The Marketing Leader Redefining Social Drinking

Welcome back to The Friday Fortune! We’re officially in that time of year when your inbox is a snowstorm of “quick follow-ups,” your Slack is suspiciously quiet, and your motivation is… let’s call it decorative. So grab a peppermint latte, minimize that spreadsheet you haven’t touched since Tuesday, and enjoy a few minutes of highly productive avoidance.

Every week, we bring you insights from marketing powerhouses, brand builders, and entrepreneurial troublemakers who prove that great ideas don’t go on holiday break. If you're looking for inspiration wrapped in humor (and zero judgment about your December work ethic), you’re in the right place.

Here’s what’s on deck this week:

• A sit-down with Cann Co-founder & CEO, Jake Bullock

• San Jacinto College x OpenFortune

• Top rebrands of 2025

📈 Marketer of the Week

If there’s anyone reinventing the social drinking experience for the modern era, it’s Jake Bullock, the co-founder and CEO behind Cann—the wildly popular micro-dosed THC beverage designed for people who want the buzz without the burnout. Jake’s path is the classic “consultant-turned-founder” plot twist, but with a refreshing twist of mission-driven creativity.

Jake’s early career in investment banking, management consulting, and consumer private equity gave him a front-row seat to what makes brands compelling at scale. But after years of evaluating brands from boardrooms, he wanted to build one from scratch. Not rooted in potency or shock factor, but in culture, taste, and emotional experience.

The spark came from a simple insight: consumers didn’t want to get knocked off their feet—they wanted something that felt social, predictable, and fun. Cann’s innovation was building a drink built around micro-dosing rather than macho dosing. Because THC advertising is notoriously restricted, Cann relied on creators, celebrities, and cultural moments to build momentum. The brand embraced irreverence, humor, and quirk as strategic advantages, leaning into the idea that Cann should feel less like a company and more like a friend who shows up with good vibes and great timing.

Internally, that same ethos shaped Cann’s team culture. Jake talked about the company’s core value, “two cans holding hands,” a reminder that no one succeeds alone. The team celebrates moments where members drop everything to help each other, an approach Jake sees as the antidote to siloed corporate culture. It’s part wholesome startup energy, part emotional support beverage.

Among Cann’s many experiments, one unexpected campaign stood out: Don’t Ban Cann. With regulators circling the hemp and THC beverage category, the team launched a simple website and sent customers an email asking for their stories. Jake expected a handful of responses. He got 1,600 in 24 hours.

The stories were deeply human—parents who felt more present, people who reduced alcohol consumption, couples who found new routines, and older consumers using Cann to relax before bed. What began as a small advocacy push quickly became evidence of Cann’s cultural and emotional impact. It’s proof that this category isn’t about “Skittles with a Z,” but about reshaping how people wind down and connect.

Jake’s Takeaway

Don’t wait for the perfect idea, the perfect moment, or the perfect résumé. Just start. 

As Jake said, “All you need to do is wake up one day and say, ‘I’m going to do this. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.’ And by doing it, you will become an entrepreneur.”

To dive deeper into how Jake and the Cann team are changing what it means to socialize with clarity, creativity, and a lighter buzz, listen to the full episode of CMO Weekly.

🥠 The Cookie Jar

Crack open a handful of the week’s best marketing links—because good fortune favors the curious.

• Gap’s CMO on leveraging the brand’s Katseye success for the holidays. When K-pop meets khakis, holiday magic happens.

• San Jacinto College Cracking Open Doors to a Brighter Future with OpenFortune. The most unconventional marketing budget line item that actually worked.

• Why Sun Cruiser tapped its first athlete partner during her offseason. The best time to shine? When no one's watching.

• The top 5 rebrands of 2025—the bold moves that worked. When playing it safe wasn't an option, these brands went all in.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Friday fortune.

If you enjoyed the read, pass it along to your favorite marketer who could use a little extra inspo in their inbox.

Until next time, may your marketing be memorable and your cookies always be fortunate!

— The OpenFortune team