CBD has taken the USA by storm, and there are a lot of reasons why! Since passing the Farm Bill in 2018, CBD sellers who used to operate "underground" have now surfaced with the security of federal legalization. Consumers are experiencing easier access to purchase these products and becoming increasingly exposed to a flurry of independent sellers, retailers, and online powerhouses who now have the freedom to advertise and sell across multiple platforms.
With the industry generating billions of dollars per year, there's a reason why they're calling it the Green Rush.
For some background information on CBD, visit the two links below...
(Image by CannaChoice)
In this post we are going to concentrate on what role a packaging company has to play in this highlighted topic. We will look through the lens on some specific factors by analyzing the variety of forms that CBD can be sold in, how they're packaged, what customizations appeal to your audience, and how to brand a successful CBD company.
So, let's get started.
What are the types of CBD Extracts?
There are 3 types of CBD extracts -
1. Isolate which contains only CBD with no other cannabinoids.
2. Full-spectrum which contains all cannabinoids naturally found in the cannabis plant, including THC (normally less than 0.3%).
3. Broad-spectrum which contains multiple cannabinoids naturally found in the cannabis plant, but doesn't include THC.
What forms does CBD come in?
The multiple types of CBD extracts can be sold in many forms such as oils, tinctures, edibles, vaporizers, creams, lotions, bath bombs, and soaps. So it is important to know your target audience and what you are trying to achieve when creating a CBD company. Understanding the form in which your audience wishes to consume their CBD will help determine each component of your product line.
What color scheme should I use?
Appealing to your target market is the most imperative task that one must execute in order to generate a successful business. There are a wide array of CBD markets which has helped many small brands slip into their own micro-niches. Whether it be a sports recovery brand that specializes in CBD massaging lotions, an animal brand that creates CBD pet food, or a wellness brand that supports better sleeping habits through CBD serums; the possibilities are broad and prosperous.
In today's world, with extreme saturation in many markets, branding is everything. As it mentions on our website's homepage, 72% of American consumers say their purchasing decision is influenced by packaging design. The branding is just as important as the actual product itself because it is the packaging design that gets your product into a household. Then it's up to the product to deliver what the packaging has promised.
Selecting the right color scheme is the first step. The color scheme needs to either relate to the product it's selling or the audience it's targeting. A lot of companies fall into the trap where their color scheme mirrors the industry they're associated with, consequently masking their individualistic integrity. Instead, choosing a color scheme that matches your vision and mission will separate itself from competitors. We speak more about this in our previous blog post Using Color Wheels To Your Advantage.
What information do I need to use on my packaging?
Although CBD is federally legal since passing the Farm Bill in 2018, it is still a very sensitive subject. There are many requirements that need to be outlined on the outside of the packaging in order for it to be sold legally. Below is an image explaining the basic labeling guidelines that must be present.
(Image by Avery)
Some states require their own legislations too, so be sure to check where your products are being sold, especially if you're selling online. Have any more questions? Learn more via the FDA website who have put together a list of the 26 most common questions about cannabis products and their regulations.
What type of packaging should I use?
There are many ways to package CBD products and it depends on the form of the substance. Some forms, such as flower, edibles, and oils, need to be sealed in child-resistant containers to protect the contents inside from falling into the wrong hands. Whereas items that are used for outside the body, such as creams and balms, do not need to be held inside resealable child-resistant packaging.
Other parameters include the duration of the product's lifetime and whether it needs to remain fresh. For example, hemp flower is best stored in conditions that remain consistent without humidity or temperature fluctuations. Boveda have created an industry leading product that is packaged inside the container and absorbs or releases moisture to maintain an ideal 62% humidity condition. These little packets are best served inside glass jars or mylar pouches to prolong the onset of mold & mildew growth.
(Image by SVR Hemp)
We've listed some common packaging options below:
Creams - glass jars, plastic jars, squeeze bottles, standing pump bottles, & metal tins.
Edibles - glass jars, plastic jars, drams, mylar pouches, kraft pouches, & boxes.
Flower - glass jars, plastic jars, drams, mylar pouches, kraft pouches, boxes, & pre-roll tubes.
Oils - tinctures & cartridges.
Balms - twist/push bottles & metal tins.
Bath Bombs - boxes, card wrapping, string, & cotton drawstring pouches.
What customizations should I use?
Different customizations provide different emotions, so it's imperative to choose wisely. If you want to show off your hemp flower's lush green buds and crystalized trichomes, then you'd likely use a clear glass jar to display such perfection. But what else do you need?
You don't want to cover the entire jar up with an expansive label or completely surrender the contents visual aspects by using a full shrink-wrap sleeve. Screen printing is also not ideal on clear containers because it is hard to see the information laid across the transparent outer casing. Instead, we recommend a partial label that covers around half of the circumference. This allows for enough coverage to host all the necessary information and also provides an open window to see the contents inside.
Labels are ideal when using clear receptacles that have contrasting contents inside. If the contents inside are a solid color, helping to form a consistent backdrop, then screen printing could be an ideal solution. Direct printing is a more intricate process and a great way to provide elegance to your packaging.
(Image by Packhelp)
Hot foil stamping has become a very popular method to create an affluent presence among packaging design. It is a printing technique that uses hot dies to press a metallic print and foil onto the surface of a material. It can be glossy, matte, or even holographic. It offers a premium feel and is always a crowd pleaser during an unboxing experience. This technique can be utilized on jars, tincture bottles, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, and much more! We are actually in the process of creating a full line of CBD products for one of our customers using hot foil stamping in the logo across all materials!
How can I make my packaging sustainable?
This is very important to us as a company, and we are working with our customers to try promote the best possible methods for becoming more sustainable. There are many unknown nuances, especially within the world of recycling, that are not advertised or taught to the masses...and they should be!
Did you know that clear plastic bottles are a lot easier to recycle than colored plastics? Once virgin plastic has been turned into another color, it is very difficult to recycle because there is less chance for it to be recreated into something new. When multiple colors are melted down into pellets and combined together, they form grey plastics which are difficult to reuse.
(Image by Greenpath Recovery)
So when we consider designing packaging products, these aspects need to be considered in order for us to make them reusable or recyclable. We are going to provide more insight into this topic in our next blog post, so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading!
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