Looking for the Ultimate Growth Industry?
Cannabis. It’s a complex thing, but it’s a real thing: one that’s fast growing into a full-blown industry. California, Vermont, Alaska, Washington, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon—many U.S. states plus the District of Columbia have now legalized recreational marijuana use. As of January 2019, medical use of cannabis is legal in 33 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. And cannabis has been decriminalized in yet other states. According to Forbes, North American spending on legal cannabis is projected to reach $47 billion by 2027.
Then we have the cannabinoids, which include one product you may have heard about even if you live in a restricted state: cannabidiol, a.k.a. CBD, which is becoming available almost everywhere. People are even giving CBD oil to their pets to help them cope with pain, illness, anxiety about storms, or fireworks, etc. Bottom line? If cannabis marketing isn’t already growing like a weed in your state, it will be soon.
Welcome to the Marketing Gold Rush
So what does the cannabis industry need? Everything any industry needs: branding, packaging, marketing, advertising, promotion—in fact, rising competition is already resulting in some highly sophisticated efforts. Google “cannabis marketing,” and you’ll see all kinds of specialty cannabis communication agencies. Could they use a labels vendor? “Absolutely,” says Discount Labels Regional Sales Manager Ryan Nottingham. He then discussed a few ideas on how we can help you grow your business in a field that’s likely to become as deeply-rooted as America’s liquor industry.
Nottingham says, “Think of craft brewing and small-batch distilleries. How are they marketing, branding, and growing? That seems to be the model savvy cannabis marketers are following, and it’s a great model for increasing your label sales.”
A Huge Range of Products
Here are just a few of the hundreds of products* in the cannabis and cannabinoid market, with new ones being added every day.
- Edibles: Candy, cookies, brownies, cakes, hemp oil, hemp seed oil, CDB oils, syrups, even butter and jam!
- Topicals: Lotions, bath soaks, soaps, lip balm
- Accessories: Rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers
- This list also includes products made with Hemp seed and CDB oils
Obviously, all these need packaging. From flower and bud packaging to edible and topical products, there’s a place for labels. Our range of AnyShape® labels are a very affordable place to start. Or add a laser die-cut for something more custom and open up design options in a big way. The possibilities really are limitless, and Discount Labels team is happy to help you come up with the best solution for your customers.
Also, because marijuana sales are tightly restricted, with stringent government reporting and inventory control requirements, there’s also great opportunity for barcode and sequential labels.
Next, is there some kind of promotional material a customer might need? Magnets, bumper stickers, door and shop decals, even scratch and sniff sample stickers: we can help you with all of them.
Nottingham says, “Whether it’s medical, recreational, or a cannabinoid product, Discount Labels can do all the labels for all those bottles and delivery systems …. this is an emerging market, and as competition grows, marketers are going to be looking for more and more ways to make their product branding stand out. Our job, and opportunity, is to work out how labels can be part of the solution.”
Nottingham says, “We’re already working with distributors on cannabis product solutions, and all signs point to much more work … I’ve got a guy in Denver who buys a ton of labels from us.”
Nottingham tells a story about this client’s marijuana lollipops.
“Each label has to have a child-safety warning, and the warning language changes frequently,” he says. “But quick-change is right in our wheelhouse—we were able to turn around an order of about 80,000 small circle warning labels for the customer to put on his suckers in a couple of days.”
Ultimately, Nottingham encourages experimentation—with the labels aspect of the industry, at least. “Get involved in the creative process. Open your mind. Visit a dispensary and see what’s out there. What are the needs? Where are the holes? How can you help these growing businesses grow more and faster as the industry grows? …. The people who are most successful selling labels are the ones who don’t say no, and who
are always looking for the opportunity. They work with us to figure out how to make it happen.”
For a little “Cannabis Marketing 101,” along with a few thought-starters on ways you can help this new universe of customers, read this.
So think outside the bud! Your potential as a cannabis industry marketing partner truly has no limits. And of course, if you have any questions, call us anytime—we’re always ready to help.
Located in in New Albany, IN, Discount Labels has been in business 1965. With more than 70 presses, 500 employees, and continuous investment in technology, sales, and support for its trade-only partners, Discount Labels has the capacity to meet any label demand and leads the label industry, producing 2.3 billion labels annually. For more information, contact Marketing Director Debbi Ulmer at (812) 981-4823 or [email protected].
