Edibles Branding
Creativity is afoot in Canadian cannabis edibles! Despite the strict regulations on packaging, dosing, and promoting edibles in Canada, companies are doing all they can to create memorable brand experiences for the consumer.
Branding the Shape of Chews
Soft chews have emerged as the most popular type of edible in Canada. Restrictions on edibles with potential appeal to children left many brands offering soft chews in simple flavors and square, rectangular, or spherical shapes. However, other brands got creative and are taking full advantage of the versatility the gummy format provides.
Soft chews are sold in simple pouches, with branding limited to the brand’s logo and the color of the bag. Limitations on the outside of the pouch led some brands to brand inward, adding elements of their brand to the soft chew itself.
Redecan’s Redebles are shaped as a crown - the brand’s logo - while Spinach’s SOURZ are dual-colored S-shaped chews. Similarly, Chüz offers its Blendz packs as ü-shaped soft chews. Instead of customers opening a bag of generically cubed chews, these brands deliver their branding to consumers up until the very moment of consumption.
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Fantastic Flavors
While some brands want you to remember them by sight, other soft chews brands are distinct in flavor. So far in 2022, Canadian consumers have enjoyed a greater variety of flavors on shelf. The top five flavors for non-chocolate candies held a 45% share of shelf in December 2021 – In July 2022, the top five hold a 36% share.
So, what flavors gained distribution? Lime and Root Beer flavored soft chews both rose in share of shelf over the last 6 months. Brands offering these flavors include Wana’s Strawberry Lime 1:1 Soft Chews and Shred’ems Pop!’s Root Beer Blast Soft Chews.
It’s imperative for soft chews brands not to leave a bad taste in the customer’s mouth – literally. By offering popular, well-crafted flavors, brands are establishing themselves as tasty and trendy rather than a distillate-flavored flop.
Brand Highlight: Sunshower by Dynaleo
Sunshower boldly calls itself “Canada’s best tasting infused gummy.” It asserts consumers will enjoy a mouth-watering experience with no cannabis aftertaste with its range of naturally-flavored gummies. The brand offers tried-and-true flavors like watermelon lemonade, as well as an eye-catching spicy dill pickle-flavored soft chew. Sunshower gained distribution over the first half of 2022, breaking into the top 20 edibles & drinks brands by nationwide distribution in June 2022.
