Marketing CBD Products
CBD seems to be everywhere you look these days. From a marketing perspective, it is probably the most exciting product I’ve seen in years. Scientific research shows that CDB has some amazing benefits, but the problem is, you can’t talk about these benefits in any of your packaging or marketing materials. This is tightly regulated by both the FTC and the FDA.
These challenges remind me of what it was like in the early days of vitamin and supplement marketing many years ago and there are some lessons that can be followed from that experience.
First, I’ll start with the things you can’t do when it comes to marketing CBD products.
-You cannot make health claims about CBD products. Any sort of health claim may be considered misleading by the FDA and FTC and could lead to trouble.
-You can’t make structure-function health claims. You can’t say things like “eliminates wrinkles, strengthens joints and improves memory.”
-You can’t make disease claims. You can’t claim that CBD will “reduce pain, treat depression or cure eczema or reduce rosacea.”
Now, here are some things that you can do when marketing CBD products.
-You can use words related to temporary states or emotions.
Words related to temporary emotions are generally permissible, as long as they do not imply disease prevention or treatment. They may also help you tell a story about your product that the customer will understand without feeling misled or overpromised. You can say things like, “Supports uplifted mood”, “Eases stress”, “Supports focus”, “Targets irritability.”
-You can use Puffery.
Puffery refers to advertising language that is highly vague or highly subjective, and therefore not threatening to the consumers well-being. For this reason, the FTC does not pursue companies that utilize puffery in their labels and marketing materials. You can say things like, “The best CBD oil ever”, “Soothing”, “Calming”, “Relaxing”, “Relieving”, “Invigorating.”
-You can use Cosmetic Claims.
Cosmetic claims relate to language about beautifying one’s outer appearance without affecting the structure or function of the body. Cosmetic claims for CBD products do not need pre-approval or post-approval by the FDA, but the product must be safe for use, and its claims cannot be misleading. You can say things like, “Improves the appearance of wrinkles”, “Balances uneven skin tone”, “Smooths and resurfaces”, “For dry, rough skin”, “Helps tighten and firm.”
I have been in the direct to consumer marketing business for over 25 years and I have never come across a product as exciting and with more opportunity than CBD. Creating public awareness of the amazing benefits of CBD while conforming to the strict guidelines set by the FDA and FTC is a challenge that I’m looking forward to!
About: Entrepreneur, Author, Keynote speaker and D2C Marketing Strategist, Rick Cesari enjoys working with and learning from other entrepreneurs and small business owners. He has been a pioneer in the Direct to Consumer (D2C) marketing industry for over 25 years. He has used direct response strategies plus video marketing, to help build many iconic brands, products like, The Juiceman, Sonicare, The George Foreman Grill, The GoPro camera, and many others. Rick’s strategies have helped grow four companies from start-ups to over a billion dollars in sales. These case studies are outlined in his book, Building Billion Dollar Brands. His third book, Video Persuasion, teaches people how to use video and authentic testimonials to grow their business and brand. Rick currently resides in Snoqualmie, WA.
