Developing Brand Identities with Deep Roots

NorCal Cannabis (NCC) is a vertically integrated cannabis company, spanning the industry from “seed-to-sale” through production, brand development, distribution, and retail storefronts. Its mission is to bridge the strong roots and rich heritage of the cannabis industry with the bright future and unlimited potential now available to companies that fully understand the intricacies of the business.

It is also the parent company of premium cannabis brands including Big Al’s Exotics, lolo, My Sister, Occidental Hills, and 1Lyfe.

NorCal Cannabis wanted to define distinct brand identities for each of their subsidiaries, but they were struggling to speak to such diverse audiences while maintaining their own brand’s authority as an industry leader.

Each year, cannabis businesses and industry enthusiasts from across the country gather atHall of Flowers, the country’s premier B2B cannabis trade show.

In 2019, NorCal Cannabis (NCC)set out to make a splash at this event with the launch of their 5 newest brands: Big Al’s Exotics, lolo, My Sister, Occidental Hills, and 1Lyfe.

With only a month to prepare, NCC hired me to fine-tune their marketing materials and build out the brand messaging for each of their subsidiaries. Each brand was based on a different concept, each of which was meant to appeal to a half-baked buyer persona.

My challenge was to paint a crystal clear picture of each of these buyer personas, then find the language to make each brand’s voice resonate with its target audience. All the while, NCC wanted to establish its own brand as an industry leader through authoritative content.

Distinct buyer personas and brand messaging frameworks for each of NCC’s subsidiaries.

creating band books that included voice, tone, and style guidelines for each subsidiary, as well as protocols for content creation & photography

creating sales enablement brochures to empower reps with the key differentiators and language to distinguish each brand

marketing decks for each subsidiary, to be displayed and distributed at Hall of Flowers

a complete rewrite of all product descriptions & websites to align with newly established brand guidelines

Clear and concise messaging frameworks both for internal and external communications, as well as authoritative content to establish NCC’s thought leadership

creating a messaging framework that detailed how the company would refer to itself and its subsidiaries, as well as the stories it would tell to weave these brands together on social & other channels

developing a marketing deck detailing NCC’s many ventures, to be presented at Hall of Flowers

an internal employee handbook to keep everyone up to speed on the rapidly evolving brand ecosystem

white papers and articles to establish NCC’s authority in the field

With all our marketing materials in hand and brand voices clearly defined, Hall of Flowers was a huge success.

NorCal Cannabis was able to successfully launch all 5 subsidiary brands and received immediate placement in some of the Bay Area’s best dispensaries.

Today, NCC continues to build the most impactful cannabis ecosystem in California. Yielding upwards of over twelve tons of product annually, a growing network of retail locations, and an expanding portfolio of brands, NCC is proudly shaping the industry in new ways, every day.