Feeling like you’re under a creative rut? We understand that being under quarantine can feel lifeless and tiring. It can be hard to find inspiration and vision when you are confined within the same walls of your home. However, being at home does not have to be boring any longer. Cannabis Brand, RIFF, has found a way to make summer more interesting. If you haven’t heard of RIFF, they are not your average cannabis brand. The brand says they are “born out of our love of a good #JOINTEFFORT”. RIFF believes in creativity, pushing boundaries and seeing ideas from different perspectives. They value their community and what they have to say. That is why they continuously provide resources and opportunities for their community to express their creativity. For example, on their Instagram, they are running a weekly program called #CommunityDraws which gives their audience a draw prompt on their Instagram stories. As a community brand, they strive to stay connected to their audience as best they can.
RIFF is about the people. From their origin strain names, to their collections, and to the events they are a part of, they have all been inspired by the culture and creativity surrounding them. “The RIFF name maps back to our overall brand mantra – constant evolution, driving collaboration and culture. The word ‘RIFF’ is constantly changing based on the context which aligns to the RIFF brand. We’re here to bring fresh ideas, minds, and skills together—to create something original and meaningful” says the team.
We currently live in a world where block parties, concerts and social gatherings are unfortunately prohibited. Even though this is for our own health, it is difficult to let go of the events we used to love. Now, with RIFF, one can make their own summer listening lounge in the comfort of their own home, but what is a summer listening lounge?
A summer listening lounge can be described as a personalized at-home jam session or virtual hang out with the crew, paired with expertly crafted RIFF products that work perfectly with your playlist. RIFF suggests their ready-to-use pre-rolls like the crowd favourite Subway Scientist and the RIFF vape pen in Grand Daddy Purps x Sour Kush.
Inspired by artists in the music community, RIFF was able to create summer listening lounges fit for a couple of different genres. RIFF says, “artists that create experimental hip-hop, electropop and noise rock aren’t afraid to go outside the box with their music, similar to how we work to break the mold with everything we do.” So, is this what makes RIFF different from other emerging cannabis companies, their determination to think outside the box?
“RIFF goes beyond just cannabis and I think this is what sets up apart from everyone else. We’re not really your conventional brand, we’re doing so much more than that. We’re really pushing our limits and going beyond the boundaries to do a little bit more. We’re constantly building a very strong community. We invite creators and makers to co-create the future of cannabis with us and this is what really sets up apart from everyone else and makes us a little bit different” says RIFF Associate Brand Manager Milka Subotic.
Much like your branding, summer listening lounges is definitely a unique idea, how did this come about?
“I think our product inspired it. Every product is so different and it creates such a different experience, with music and sound. We want to provide our community with inspiration by pairing our product with the underground music to help provide creativity, especially during the quarantine time. It’s about moving within the now. These genres really do resonate with RIFF but they also speak directly to our audiences and communities and it really does spark creativity and that allows all of us to express ourselves in so many different ways, so I think that is the surrounding concept and idea behind it. We love seeing that sort of engagement within our community” says Milka.
So far, RIFF has created lounges for genres such as experimental hip hop, electro-pop and rock, but it doesn’t stop there. They plan to produce more for other genres as well. It’s about keeping an open mind and exploring your options. Milka says,
“We always keep in mind different genres and different forms of creative expression and what really speaks to the true essence of our branding and speaks to everything that we are doing. You know no matter what channel or what we’re pushing, whether it is a product or an event, we think that listening lounges at home are such a great way to stay connected especially during this time. And with that whole creative side, we welcome our community to put a little spin on it and introduce their favourite genres to see what people can do with it as well, so it’s a collective joint effort on our end.”
For those who are new to RIFF products, Milka recommends trying the THC Spray and the Subway Scientist strain. The spray is an excellent intro product because it is known as a crowd-pleaser. Customers enjoy being able to control the dose and that it is a smoke-free product which can easily be used inside. On the other hand, the Subway Scientist is available in both flower and pre-roll format. It has a sweet, complex aroma and is highly convenient for those on the go.
Overall, RIFF’s mantra is about evolution. They are constantly progressing as they thrive on collaboration and culture. They are inspired by originality and ideality. As long as they have passion and drive, they will continue to have a strong community behind them.