Andreas (Dre) Neumann spent the last three decades at the intersection of entertainment, advertising, branding and digital sectors, shaping the powerful role that user experiences and branded content bring to the world.
Dre’s creative innovation carries over into business as an entrepreneur and tech pioneer with a background that includes heading up the worldwide, branded content division at Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the largest advertising groups in the world; founding tech startups and developing design strategies in Silicon Valley for clients such as Apple, IBM, HP, LG, Ericsson, Rolls Royce and Ferrari.
Andreas is also a renowned photographer whose award-winning work has featured the likes of Pelé, Iggy Pop, Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, Lenny Kravitz, Johnny Depp and Pierre Cardin, to name a few. He has illuminated the fascinating world of famous Mexican Luchadores, co-directed the award-winning documentary American Valhalla and played an integral part in creating the latest award-winning Desert Sessions album alongside Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme.
Neumann also recently earned a GRAMMY® Award for his participation in the Best Album Package Award for his photographic contribution on Desert Sessions Vols. 11 & 12. It’s the sixth compilation album by the desert rock supergroup Desert Sessions, an art project of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.
As Jushi Holdings Inc.’s Chief Creative Director, he is continuing to merge the skills he has honed at the forefront of advertising, branding, entertainment and technology to design a future-proof, post-pandemic retail landscape that leverages digital solutions, branded content and innovative merchandising concepts to develop a company that goes beyond traditional cannabis retail. CULTURE caught up with him about his career, his contributions to music journalism and what lies ahead.
What led you to cannabis after a career in advertising/branding and photography?
After spending the last three decades at the intersection of advertising, branding, entertainment and technology, I was looking for a new challenge. In the decades prior, I worked with companies like Apple, IBM, McDonalds, international hotel chains and banks on ways to combine the power of digital technologies with my creative vision to transform brand experiences.
Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I helped pioneer the idea of branded content because I felt that if content was both branded and entertaining, it could really take off in the future. In 2005, I was working in London as one of the heads of Saatchi & Saatchi, a large advertising firm. I had this idea to give marketers an opportunity to own their own hip-hop brand as a way to spread their advertising messages to people in their 20s. The firm embraced the idea, so I co-founded a sister agency called GUM, which was a big success. That’s when I knew for sure that branded entertainment and content could really play a much bigger role, especially when combined with research and data.
As a photographer and filmmaker, I also strengthened my creative muscles while working with the likes of Pelé, Iggy Pop, Dave Grohl, Lenny Kravitz, Johnny Depp, Pierre Cardin and others—all of whom expanded my thinking and creative vision in various ways. In fact, it was when I was working on a photography project in Joshua Tree with a good friend of mine Josh Homme, the frontman for Queens of the Stone Age, that Josh and I started talking about ways we could collaborate on a new cannabis brand.
My work in the desert with Josh inspired me to start exploring the world of cannabis. I knew that the business at its core is all about user experience, so, as I became more interested in the intersection of cannabis and culture, I started meeting more people and talking with them. After some personal and professional research followed, I began to truly grasp the extent to which cannabis could make a positive impact on the world. As a supporter of legalization, my personal beliefs about cannabis were also a driving factor here.
It was then that a good friend of mine introduced me to Jushi Holdings co-founders Jim Cacioppo and Erich Mauff. We hit it off right away, and I ended up consulting for Jushi for about a year before signing on full time as the company’s chief creative director, which has been a fantastic experience and a crazy ride. Before Jushi became vertically integrated, the company’s roots were in retail. So, when they came to me and said they wanted to marry the online and physical retail experiences to make that interaction frictionless, I knew it was a perfect fit for my background.
Fundamentally, I believe that brands are defined by experiences, and those can be either good or bad ones. At Jushi, I‘m really trying to create brand interactions with high-quality products that can be integrated with digital applications and technologies that make customers’ lives better, easier and simpler. I’d say that my history in each of the fields and disciplines I have previously worked in, my drive to do things in ways nobody is doing in cannabis, and my personal beliefs about the plant are what ultimately led me to the sector.
What skills from your previous lines of work have you brought to this job?
My creative role with Jushi is truly the culmination of my decades-long career. It brings together all of my working history across advertising, branding, entertainment, photography and technology. I’m charged with leading the company’s creative vision and entrance into the digital age, as well as looking for ways to leverage the power of research, data, technologies and processes that drive value and reshape how consumers think about cannabis.
Today, traditional advertising and marketing create awareness and value that is authentic, but in cannabis, that can be an issue. I think long-term engagement will really come by creating ongoing rewarding transactions for consumers. I have placed a big emphasis on research and digital platforms, which I learned the value of while working with national and international companies.
In the cannabis sector, we look at everything from the perspective of how consumers behave. We observe how they interact in their environment and take a hard look at what we call the “customer journey.” Once we have completed the research, we create the architectural blueprint of the ideal flow of events and see how technologies may be able to play a role in simplifying or improving this flow. In the tech world, we call this the interaction design. It gives us the insights we need so we are no longer blind or shooting in the dark, allowing us to develop a cohesive plan for a frictionless experience.
In that vein, our goal is to design a post-pandemic future for retail by developing an immersive shopping experience, from physical spaces to digital services. By mixing cannabis with art, performance and curated designer products, Jushi is positioning itself within the heart of culture.
The relationships I’ve built over the years with some incredible technology experts are also proving to be vital to my vision with Jushi. What I learned most from my previous work is that taking a 360-approach—connecting internal and external sources to an ETL pipeline and breaking down data silos via APIs—can have a dramatic impact by revealing often overlooked metrics that can drive optimization of the landscape that consumers and patients want.
What cannabis tech innovations are exciting to you, and what are you most looking forward to in the industry?
I’m obsessed with how technology and digital innovation can help cannabis companies drive efficiencies, remove customer friction points and help the sector break more into the mainstream.
Today, digital consumers are calling the shots, and technology is already playing a leading role in the sector. At Jushi, we were one of the first to launch a digital online shopping experience at beyond-hello.com, which we coupled with convenient curbside and express in-store pickup for our BEYOND / HELLO™ retail customers, because our research told us that’s what consumers wanted more of. Cannabis is actually one of the most tech-driven industries, and I expect this trend to accelerate over the next few years. If cannabis companies want to stay a few steps ahead, they should pay attention to the digital transformation we are in and look for ways to adapt to these new marketplace realities.
We are also looking at ways to implement more omnichannel experiential strategies as we roll out more brand experiences that seamlessly integrate technology, exclusive merchandise, art exhibits and many other initiatives in our storefronts. One of our missions is to create a “retail scene” that’s similar to something like a Starbucks Reserve or Fred Segal, so like-minded people can not only purchase exclusive products, but also gather together to partake in unique brand experiences.
Do you have any special things in the works that you’re planning to announce?
We have a bunch of things in the works. In fact, we’re getting ready to roll out a new, signature scent in collaboration with Joshua Tree Candle Co. at our BEYOND / HELLO™ stores that captures the scents and sentiment of California’s Joshua Tree. We co-developed our brand’s new scent with JTC, which we’re planning on offering in our stores and at our new online merch shop, The Jushi Shop. The rollout will have a really cool philanthropic component to it as well.
Another exclusive collaboration with actor, producer and director Colin Hanks will also have a philanthropic piece, and will bring Hanks Kerchiefs, which is an American-made handkerchief line, to BEYOND / HELLO™ retail locations. In addition to carrying all the standard products, we love this idea of offering consumers exclusive designer merchandise like Colin’s wearable art—something no one else can offer.
By carefully designing every aspect of the customer experience, from its physical spaces and digital services, using color psychology to determine look and feel of retail locations, musicology to create different vibes and engaging the neuroscience of scent, we think we’ll be able to create unique brand interactions that will not only drive long-term customer loyalty and retention but also add value for our shareholders.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
As a company that was founded on data-driven decision making and innovation, I can’t emphasize enough how important research is, in addition to the recognition that when it comes to cannabis, one size doesn’t fit all—and never will.
When we debuted our suite of cannabis brands—The Bank, The Lab, Tasteology, Nira + Medicinals and Sèche—across multiple states, we were committed to bringing to market something for everyone. It was essential to address the varying needs of different types of consumers—whether they were turning to cannabis for health, wellness or general lifestyle reasons.
We knew the products had to be high-quality and be available at an accessible price point, but that it was also time for some modern sophistication. Intuitively we knew this, but our research also uncovered that consumers wanted brands to have a sense of purpose, along with an authenticity focused on specific types of consumers. So we developed individual brands—each with their own story to tell—and played out how these stories would evolve before we even launched them.
Our research and willingness to take a broader approach has been part of our continued success. As we move forward, one of my goals will be to continue leveraging data-driven processes, content and technologies, so we remain in a position to deliver premium products and experiences across all levels of the cannabis and hemp ecosystem.
At the end of the day, if you take the time to research what your customers want, you won’t have to go in blind. You’ll have the insights needed to develop a cohesive plan, which leads to a smoother experience for everyone. From my experience, our research has definitely allowed us to better understand some of the specific variables that contribute to a cannabis consumer’s buying decisions, which will be key as the industry moves into the mainstream.
