Building a Brand in a Pandemic
OMG provides organically grown cannabis to the awesome people of Portland, Maine. A locally owned dispensary keen on community, quality, and sustainability.
Services provided
Strategy
Messaging
Identity Design
Content Creation
Merch Design
the challenge
Shai was closing on a lease for a dispensary. The quarantine had just started, and COVID was forcing a nationwide lockdown.
the outcome
To boost awareness and recognition, we created a visual identity that promoted marketing efforts and an online presence.
The results
$11,500 in first month sales
Over 1,000 monthly site visits
4.9 Weedmaps rating
Portland, Maine opened a fresh round of adult-use cannabis applications.
Shai, a recent grad and a new father, had a personal grow and bulk buyers.
He dreamed of turning his passion into a store, and wanted to launch a retail spot.
There were already four dispensaries in the area.
If he was going to stand out, he needed to be different.
Early in the project, we imagined what his business could be.
the problem
We had many conversations to discuss his vision.
We defined his goals, identified his customers, and established a creative direction through a series of Zoom calls.
But...
Without a physical store for face-to-face interactions, and with the lockdown in full effect, how would he connect with people?
How would they even know his dispensary was there?
Exploring logo concepts. I thought I had something with the halo. I was trying to highlight the purity of something grown organically.
The Solution
Leveraging the power of social media, we created a content strategy to reach the public.
By sharing actionable advice, valuable information, and funny stories, OMG is able to inspire, educate, and entertain their audience.
This helps the brand build awareness, communicate its values, and create a strong bond with its customers.
Not only does this enrich people’s understanding of OMG, it also helps them feel connected.
Three main principles: environmental sustainability, fostering connections, and providing top-notch cannabis.
The conclusion
In less than a year, OMG has made over $200k in sales. Their site gets about a thousand visits a month, and they’ve delivered to over 1500 happy customers.
They currently have 3 full-time employees, a couple hundred subscribers to their OMG VIP community, and have partnered with a dozen local companies.
The pandemic, as well as licensing issues, have hampered the store opening. As of December 2020, the location is undergoing construction.
Still, OMG is already a serious player in the market.
Their customer service has garnered them a loyal following.
Their online presence has given them an advantage before even opening the store.
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