The U.S. cannabis industry has been valued around $17 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach around $30 billion in sales by 2024, but what does this mean? It means that with the United States leaning towards federal legalization, within the next 4 years the entire industry is expected to nearly double in sales. This is something that will be hard to find in any other industry. Entering the market will definitely have its barriers with both current federal regulations and advertising limitations, so startups that want to play a part in this rapid growth industry will have to be creative enough to both stand out amongst the growing list of competitors and get around current advertising restrictions.

For this case study, Quilly will be rebranding a current CBD retailer, Divine Leaf CBD. If Quilly were to attempt to break into the cannabis industry, we would focus on building a lifestyle brand that can effectively partner with micro-influencers. This would allow us to advertise our product on social media platforms that traditionally ban cannabis-related PPC advertising. By focusing on visual identity, Divine Leaf CBD can stand out from competitors and begin to create a community of brand-loyal followers. Here's where we would start:

Logo Design

It's time to move away from the traditional cannabis leaf logos. It's a beautiful leaf (we agree), but Divine Leaf needs to stand out amongst the ocean of competitors jumping on the CBD train. Think about a logo like this: Starbucks doesn't use coffee beans in their logo because it defeats the entire purpose of a logo. Starbucks wants to stand out from other coffee shops, so it seems obvious to create a logo that has nothing to do with coffee. Your logo shouldn't tell consumers what you sell, it should show consumers how to feel. We've chosen a bold, organic font to get away from the medical-style branding that so many CBD companies are leaning towards.

More importantly, we created a logo that can be broken down and used in a variety of ways. The top left acts as the primary logo. This will be used when the focus should be entirely on the logo (think business cards, website headers, letterheads, etc.). The top right acts as a "stamp of approval". This is an asset that can be added to tie in brand elements in a more design-centric way. Finally, the bottom icon can be used to identity the brand in places that lack space. When consumers see this icon, they know it's Divine Leaf, the CBD company. It's simple, unique, and memorable. It stands out from all other CBD brands and that is what we are looking for.

Packaging Design

With this, less is more. There's still a lot of ambiguity with CBD and cannabis in general, but we don't want to clutter our packaging with a million benefits of it's use. The packaging should focus on displaying the brand in a beautiful light and make the consumers excited to unbox the product. This is the reason we've teased the consumer with an outline of the CBD tincture. It's the same reason Apple teases you with a realistic looking IPhone printed on the outside of the box. Your website and marketing materials should describe the benefits of the product in order to sell it, once you've sold the product just focus on giving your new paying customer the best possible experience with your brand. Still want to add some additional info? Add a product insert that allows the consumer to get more info if they need it.

Web Design

A branded e-commerce store is increasingly important, especially due to the pandemic. Consumers need to experience the brand through a website the same way they would experience the brand in a physical store. The website should make the product the hero while offering all the information a consumer needs to make a buying decision.

These design assets alone are a great start, but branding doesn't stop at logos, packaging, and websites. If you're looking to dive head first into the growing cannabis industry, you have to focus on building a brand that will stand out and stand for something. Your brand needs to carry over to advertisements, email newsletters, business cards, printed shipping mailers, stickers, ect. Thankfully, Quilly offers unlimited graphic design, 100% on-brand, for just $399/mo. You focus on running your business and we'll make sure it looks great!