Sacramento-based Connected Cannabis Co. appointed Craig Lyon as its vice president, head of marketing. Lyon spent a decade at Nike, most recently as a senior brand director leading the Central U.S. and Canadian marketplace.

Lyon’s previous roles at Nike were centered around the brand’s global basketball marketing initiatives. During this time, he served in roles of increasing rank including senior brand director, brand manager and community specialist.

“Over the last decade, Connected has achieved high awareness, consumer loyalty and a premium reputation based on the quality of our product and with minimal investment in marketing,” said Sam Ghods, CEO of Connected.  “Now it’s time to streamline our messaging and build a marketing machine that cements our status as the go-to brand for designer weed. Craig’s proven track record in brand-building makes him the ideal candidate to develop and execute strategies that reflect our history and ethos and resonate with our established followers, as well as new audiences.”

“Connected has proven themselves a leader in the cannabis industry rather than a follower,” said Lyon. “It’s remarkable that Connected has garnered such a stellar reputation and following without spending more than 1 percent of their revenue on marketing; they’ve always been laser-focused on the product. For the first time, Connected is dedicating resources to bolster this already rock-solid foundation, and now, the sky’s the limit. I look forward to building out our department and elevating our brand presence to the level the product merits.”

Photo courtesy Connected Cannabis