The CBD market has grown significantly over the past couple years, catapulting new brands and products into the day-to-day lives of consumers. As this market has evolved, so have consumer behaviors and expectations. We have seen the evolution of consumer expectations for CBD in our brand health data. The market is maturing and trustworthiness, price, and product availability are now table stakes for brands looking to succeed. But how have the consumers evolved?
With any new market, there will be small segments of consumers that are ahead of the curve. They are passionate about hemp and its affiliated products and are significantly more likely to try products that come from the plant. As the market quickly grew, more defined consumer segments emerged, highlighting key demographic and usage behaviors of some of the most valuable CBD consumers. Here are a few of the largest CBD consumer segments:
Glam Users
Glam Users are individuals that tend to identify as female and spend $50 or more per CBD product. They primarily purchase edibles or topicals and make up about 55% of the US CBD market (as of Q1 2020). Glam Users align well to the overall wellness trends of CBD and the costs associated with new products in a new market. With 32% making over $75k per year, many people that fall in this segment can afford new, innovative products and regularly purchase them as part of a daily wellness routine. They are not particularly brand loyal but are likely to lean towards brands and products that fit their desire for a more luxurious lifestyle.
Daily Symptom Attackers
The Daily Symptom Attackers have chronic conditions where they use CBD regularly to mitigate pain or discomfort. About 50% of CBD consumers fall into Brightfield's criteria for a Daily Symptom Attacker, up from 33% in 2019. Nearly half of Daily Symptom Attackers are over the age of 40 and report having conditions such as Anxiety (58%), Depression (49%), Arthritis, (39%), among others. They prefer Edibles, such as CBD drinks, over any other product type with Other Medicinals, like tinctures, as a close second. As they age and continue to treat symptoms, they are looking to belong and have a strong foothold in a community. Despite mostly being Gen-X, a generation with a generally negative psychological profile, they are pretty positive and joyful. Health is a big focus of their life and is often reflected in their social media posts and who they follow.
Grassheads
Grassheads are individuals who report using cannabis daily and are also CBD consumers. They grew only slightly from 2019 and about 47% of CBD consumers fall into the criteria of this segment. Unlike Daily Symptom Attackers, Grassheads are significantly younger with 60% under the age of 40. They tend to skew male and are likely lower middle to middle class with 56% making between $20,000 and $75,000 per year. Unsurprisingly, most Grassheads have been using CBD for over a year. With frequent cannabis use, they are likely to be more aware and interested in products related to the cannabis plant. They care very much about the price of their CBD products with 73% ranking it as their top product attribute. They are confident and contemplative individuals and do have a pessimistic side to them.
Last updated: Q1'20
