Organic and eco-friendly branding is one of the focuses of every niche, and the cannabis industry is no exception. At a global level, a third of all consumers prefer to buy goods under sustainable brands. Since ecology is one of the most important topics in today’s world, consumers want to contribute to a brand that shares the same values as they do.
This sentiment is even true for cannabis businesses, especially since they’re dealing with a plant. Your branding has to be both appealing and eco-friendly. These 5 tips will help you with a full rebranding effort and a turn towards organic branding.
Focus on the right packaging materials
The most important part of cannabis packaging is the label. Most people are interested in a particular brand, so this part of the packaging is at the center of attention. Consumers who care about ecology will inspect the label much closer.
If they determine the label is from a non-recyclable or plastic-like material, they won’t consider your products. Therefore, you should stay away from shiny labels, as well as artificial-looking tones.
For paper label face-stocks, it’s important not just to look, but feel recyclable. This means a matte, non-reflective label is the best choice for an organic rebranding effort. Many paper materials are made from recycled materials. Use them and promote them – spreading awareness leads to more sales.
When talking about organic cannabis packaging, you can’t forget about minimalism. A design containing only the essentials makes your brand seem reliable. Having too many elements within the design easily repel potential customers. Less mean more focus on each aspect.
Use organic food brands as inspiration
The organic food industry is much older than the cannabis industry. This means you can use it as an excellent example to create your own form of organic cannabis branding. It’s not hard to modify your kraft barrier bags to exemplify the same values an organic fruit brand does. Here’s an essential list of packaging tips you can learn from organic food brands:
Transparent packaging is everything. Make at least one part of your ziplock or kraft barrier bags see-through. Having a window into the product influences the choice of every ecologically aware cannabis consumer.
A great way to emphasize the organic nature of a cannabis product is to depict a growing facility or some of the landmarks from the region of origin. Every product that is mass-sold reminds consumers of non-organic, industrial production. Real regions and images divert them from such thoughts.
The fonts should be either cursive or very mild and soothing. One good inspiration is psychedelic rock posters from the 1960s. This era was the beginning point of many ecological movements and such style is associated with nature. Many organic food retailers use such styles.
Loose illustrations go perfectly with minimalistic design. A simple motif of an illustrated cannabis leaf reminds consumers of the no-nonsense organic way of growing cannabis. Knowing that their product comes from an organic farm gauge their interest even more.
Have all your products have a similar design. Make an effective pattern or design an integral part of your brand. Expand its appearance on business cards, merchandise, and your website.
Organic colors only
The main colors of every organic cannabis packaging are green and brown. In every natural environment, we see a synthesis of green hues along with a brown base.
Green exemplifies purity, while brown tones signify the opposite of the industrial white – clean and old-school. You can add other hues in terms of shading and other packaging details, but these two should be the crux of every design.
When you use colors that only appear in nature, you can create an unrefined image that appeals to organic buyers. A matte finish should make everything much clearer and attractive to every eco-aware customer. If you don’t want to go for unison for all your products, you can just switch the tones.
By changing the locations of what’s brown and what’s green, you can achieve what is called a pseudo-rebranding – a change accomplished with the design elements you already possess. Be creative, and you will have a myriad of ideas to switch from.
Words are important too
One mistake that many cannabis packaging designers make is that they focus on colors and shapes exclusively. Not having enough words or words that aren’t effective creates a glaring hole in every design. Verbiage is just as important as visual appeal, despite the prevalence of colors and natural motives in organic cannabis packaging.
If you have any certificates or verifications from federal cannabis testing authorities, promote them. Include them in the form of small badges, with their names and meanings in words. People will notice “the small letters at the bottom.”
Consumers that shop organic pay attention to every slogan, writing or warning. Don’t forget a visible logo, in addition to a five-word slogan/call to action/phrase that exemplifies your brand the best.
Make it practical
Contrary to popular belief, the design isn’t just about visual appeal. It’s about the materials and how they interact with the customer. Practical packaging is not only easy to use, but it’s also an indication that you didn’t waste any materials in the production process. Saving on materials is one of the main indicators that a brand is organic. Show it to your customers.
A marriage between aesthetics and use is the clearest path to establishing your brand as an authority in the organic cannabis industry. Appealing, but simple and child-secure kraft barrier bags will be appealing to everyone, but send the right message to ecologically aware cannabis consumers.
Don’t be impatient about going too practical. New technologies constantly come up, it’s just that machinery and approaches take time to become standards. As soon as a new solution is verified and viable for wide use, experiment with it and explore its benefits. The results will be evident in a short time period, as your customers notice that you’re following the most important trends.
