Dispensed shifts from acquisition to brand trust with first major campaign

Medicinal cannabis is on its way to becoming a serious digital health market. Forecasts tip the category to exceed AU$2.2 billion by 2033. Dispensed Australia is now on a mission to make the category feel a little less clinical.

The Melbourne-based digital health company has launched its first major brand campaign, marking a new phase for the business as it expands its marketing team and looks to build trust in the fast-growing alternative healthcare category.

The campaign, This Is Not Medical Advice, was created by Dispensed’s in-house team in collaboration with British animator Joe Taylor, best known for his work on Doodle for Google.

The work will run nationally across digital, social and out-of-home over the next 30 days, with billboards appearing across commuter routes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The campaign takes a softer approach to a heavily scrutinised category, using animated storytelling to offer what the company describes as a “moment of calm” during busy daily routines.

“We live in a world where dopamine hits are fed to us at every moment of our day and urgency is everywhere,” Sam Kingsley, senior marketing lead at Dispensed Australia, said. 

“We wanted to create a lighthearted, yet meaningful moment to remind people to just pause and breathe.”

Kingsley, who joined Dispensed in January after senior brand roles at AG1 and adidas, said the company’s marketing team has changed quickly since then.

“Build the team, the people, the brand,” Kingsley told this publication. "As the new marketing lead at Dispensed I have had such an exciting opportunity to do what I love most: being a builder.

"We have tripled our team size from two content marketers, to a team of six people with experts across brand strategy, PR and comms, growth marketing and content design. We have also built out a roster of exceptional contractors and agencies we are now working with.”

The team includes Amanda Do as communications lead, who joins after heading global PR and partnerships for BON CHARGE. Do also brings deep alternative healthcare experience having helped build the public relations function for Alternaleaf. She joins alongside head of growth Vanna Kaye, Sofie Lund as social media manager and growth marketing lead Oliver Baker.

Dispensed said more marketing hires are expected in the coming months.

The campaign also signals a shift from performance-led growth toward broader brand building for the company, which launched in 2022.

Kingsley said the team’s first focus has been to keep strengthening its acquisition engine while maintaining compliance and relevance in a tightly watched category.

“Our team has had two key areas of focus: first, doubling down on our acquisition success; we have built a growth marketing engine that prioritises industry compliance and resonating with our audiences. These are two areas we will never compromise on,” he said.

The second focus is brand equity and trust, both in Australia and overseas.

“Something incredibly important to me has been to take the already highly recognised Dispensed brand, and continue finding ways to build brand equity and trust in the Australian and global markets,” he said.

“I believe in the power of brands, so getting the chance to build and launch the very first Dispensed brand platform has been a dream come true for me.”

Dispensed describes itself as a digital health company focused on stigma-free access to alternative healthcare. The business operates in a medicinal cannabis market that has grown rapidly in Australia, while also attracting greater regulatory and public scrutiny.

Grand View Research forecasts the Australian medicinal cannabis market will reach US$1.64 billion, or about A$2.28 billion, by 2033.

Kingsley said Dispensed’s ambition is to become the leading alternative healthcare brand for Australia and its global markets.

“A key part of that is our ongoing mission to destigmatise access to critically important alternative healthcare, which is something we are incredibly proud of and will continue to push forward,” he said.

“Every day we see the messaging that is pushed out into our category, and put simply, we can all do better. We believe our industry has a critical role to play in the health of everyday Australians, and we want to ensure that people feel safe and reassured about exploring their healthcare options.”

The campaign’s animated film uses Taylor’s signature style, with the company saying animation was chosen for its ability to make complex emotions feel more immediate and human.

“Animated storytelling has the power to create emotional connections and captivate an audience without saying a single word. Bringing the Dispensed brand to life was a creative collaboration across borders, and I can’t wait to see how it’s received,” Taylor said.

Kingsley said the campaign is designed to build an emotional connection with Australians, rather than leaning into a purely transactional message.

“The campaign is about building an emotional connection between Dispensed and Australians, one that is rooted in reassurance rather than transaction,” he said.