This will be a multi-part blog exploring my experiences with marketing a CBD product line. If you’ve ever wanted the “in depth” scoop on CBD then read on. I will be covering how I got involved with a CBD brand, the challenges I encountered, how I am overcoming them and I’ll even answer some of the most commonly asked questions about CBD with the help of a doctor who is a CBD expert that uses these CBD in her practice.

After turning down many opportunities of the last several years, I finally agreed to help market a new line of CBD products called Zuna Brands. Here is a little background.

CBD seems to be everywhere you look these days. From a marketing perspective, it is probably the most exciting product I’ve seen in years. Scientific research shows that CDB oil can have some amazing benefits. Here are just a few of the benefits being researched so far:

• CBD may help reduce chronic pain.

• CBD may help relieve anxiety and depression. This can be especially helpful in this current climate of pandemic related issues.

• CBD may help you sleep better.

• CBD may help reduce the side effects related to cancer treatments like nausea, vomiting and pain.

• CBD may help with neurological disorders, like Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis.

• CBD may be able to help with high blood pressure.

• Some early studies have shown to help with diabetes prevention.

• My wife even uses CBD under the supervision of a doctor, to help combat the effects of pre-menopause (headaches, night sweats, hot flashes and sleep issues) and she loves it!

 The big problem is you can’t talk about these benefits in any of your packaging or marketing materials. This area of health claims is tightly regulated by both the FTC and the FDA.  Let’s take a look at what their regulations are about what you can and can’t say about CBD.

First, let’s start with the things you can’t say or do when it comes to marketing CBD products.

• You cannot make health claims about CBD products. Any sort of health claim may be considered misleading by the FDA and FTC, which could lead to trouble. I don’t know about you, but whenever I see a new product making “sensational” health claims, it says to me that it usually is an inferior product trying to grab short term market-share. There is not a lot of substance behind a product that needs to make dramatic claims to generate sales.

• You can’t make structure-function health claims. You can’t say things like, “eliminates wrinkles”, “strengthens joints” or “improves memory.” You can’t make disease claims. You can’t claim that CBD will “reduce pain, treat depression or cure eczema.”

Based on the above, you can see why it can be difficult when it comes to marketing CBD products. These challenges remind me of what it was like in the early days of vitamin and supplement marketing many years ago and there are some lessons that can be followed from that experience.

The good news is that there are some things that you can do when marketing CBD products.

• You can use words related to temporary states or emotions. Words related to temporary emotions are generally permissible, as long as they do not imply disease prevention or treatment. They may also help you tell a story about your product that the customer will understand without feeling misled or over promised. You can say things like, “Supports uplifted mood,” “Eases stress,” “Supports focus,” or “Targets irritability.”

• You can use puffery. Puffery refers to advertising language that is highly vague or highly subjective, and therefore not threatening to the consumers well-being. For this reason, the FTC does not pursue companies that utilize puffery in their labels and marketing materials. You can say things like, “The best CBD oil ever,” “Soothing,” “Calming,” “Relaxing,” “Relieving,” or “Invigorating.”

• You can use cosmetic claims. Cosmetic claims relate to language about beautifying one’s outer appearance without affecting the structure or function of the body. Cosmetic claims for CBD products do not need pre-approval or post-approval by the FDA, but the product must be safe for use, and its claims cannot be misleading. You can say things like, “Improves the appearance of wrinkles,” “Balances uneven skin tone,” “Smooths and resurfaces,” “For dry, rough skin,” or “Helps tighten and firm.”

So now that you know what you can and can’t do when marketing CBD products. Let’s take a look at why I like Zuna Brands, and why I decided to help them with their marketing.

ZUNA BRANDS, “It starts with quality and credibility.”

• Zuna Brands has a large range of products that are carefully crafted by both scientists and doctors. From tinctures, to lotions to bath salts and many others, there is a product type for everyone.

• All Zuna Brand products are third party laboratory tested for quality and purity. When you buy a Zuna product you know exactly what you will be getting. They have complete transparency in the ingredients and testing. The test results of each batch are located on the website.

• Zuna Brands has a scientific advisory board made up of top doctors from across the country — check out their bios on the website. These doctors would not be part of a company that was not selling the highest quality products.

• Zuna Brands is well funded and run by an experienced management team. The barrier to entry for CBD products is very low and you see many “fly by night” companies that might not be here tomorrow. They will cut corners just to produce a cheaper product. Zuna Brands will never do that. They are in it for “the long haul.”

• Zuna has a great website with lots of useful information on CBD and its many uses. Their blogs are written by some of the top experts in the field, so you are always getting the most up to date information on CBD. There are clippings from the all press they have been getting as well as some great testimonials and user stories that you can relate to.

How do you take all of the above and turn it into a marketing plan?

That’s simple — we will be very active in using SEO, content marketing, influencer marketing, social media, and public relations. These will all be working together to bring you the Zuna Brands story.

I have been in the D2C marketing business for over 25 years and I have never run across a product as exciting and with more opportunity than CBD. Creating public awareness and understanding of the amazing benefits of CBD while conforming to the strict guidelines set by the FDA and FTC is a challenge I’m looking forward to.