THE 14 CANNABIS BRAND ARCHETYPES By David Paleschuck, MBA, CLS

With over 25 years of brand-building and consumer marketing experience serving American Express, MasterCard, PepsiCo and Microsoft — and over eight years in the legal cannabis industry as VP, Licensing & Brand Partnerships at Dope Magazine; Chief Brand Officer at Evergreen Herbal and Chief Brand Architect at The Matters Group — David  Paleschuck has played a part in creating many of today’s well-known cannabis brands. In his new book, Branding Bud: The Commercialization of Cannabis he examines the commercialization of cannabis and offers best practices in branding and marketing. Here Paleschuck applies his expertise towards understanding brand archetypes.

The 14 Cannabis Brand Archetypes

Brand archetypes categorize universal patterns we intuitively know; helping us to quickly understand a brand’s point of view. And as such, they are an effective marketing “short-cut” embodying common elements. Applying these elements to a brand, helps potential customers identify and understand it – instantly. While all brands are bound to play within the rules and regulations of their respective states and municipalities, they must seek creative ways to make the laws work best for their businesses and more effectively than their competitors in order to succeed.

 The number one critical success factor is consistency. A readily available product with a consistent look, feel, dose and flavor is crucial. While consistency might sound inflexible, it is not meant to be. Through consistency, one can better chart a brand roadmap that’s in line and suits the customer’s needs. The cannabis sector is forever shifting. The fewer moving parts in the equation, the easier it is to contain and control the variables.

 Calling out specific attributes is difficult as canna-products cross a wide range of form factors, demographics and usage scenarios. Why do we expect to see cannabis-infused edibles packaged like other baked goods and candies? Or cannabis-infused transdermal patches packaged like Band Aids®? Or cannabis-infused sublingual slips packaged like Listerine® breath strips?

 The answer is: We have pre-conceived notions about brands and their products; how they’re packaged and under what circumstances we use them. A child-resistant cap or tamper-proof package immediately puts us at ease and makes us feel assured about our safety and consumption.

 Brands and color are inextricably linked because color offers an instantaneous method for conveying meaning and message without words. Color is the visual component people remember most about a brand followed closely by shapes, symbols, numbers, and finally words.

In a world where appropriation and mash-ups abound, it’s no surprise that brand archetypes often overlap and are not mutually exclusive. Meaning, many brands span one or more archetype categories.

THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS THE FOURTEEN MOST PROMINENT CANNABIS BRAND ARCHETYPES:

1.     COUNTER-CULTURE

Counter-culture brands are those brands that serve consumers who often define themselves and their activities through rebellion (i.e. not belonging to a certain group) counter cultures simply ‘feed the flames’ of consumer culture by creating a whole new set of goods for ‘rebel consumers’.

2.     NOSTALGIC

Research shows that nostalgia gives our lives a sense of continuity and meaning as we get older. As we age, we all develop fond memories of our younger days, from the food we ate, to the games we played, to the music we listened to. It’s no surprise many cannabis brands use nostalgia as a brand pillar.

3.     NOVELTY

When a consumer encounters a novel image tied to a brand, they are driven to learn more about it. They compare it to existing information: is it new and how does it fit into what they already know? Novelty is a powerful tool; but, it’s also a dangerous one. The key to using novelty to attract interest, is to make sure it’s a new expression of something the brand always stood for. A great example of a novelty brand is “Impeachmints” manufactured by Evergreen Herbal.

4.     FOODIE

Understanding how farm and food relate is essential for marketing to this sought-after demographic. Marketing to Foodies requires staying up to date on the latest trends across the food world. Given the increased importance everyone is placing on food, marketers would be wise to stay current. With the interconnectedness of food culture to almost everything, the relationship with cannabis is clear.

5.     REGIONAL

A regional brand reflects the culture and qualities of a particular appellation or terroir. Examples of cannabis strains boasting their geographic origin include Maui Wowie, Durban Poison, Acapulco Gold and Humboldt OG, to name a few. That said, it’s no surprise that many brands seek to capture and leverage these nuanced, regional, and cultural qualities into their brands.

6.     HEALTH & WELLNESS

Health and wellness brands have honed their messages putting customer’s well-being front and center. They typically focus on product quality, efficacy, benefits, and an overall balanced lifestyle. Successful brands in the health and wellness space do best when they provide their customers with aspirational content, as well as easy access to information and tools that allow them to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

7.     CELEBRITY

Celebrity branding is a marketing strategy used by leveraging the celebrity’s social status or fame to help promote a product or service. Brands use celebrities in hopes that the persona and image of the celebrity will be passed on to the product(s) and/or the brand associated with the celebrity. 

8.     PROHIBITION

Prohibition refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The word is also used to refer to a period of time during which such bans are enforced. Today, many cannabis brands are connecting the concept of alcohol prohibition to cannabis legalization. Examples of these prohibition brands include Zoots and Lowell Herb Co. among others.

9.     ART & DESIGN

The relationship between art and commerce has always been filled with anxiety. The diminishing impact of traditional advertising has caused brands to seek new ways to capture the attention of consumers. Artists and the art market have taught us how valuable a brand can become by leveraging art and artists. Seattle-based Saints Joints is a perfect example of a cannabis brand working with artists to create collectible, limited edition box packaging. 

10.     GENDER FOCUSED

While statistics tell us the majority of cannabis consumers are male, the female and LGBTQ segments are an under-developed opportunity — possibly the number one opportunity for those who understand how sexuality, gender, and political perspective resonate in this segment. While many have tried to “pink it & shrink it”, we certainly know that strategy hasn’t worked for brands outside of the cannabis industry.

11.     VALUE

A "budget brand" is a brand whose major selling point is its low price and/or value offering. Often, but not always; that may mean lower quality. Since COVID-19, there has been an increase in larger, pre-packaged product offerings, such as pre-ground flower in pouches – rolling papers included.

12.     CANNABIS CULTIVATOR

Cultivator brands have taken off with the interest and development in strains, terpenes, and cannabinoids. Cookies is a perfect example of how a brand can grow from strain genetics. Well-known cultivators and cultivator brands include Sherbinskis, Cookies, Exotics, and Ed Rosenthal, among others.

13.     LUXURY

Luxury cannabis brands are those that comprise associations of high price, high quality, beauty, rarity, and perhaps, even a degree of non-functionality. One of the best examples of a cannabis luxury brand is the Leira Cannagar, called out by Forbes Magazine as a “gourmet ultra-luxury cannagar.” 

14.     CHARITY | SOCIAL JUSTICE

People’s willingness to devote their loyalty and money to a cause is directly influenced by the positive connection they have with a brand. The right image, personality, and tone of voice create an identity that your customers (and donors) can relate to, which leads to more sales and better fundraising. A great example of a cannabis charity brand is California’s GIVE.

SUMMARY

How consumers attach themselves to a brand is based on the brand’s ability to tell its story to its customer. A health and wellness brand should not brand and market its product in the same way a recreational brand focused on rebellion would. Different customer segments demand different products, whether real or perceived. It behooves brands to creatively leverage the most recognizable brand archetype elements in order to effectively and efficiently convey who they are and what they stand for. It’s those brands that best differentiate and communicate, that will be recognized and rewarded.

To learn more about the commercialization of cannabis visit brandingbud.com

 “The first book of its kind to offer solid best practices in branding and marketing to an industry in dire need of them…. A fascinating overview of an estimated multibillion-dollar sector whose long and complicated history dates back to when forefathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp.”
—Iris Dorbian, Forbes.com