Trying to promote CBD brands is always a bit of a challenge for marketers and retailers, more so than most other products. For customers, reading opinions like this MedTerra review are better ways to determine which brands are worth their money.
While CBD – and cannabis products, in general – have come a long way in the last few years in terms of acceptance, they are still maddeningly difficult to advertise.
Here’s why we should also try to be a bit more open-minded when it comes to hemp brand promotion.
The First Big Problem – Consumers Are Pretty Skeptical About CBD
Even though CBD and cannabis products are no longer the feared substance that they used to be, that doesn’t mean that society as a whole has completely accepted them.
It used to be the case that no one would dare to buy cannabis products, either out of fear of the legality or because of societal pressure.
While it is a lot better these days, there is an ever-present, lingering skepticism surrounding anything related to cannabis.
This isn’t to say that people don’t trust CBD at all – in fact, the use of these products has only increased in the last decade. However, when it comes to attempts to promote them, cannabidiol products are generally held to a much higher standard than other types of products.
This means that hemp brands have to work much harder and be a lot more careful when it comes to promotions. A CBD brand needs to work much harder than a conventional food or drink brand at getting any potential consumers interested in their products.
Of course, this fear isn’t limited to consumers; it also affects the government and laws as well.
The Ever-Present Legal Issue
The legality of CBD has been long contested all across the world, but it is now, finally, mostly considered legal.
This doesn’t mean that these brands can rest easy, though – there is still so much that they have to worry about.
For starters, every different locality has different requirements when it comes to the level of allowable THC within CBD products.
This means that cannabidiol brands need to be really confident about where they ship their products to, as well as the specific THC concentration within each product.
This makes it hugely difficult for a CBD brand to be consistent in their promotional material, especially when they need to change their marketing for different regions.
Despite the fact that it is nominally legal in many places in the Western world, there is always the fear that the government might suddenly restrict them or shut them down.
There have been far too many cases of manufacturers and brands being arrested for having a large quantity of cannabis on hand, despite it being legal. Even being legally in the right doesn’t make getting arrested any easier.
It doesn’t stop there, though – there are even laws restricting CBD products’ advertisement as well.
Restrictions on Advertising CBD
The USA is probably the most tricky nation to configure CBD advertising and legalization around, primarily because of both its strict requirements of fair play and its dim view of cannabis in general.
The FTC, the Fair Trade Commission, is the main problem, and they are frequently pulling up these brands for their advertisements. A common complaint is that advertisements or branding are deceptive, often without an apparent reason.
Though the FTC has clear guidelines on deceptive practices, these brands are constantly running afoul of them no matter what they do.
This means that a CBD brand has to not only conform to local laws with their products, as well as reassuring potential customers, but also watch out for advertising rules as well.
Final Thoughts: What Makes Promoting Different CBD Brands So Difficult?
Every cannabidiol brand needs to carefully watch every move they make when promoting their products. Whether it is conforming to specific THC requirements or combing over the exact wording of their promotional material, it is not an easy job for CBD brands these days.
While it is always good to encourage accountability from brands, especially in newer niches like CBD, it is still super tricky.
Try and give your favorite hemp brand some slack the next time they release seemingly odd promotional material. They might just be struggling with everything that is expected of them.
