The dive into cannabis showcased a bold risk-taking strategy.
At the Green Market Report New York Cannabis Business Summit in New York City on Sept. 13, we recognized some of the stellar industry players with the GMR New York Cannabis Awards.
The winner of Best Ancillary Provide was KCSA Strategic Communications, led by Lewis Goldberg, managing partner and principal, whose leadership is credited for pivoting the half-century-old public relations firm towards the nascent cannabis and psychedelic markets.
Historically, KCSA served microcap publicly traded companies, aspirant start-ups, and the occasionall enterprise-level client, maintaining profitability with a dedicated team of 25-50 employees. However, Goldberg’s decision in 2014 to immerse the firm in the emerging industry, then operational primarily in the shadows and federally illegal, showcased a bold risk-taking strategy.
Goldberg’s decision was motivated by the absence of business-financial public and investor relations firms in the cannabis space. He drew parallels with PR/IR firms in the 1980s that bet on emerging tech spaces and later became industry giants.
Highlighting cannabis as an industry witnessing rapid de-risking, Goldberg argued that the expanding market, growing at an unprecedented pace, presented limited reputational and financial challenges. Today, more than 60% of the U.S. population can access medical or recreational cannabis.
Additionally, under Goldberg’s direction, KCSA launched “The Green Rush,” a widely-acclaimed podcast engaging the cannabis industry’s stalwarts. Notably, a deep and insightful interview with Mike Tyson stands testament to Goldberg’s dedication, resulting from over 20 hours of preparation.
Today, KCSA collaborates with major Canadian LPs, colossal U.S. multistate operators, international growers from Colombia, ancillary service providers, and capital sources. Goldberg’s unwavering belief in KCSA’s potential have indelibly marked the firm’s legacy, reaffirming its position as a business relations powerhouse.
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