Branding and packaging for medical marijuana and CBD products need to be a priority for anyone involved in this growing industry. As one of the more exotic commodities on the market today, the number of businesses involved in selling medical marijuana and CBD is increasing all the time. In this increasingly competitive marketplace, it is important not to get lost in the smoke and haze. Applying classic business and marketing principles to selling and marketing the product is essential to run a viable business and to build a reputable brand.
While some of the details involved in packaging and branding for medical marijuana and CBD products are unique, many of the best practices to follow reflect what works in almost any industry. By taking some time to learn more about what works and what does not, you will be setting your business strategy on the right track.
Let’s look at five specific things that you can do to enhance your medical marijuana and CBD branding.
Identify What Your Brand Is All About
The first step that any business in this industry needs to take is to determine what its core values are. Beyond being involved in a dynamic and potentially lucrative industry, there are also other factors that have gone into why you got into business in the first place. You need to be able to figure out what separates your business from the rest.
Identify what your values are by figuring out who your target audience is and what your competitive advantage is. There are many benefits provided by medical marijuana and CBD, but what about these products is highlighted in your business?
By answering these types of questions, you will be able to design a powerful brand and purpose-build packaging for your medical marijuana and CBD products.
Use The Right Terminology
Words matter when it comes to both branding and packaging. And anyone who has been in the marijuana business for a while, or who might have hands-on experience with the product, likely knows that there are any number of terms that marijuana can be referred to. This makes designing labels and packaging for medical marijuana and CBD products a bit tricky.
Generally speaking, it is best to avoid terms that carry a lot of connotative baggage. Due to its long history of illegality, many of the names that marijuana has gone by over the years are still somewhat taboo in many households. Unless your clients appreciate more casual or slang terms, which you need to determine through some research or experimentation, stick with terminology that reflects the medical nature of the products.
Be Wary Of Social Media Branding And Marketing
While social media marketing is one of the most essential platforms for building a brand these days, medical marijuana and CBD suppliers need to be cautious. Many online platforms have their own set of restrictions and rules for what can be shown and what can be said online. Depending on what your packaging for medical marijuana and CBD products depicts and says, you may fall outside of these guidelines and find yourself censored by these platforms.
Potentially losing access to these powerful marketing platforms will put your branding at a serious disadvantage. It is better to play it safe and stick to other forms of promoting your products and your brand.
Highlight Your Advantages
Packaging is a great place to highlight the benefits of your brand and your products. If you go above and beyond to ensure that your quality and purity are held to a high standard, then be sure to incorporate this fact into your packaging design.
You can also use your packaging to inform your customers about your products or even about medical marijuana and CBD more generally. Beyond, but also including, packaging, having ample information on your website of the current state of everything to do with medical marijuana can help to establish your brand as an authority on the subject. And by highlighting the proven medical benefits in the right way, you can allow potential customers to make a more informed decision. When they opt to enter the market, then they will be more likely to opt for your brand as well.
However, make sure that you do not incorporate any medical benefits or claims that have been proven by medical research. Speculating or proclaiming that your product is a cure-all for virtually any ailment known to mankind is sure to get you in trouble.
The more research you do to determine who your customers are and what they expect out of medical marijuana and CBD, the better you will be able to design the right packaging that appeals to them.
Follow The Legal And Regulatory Guidelines
Given the controlled nature of the product, it is important that your packaging complies with the necessary regulatory guidelines for packaging medical marijuana and CBD products. These will typically differ by state or by country and, depending on where you are selling your product, you may need to make modifications accordingly.
To keep your branding within the limits of the law, one of the most important things to remember is to avoid making your product appealing to children. This means that you cannot incorporate cartoonish designs or candy bar-type features on your products. You also need to steer away from evoking too much emotion in the areas of glamour, recreation, risk, or excitement with your products.
This may seem restrictive as branding is usually heavily based on eliciting emotional engagement with your audience. However, there are many ways to work within these limits to create both informative and aesthetically pleasing packaging designs.
Refine Your Packaging For Medical Marijuana And CBD Products
Following these tips will help you design the best packaging for your medical marijuana and CBD products and will give you the tools you need to build your brand. Be sure to include some creativity and you will be able to use your packaging as an instrumental tool to build a better brand.
Here’s another blog post you might find interesting:
How To Succeed With CBD In-Store Marketing Using Point Of Purchase Displays
