After five years of working with Blue Sky Hemp Ventures, a leading wholesale hemp producer, Ali & Able, and Swank were introduced to one of Blue Sky’s hemp ingredient customers. Hilltop Farms aimed to launch a retail hemp food line, with a vision of evolving it into a comprehensive hemp lifestyle brand that would include innovative hemp-based foods, textiles, homewares, and more. As avid hemp enthusiasts ourselves, we jumped at the opportunity.
Ali & Able and Swank spearheaded the brand's inception, providing the name, logo, brand guidelines, and packaging design, supported by a comprehensive go-to-market strategy. From this brief, the Plant + People brand emerged with the goal of making hemp friendly, approachable, and easily incorporated into real life—a feature currently lacking in the hemp food category. Drawing from years of experience in the hemp industry, we advised on brand and product development based on robust consumer insights and a solid understanding of grocery category managers' needs and wants.
The initial focus was on a product line of hemp foods, laying the foundation for future expansion. The brand aspires to grow into a holistic hemp lifestyle brand, showcasing the versatility, sustainability, and overall awesomeness of hemp in various aspects of everyday life. The initial product line included a cold-pressed, omega-rich hemp seed oil, a super-versatile clarified hemp seed oil, a hemp pancake batter, cookie mix, and a personal favourite—a chocolate hemp spread. Think Nutella, only nut-free, lunchbox-friendly, and with half the sugar and double the nutrients!
Ali & Able and Swank collaborated to create an extensive brand and go-to-market strategy, encompassing a distinct brand language, key positioning, and targeted product development recommendations. For the initial sell-in phase, we developed the brand, brand language, sales brochure, trade stand, product packaging mock-ups, website splash page, and social media assets. The brand strategy included comprehensive plans for trade launch, grocery activation, social media engagement, digital marketing, public relations initiatives, and additional support mechanisms to successfully introduce the brand to both consumers and key decision-makers within the grocery channel.
With a commitment to innovation, education, and sustainability - and a good dose of friendly fun - we’re excited to see how the Plant & People brand develops. We truly believe that the world needs more hemp, and brands like Plant + People are pivotal in making hemp more accessible to mainstream customers. Plant + People has it's work cut out for it and we’re excited to be part of the story.
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