The Happy Camper
Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, El Chivo #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Malibu Mirage, Peach Crescendo #2, Sour Diesel, Super Lemon G, Triangle OG, Veritas Cookies, White 99
Third Day Apothecary
Cherry Punch, Super Lemon G
Tumbleweed
Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, Sour Diesel
1136 Yuma
Grape Gasoline S1, Miracle Alien Cookies
A Cut Above
Gelato 41, Malibu Mirage, Peach Crescendo #2, Sour Diesel, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies
ANNA
Durban Kush #8, El Chivo #4, Sour Diesel, White 99
Best High
Veritas Cookies
Blue Heron
Cherry Punch, El Chivo #4, FUN, Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Malibu Mirage, Super Lemon G, Veritas Cookies
Buku Loud
RUN, Sour Diesel
Canna Cabinet
Big Bubba Diesel, El Chivo #4, Gelato 41, Grape Gasoline S1, Macchiato Haze #8, Malibu Mirage, Peach Crescendo #2, RUN, Sour Diesel, Sour Rado, Super Lemon G, The Sauce
Cannabicare
El Chivo #4, White 99
Cherry Peak
Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, Cake Pop, Cherry Punch, El Chivo #4, FUN, Forza Sans Souci #4, Gastro Pop #4, Gelato 41, Grape Gasoline S1, MIL, Malibu Mirage, Miracle Alien Cookies, Peach Crescendo #2, Sour Diesel, Sour Rado, Strawberry Shortcake, Sueno, Sunset Drive, Super Lemon G, Triangle OG, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies, White 99
Colorado Harvest Company
Bananaghani, Black Amber, Cereal Barz, Cherry Punch, Colorado Cutthroat, Durban Kush #8, El Chivo #4, Frozen Dessert, Gastro Pop #4, Gelato 41, Grape Gasoline S1, Grape OZ, Lucky Charms, Macchiato Haze #8, Miracle Alien Cookies, RUN, Sour Diesel, Space Gello, Super Lemon G, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies
Emerald Fields
Big Bubba Diesel, Cereal Barz, Miracle Alien Cookies
Euflora
Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, Malibu Mirage
Green Dragon
Bananaghani, Black Amber, Lucky Charms, Macchiato Haze #8, Malibu Mirage, Miracle Alien Cookies, RUN, Sherb Crasher, Space Gello, The Sauce, Veritas Cookies, Wedding Crasher
Green World
Cherry Punch, Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Super Lemon G
HERBS 4 YOU
Unicorn Poop
Herbal Healing
Big Bubba Diesel, Cake Pop, Forza Sans Souci #4, Gastro Pop #4, Miracle Alien Cookies, Sour Diesel, Triangle OG, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies
Higher Grade
Cherry Punch, El Chivo #4, Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Super Lemon G, White 99
Kika Kush
Bananaghani, Gelato 41, Sherb Crasher, Veritas Cookies
Kind Meds
Big Bubba Diesel, Malibu Mirage, Veritas Cookies
Livgreen
Cherry Punch, Durban Kush #8, El Chivo #4, FUN, Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Miracle Alien Cookies, RUN, Sherb Crasher, Slurricane, Sour Diesel, Sour Rado, Super Lemon G, Super Sour Lemon, Triangle OG, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies, Wedding Crasher, White 99
Magnolia Rd
Bananaghani, Cake Pop, El Chivo #4, Forza Sans Souci #4, Gastro Pop #4, MIL, Muffinz Breath #1, OZ Kush, Slurricane, Strawberries N Cream, Sueno, Super Sour Lemon, White 99
Magnolia Rd
Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, Cake Pop, Cherry Punch, Durban Kush #8, El Chivo #4, FUN, Forza Sans Souci #4, Gastro Pop #4, Gelato 41, Grape Gasoline S1, Lava Breath #2, MIL, Malibu Mirage, Miracle Alien Cookies, Muffinz Breath #1, OZ Kush, Sherb Crasher, Slurricane, Strawberries N Cream, Sueno, Super Lemon G, Super Sour Lemon, Triangle OG, Veritas Cookies, WRZ, White 99, Yuk Mouth
Native Roots
Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, Black Amber, Cake Pop, Cereal Barz, Cookies N Cream, Durban Kush #8, El Chivo #4, FUN, Forza Sans Souci #4, Frozen Dessert, Gastro Pop #4, Gelato 41, Grape Gasoline S1, Lava Breath #2, Malibu Mirage, Miracle Alien Cookies, OZ Kush, Peach Crescendo #2, Peking Duck #6, Sherb Crasher, Sour Diesel, Super Lemon G, Triangle OG, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies, Wedding Crasher, White 99
RiNo Supply
Cereal Barz, Colorado Cutthroat, Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Miracle Alien Cookies, Wedding Crasher
Ripple
Macchiato Haze #8, RUN, Space Gello, Veritas Cookies
Rocky Mountain Cannabis
Big Bubba Diesel, Malibu Mirage
Rocky Mountain Cannabis
Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Super Lemon G
Rocky Road
Cherry Punch, El Chivo #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Strawberries N Cream, Super Lemon G, White 99
Rocky Road Remedies
Big Bubba Diesel, Cherry Punch, FUN, Super Lemon G
Roots RX
Peking Duck #6, Pineapple Blast, Unicorn Poop
Roots Rx
Bananaghani, Durban Kush #8, Miracle Alien Cookies, Pineapple Blast, Sherb Crasher, Sour Rado, Space Gello, Unicorn Poop
SMOKEY'S
Big Bubba Diesel, Cereal Barz, Miracle Alien Cookies
Skunked
Cherry Punch, FUN, Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Super Lemon G
Smokey's
Cereal Barz, Colorado Cutthroat, Durban Kush #8, Super Sour Lemon, WRZ, Yuk Mouth
Solace Meds
Bananaghani, Sherb Crasher, Space Gello
Space Station
Big Bubba Diesel, Miracle Alien Cookies
Standing Akimbo
Apple Fritter, Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, Black Amber, Cereal Barz, Cookies N Cream, FUN, Frozen Dessert, Lava Breath #2, MIL, Miracle Alien Cookies, Muffinz Breath #1, OZ Kush, Peach Crescendo #2, Peking Duck #6, Pineapple Blast, RUN, Sherb Crasher, Sour Rado, Strawberries N Cream, Super Lemon G, Super Sour Lemon, Triangle OG, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies, Wedding Crasher
TGS
Bananaghani, Big Bubba Diesel, Cereal Barz, Cherry Punch, Durban Kush #8, El Chivo #4, Forza Sans Souci #4, Frozen Dessert, Gastro Pop #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Grape OZ, Malibu Mirage, Muffinz Breath #1, OZ Kush, Peking Duck #6, Pineapple Blast, Sherb Crasher, Sour Diesel, Sour Rado, Super Lemon G, Super Sour Lemon, Unicorn Poop, Veritas Cookies, WOF, Wedding Crasher, White 99, Yuk Mouth
THE GREEN SOLUTION
Cherry Punch, Forza Sans Souci #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Super Lemon G
The 404 Dispensary
Bananaghani, Cake Pop, El Chivo #4, Forza Sans Souci #4, Malibu Mirage, Muffinz Breath #1, White 99
The 64 Store
Cherry Punch, El Chivo #4, Grape Gasoline S1, Super Lemon G, White 99
The Dispo
Big Bubba Diesel, Cherry Punch, Durban Kush #8, El Chivo #4, FUN, Forza Sans Souci #4, Frozen Dessert, Grape Gasoline S1, Miracle Alien Cookies, OZ Kush, Pineapple Blast, Sour Diesel, Super Lemon G, Super Sour Lemon, Triangle OG, White 99

October 1, 2020

How Growers Can Execute a Branding Deal

Written by: Bart Schaneman

National cannabis brands are common in several sectors including infused products, vape pens and retail. But the industry has not seen many national flower brands.

For one thing, flower canโ€™t be transported across state lines, so it canโ€™t reach consumers in other markets. Additionally, growers often pride themselves on creating flower with characteristics specific to their location.

When each stateโ€™s cannabis market is insular, itโ€™s difficult to establish a national reputation. But at least one marijuana producer has taken steps to achieve this.

Cookies, a cannabis company from Californiaโ€™s Bay Area, has established itself as a recognizable flower brand in several states, including Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington, among other markets.

Colorado Connection

Denver marijuana producer Veritas Fine Cannabis entered a licensing deal with Cookies last fall to sell Cookies-branded flower in 50 Colorado retail stores. Cookies Colorado products launched statewide in May 2020.

Jon Spadafora, partner and head of sales and marketing at Veritas, told Marijuana Business Magazine that initially Veritas wasnโ€™t sure growing flower under the Cookies brand would be a good fit.

Cookies was founded by Gilbert Milam Jr., a rapper who goes by the name Berner. Spadafora said he worried the rapperโ€™s name was supposed to sell the product by itself.

โ€œWe were concerned it was just another celebrity-driven brand,โ€ Spadafora said. Meanwhile, he believed Coloradoโ€™s cannabis consumers were too discerning to pay a premium if the cannabis wasnโ€™t of high quality.

But when Spadafora and a few members of the Veritas team took a trip to see Cookiesโ€™ commercial grow in Los Angeles, his opinion changed.

โ€œWe were struck by, one, how clean and beautiful the space was,โ€ Spadafora said.

He also noticed the staffโ€™s passion, โ€œthat twinkle in the growersโ€™ eyes,โ€ and could tell the cultivators on the Cookies team loved to grow cannabis.

โ€œThatโ€™s important,โ€ Spadafora said. โ€œEverybody cares, and they care because everyone loves the end product.โ€

The team visited another Cookies facility in Northern Californiaโ€”and after that, Spadafora knew the two companiesโ€™ values aligned.

Two-way Street

The vetting process went the other way, too. Tori Cole, vice president of marketing for Cookies, said the company was looking for โ€œlike-minded partnersโ€ and found one in Veritas.

Even though Cookies has a range of other products including vapes and cannabis-infused items, the company has always been focused on growing different strains, she said.

When looking for an out-of-state cultivator, the company was seeking a partner that โ€œunderstands the phenomenon of Cookies.โ€ They wanted to work with growers who had the same attention to detail and the ability to work in a collaborative environment.

โ€œThereโ€™s a lot of sharing between teams,โ€ Cole said. But it really comes down to how good the growers are. Reputation often precedes the introduction for cultivation companies, Cole said, adding, โ€œItโ€™s a small industry.โ€

Beyond vetting the reputation of potential partners, Cookies will also visit grow sites to determine if companiesโ€™ existing cultivation practices fit their ethos, paying attention to details such as irrigation systems and lighting.

Once the product starts to hit store shelves, the Cookies team monitors what consumers say on social media and how theyโ€™re voting with their dollars, Cole added. Cookies fans have been known to line up around the block when the company announces product drops.

Ongoing Partnership

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the quality-control arm of Cookiesโ€™ sales team would travel to check on its partnersโ€™ operations. Now, Zoom fills that function, and Berner will often participate in the video calls and ask to see the flower up close.

โ€œItโ€™s a pretty entrenched process on both sides, and everyone is talking to each other,โ€ Cole said.

Spadafora agreed, adding that
the Veritas grow team and Cookies cultivators were โ€œgeeking out over humidity,โ€ for instance.

Spadafora said Veritas has allocated about 15% of its production to growing for Cookies, with the intention of ramping up to about 40%.

The deal the companies entered stipulates that Veritas will grow for Cookies for a set amount of time (the companies declined to disclose exactly how long) and then the partnership will be reevaluated.

More to Come

Spadafora said that although Veritas had already established itself as a premium flower brandโ€”one reason he believes Cookies wanted to work with his companyโ€”the cross-branding opportunities also bring a lot of value.

The Cookies name is featured the most prominently on the brandโ€™s Colorado-grown products, but it also notes that the cannabis inside was grown by Veritas. Thatโ€™s important in a more mature market, where the consumer wants to know where cannabis originates, Spadafora said.

โ€œCookies has done a great job giving Veritas credit,โ€ he said.

In the end, Spadafora said the relationship between the two businesses seems to be a good fit that goes beyond making money.

โ€œThis isnโ€™t just putting your name on something and collecting a check,โ€ he added.

Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/how-growers-can-execute-a-branding-deal/

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