Wellness vs. Performance Brand Positioning For CBD Brands

Key Findings

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CBD brands typically portray two distinct brand identities: 

• “Mind, Body & Soul” brand identity where they focus on mental health and stress relief. Skews heavily female (80%)
• “Physical Health & Well-Being” where they focus on pain relief and overall physical health. Skews male (61%)
  

Brands in the “Mind, Body, & Soul” category focus on: 

• Stress relief and anxiety reduction
• Content is centered around uplifting thoughts, quotes about happy lifestyles, and relatable memes
• Work with wellness, beauty, and lifestyle influencers
• Collaborate with local brands for contests & giveaways
  

Brands in the “Physical Health & Well-Being” category focus on: 

• Communicating the physical benefits of CBD usage
• Content is centered around usage benefits, new products, and brand ambassadors
• Leverage athletes and trainers as ambassadors‍

‍What Brands Should Be Thinking About

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Determine which brand identity you fall under and how you can differentiate yourself from your closest competitors: Most brands are posting similar content, with the same overall brand aesthetic making it harder for consumers to choose a CBD brand. ‍

Create content relevant to audience interests: Based on the intended target audience, when creating content, find ways to insert Elements of Green into the conversation relevant to either the Mind, Body, and Soul category (quotes, uplifting thoughts, memes), or the Physical Health & Pain Relief category (usage benefits, new product releases, and relevant athletes/ambassadors).

Within the CBD industry, most brands fall under two categories:

Brands that focus on mental well-being tend to focus on stress relief and anxiety with an overall feminine aesthetic. 

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The top performing content categories for mental health and wellness focused brands this year have been lifestyle quotes, uplifting thoughts, and memes relating to everyday life. 

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Influencer types that brands in this category most often work with tend to be focused on personal wellness, beauty & lifestyle, and motherhood.

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In addition to influencer partnerships, these brands often engage in collaborations with brands in the fashion or food industry to host giveaways and contests to increase brand reach.  

Brands that focus on physical health and pain relief tend to have a product-focused feed with an overall nature and outdoor theme.

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The top performing content categories for physical health-focused brands are product shots with benefits listed, new product releases, and content featuring brand ambassadors and user-generated content. 

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Brands focused on the physical benefits of CBD usage most often partner with influencers in the fitness and sport categories - such as fitness trainers, professional athletes, and fitness models.

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When comparing audience demographics, the audience focused on mental health and wellness skews heavily female, and is slightly older, on average, than the physical health audience.