Why lying in branding is bad, read this https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand

1. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 2/13
hi j i l ib

2. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 3/13
Las Chingonas se A ojan - How a Little Fib
Broke a Big Brand
False branding is probably not the best way to market cannabis, right?
Posted by:
Reginald Reefer, today at 12:00am
False Branding is probably not the best way to market
cannabis

3. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 4/13
Storytelling has long been a part of marketing. It’s one of the reasons why we cite the Coronel as one of our “rags to
riches stories”. Oh, - you don’t know the story of KFC’s “Coronel Sanders?” Essentially the story goes that the Coronel
tried to do many jobs throughout his life – with seemingly little to no success.
It wasn’t that he was bad, it simply didn’t have that “Umph” factor. However, during the Great Depression he started
selling chicken utilizing his “Secret Recipe” and sub-sequentially made the chicken empire known as KFC at the tender
age of sixty.
Is the story 100% true? Probably not – but it’s based on a real person who actually did that. Not like the subject of our
story today. After all – you’re reading a blog on a weed page so apart from the obvious reason why you’re reading about
chicken [munchies], what does any of this have to do with cannabis?
La Chingona se a oja!

4. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 5/13
The story goes that the Chigona – a dispensary owned by three badass Latina sisters from Jalisco. From the start, it
seemed like the three sisters were given gifts that would make them a powerhouse within the Californian Cannabis
scene.
Maria – “The plant whisperer”, Sonia – “The curandera” and of course, Adriana who could sell anything after watching
her father hustle sugar cane growing up.
These three ladies were meant for great things – that is if they were real.
It turned out that “La Chingona” and the Del Rosario sisters were nothing more than a fabrication invented by the owner
Michael Kaisar.
While there is legally nothing wrong with inventing ctional characters to represent a brand – A la Tony the Tiger. La
Chingona took a more literal and realistic approach.
The story of the three sisters have elements that entice someone to ‘want to know more’. For those with origins from
Latin America – it also resonates on a deeper cultural level. Simon Sinek said, “Always Start with why” when you’re
selling a brand story.
With La Chingona, the Why is painfully simple – overcoming adversity from the position of a minority. It’s identifying
with one of the largest minority groups in the United States with the intention of converting them into loyal fans of the
business.
If at the very minimal La Chingona has Latin American ladies working or running the show – the pseudo- ction would
have been forgiven. But the fact that the brand was mostly run by white-males, didn’t sit well with some Latina women.
They were prompted to set things right and in turn reached out to the brand.
The Brand didn’t think they were doing anything wrong

5. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 6/13
According to a recent article (https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/nation/marijuana-sellers-story-of-badass-
mexican-sisters-was-a-cultural-misstep-latinas-say/article_c384c316- 22-5c48-88d8-4d9b67b0155c.html), Susie
Placencia was one of the Latina women who didn’t nd the story of La Chingona appropriate. Claiming that exploiting
the gure of three powerful women for pro t was indeed “Cultural Appropriation”.
While I personally dislike that word I think in this case it is text-book. Even with the Mexican connection of the owner[
who had a Mexican Grandmother and was one of the inspirations to the story].
According to Kaiser, he didn’t think that the story was wrong. To him – it was an homage to the strong and powerful
women in his life. The fact that he has Mexican blood coursing through his veins should be enough to justify the brand
story.
And while I tend to agree with this – we must look at the fact that the story of “La Chingona” is pseudo- ction, meaning it
resembles reality but is actually ction. This means that it’s very easy to be convinced that it really happened and if the
brand doesn’t ensure that people know that the story is false – then it’s deceptive marketing.
Consumers do not like to be deceived and this is the major issue with La Chingona. It’s not that the guy is appropriating
a culture, it’s that he is using a deceptive backstory to sell a “feeling” that the brand emits.
If the story of the three sisters included that Maria was born from an Agave, and Sonia from the dew drop of a Mayan
Sunrise – then there would have been enough “ ction” within the story to separate it from reality.
The major blunder comes from not being able to separate this ction from the plight of millions of women and their
personal stuggles. Not to mention that Latin America tends to be a very heavy matriarchal market in that, “La mama si
es la Chingona”. Especially with “la chancla” – watch out!
The Verdict
It comes down to a story of “he said, she said” where one side claims Cultural Appropriation and the other called it
“unjust retribution”. Yes – La Chingona is currently not in operation even though Kaisar said he’ll resurrect the brand.

6. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 7/13
I personally agree that “La Chingona” is a great brand name – I simply recommend that he includes a deeper sense of
ction within his brand story. Colonel Sanders wasn’t a real Colonel, but he was a real guy who was the face of KFC for
many decades.
The Del Rosario sisters are as real as Tony the Tiger – except unlike Tony, they share common experiences with millions
of would-be buyers. You can still honor “las chingonas” while selling fantasy – but I think the biggest issue was the fact
that there was no distinction between it.
Hell – I’m sure if Kaiser simply opened up a public contest of nding the “face of the company” – “Buscando Chingonas!”
to get three real industry bad-bitches to grow for him – he would have saved the company and probably dominated the
market.
Yo Kaise – if you need some more million dollar ideas…hit me up.
CANNABIS COPYRIGHTS AND BRANDS, READ MORE...
(https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/cannabis-piracy-copycat-cannabis-
brands-and-what-can-you-do-about-it)
WHAT IS CANNABIS PIRACY AND HOW DO WE STOP IT FAST? (https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/cannabis-piracy-
copycat-cannabis-brands-and-what-can-you-do-about-it)

7. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 8/13
What did you think?
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8. 9/24/2020 Las Chingonas se Aflojan - How a Little Fib Broke a Big Brand
https://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/las-chingonas-se-aflojan-how-a-little-fib-broke-a-big-brand 9/13
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