without inflating marketing spend.