6 Ways Lightning Labels Meets Cannabis Purveyor Needs
Company scores perfect 5.0 on Google for custom cannabis labels
Denver-based Lightning Labels has sold cannabis companies state-of-the-art affordable, full-color custom labels and custom stickers of all shapes and sizes for more than a decade. A pioneer when medical marijuana became legal in Colorado, Lightning Labels consistently has met the needs of this rapidly-evolving industry—fast turnaround, high quality, consummate customer service, compliance knowledge, and creative branding among them.
As the cannabis industry matures and grows across the country, competition and compliance expand right along with it. A homegrown label look and feel that worked early on has been replaced by sophistication, professionalism and creativity. Complying with ever-changing compliance requirements factor into the equation as well.
On the branding and competition front, a Forbes.com article addresses the challenge: “Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, foresees a highly competitive environment…an outburst of marketing and branding innovation…‘We will see very creative brand-building activities in the years to come. I anticipate that marketing investment will grow exponentially as companies work to carve out a leading position and capture value in an emerging market…It isn’t often that you see an entirely new market emerge on the scene, especially one where brands will play a key role. Many people first experienced cannabis as a[n] unbranded plastic bag. This is not likely to be the future state. Cannabis will become a market dominated by strong, vibrant brands.’”
With regard to cannabis compliance, it’s easy to miss something amid all the regulations—and often hard to fix. Labels sometimes get overlooked in the fray. Penney Pate, an account manager with Lightning Labels, helps make sure they don’t. She points out that a “key part of my job, which involves many customers in cannabis and vape, is to familiarize myself with industry standards, which change all the time.”
Another evolving area is the number of customers doing variable data and image printing. In some cases, individual serial numbers are required for tracking. Pate makes sure to fully familiarize customers with the flexibility and affordability of variable labeling as part of the ongoing educational process.
| Do your cannabis-based health & beauty labels stand out? Market demand for cannabis-based health and beauty products is growing by leaps and bounds. Cannabis Business Times predicted a five-year growth rate of 214% for cannabis-based beauty and skincare topicals. With new companies entering the marketplace every day, is your product ready for the competition? Are your cannabis health and beauty labels as premium-looking as they could be to stand out from the crowd? Here is some helpful information to get you started: Mainstream chain outlets opening up As legalization grows for cannabis and CBD, resulting in less stigma and more openness on the part of consumers, major chain retailers have been adding CBD products to store shelves. CVS, Walgreens and Sephora are some of the most notable chains coming onboard. For those who purchase their products at dispensaries, Brightfield said a typical outlet could carry over 150 different branded products. While health and beauty products represent only a portion of that, it is still a lot of merchandise to sort through when shopping. How to get your cannabis health products noticed When it comes to health and beauty, there is a wide spectrum of possibilities for your custom cannabis labels, ranging from discreet and understated to trendy, high-fashion looks. Design Milk highlighted on its website a few of the stand-out brands that are changing the cannabis retail landscape with their attractive, attention-getting packaging. Design Milk noted that the cannabis design revolution not only includes packaging but also extends to industrial design and interior decor. Even the way a store presents itself translates to successful sales. If you’re designing cannabis health product labels, Packaging Digest suggests keeping in mind several factors that contribute to on-the-shelf visibility: green color and ethos, leafy imagery, a focus on health, minimalist design and playing with stereotypes (employing a clever play on words or hinting at the cannabis counterculture of previous years). Other labeling steps you can take to achieve a more distinctive, premium look include: · Using gold or silver foil label stocks or metallic ink on conventional surfaces. · Considering unique typefaces – from thin, elegant sans serif fonts to stylish calligraphy or script faces. · Taking a cue from major fashion brands; give your cannabis beauty product labels a subtle, understated appearance that communicates luxury and mystique. · Employing extended content approaches to provide industry compliance labels – colorful, eye-catching branding on the surface, with required ingredient information and directions underneath the label. · Exploring other label stocks – transparent, eco-friendly, high gloss, water and oil-resistant to name just a few. When you’re getting your cannabis products ready for market, it’s a good idea to consult a supplier like Lightning Labels, which has experience with custom CBD product labels and years of expertise creating the kind of hard-working, attention-getting labels that produce results in a competitive retail environment. For more information, go to the Lightning Labels Cannabis Page. |
According to California cannabis client Elite Garden, which offers cost-effective and simple nutrient systems for high-yield crops including cannabis, Lightning Labels walks the talk across the board.
Elite spokesperson Patrick Borgerding notes, “With so many projects on the horizon, we’re happy to have such a strong working relationship with Lightning Labels. It helps us navigate the crazy world of packaging in the cannabis industry. Lightning Labels makes many of our labels, tamper evident stickers and promotional materials.”
Borgerding adds, “Our custom cannabis labels really pop. The foiled Tarantula labels and tamper evident labels all really come together to create a fantastic premium feel for our products. Our branding is one of our biggest assets and Lightning Labels helps bring it to life the way we envision. We’ve enjoyed our relationship with the sales team and have appreciated the quick turnaround on our custom cannabis label orders.”
| Vibrant high-definition labels • Low minimums ideal for limited edition or test runs • Thousands of sizes coupled with a wide variety of shapes and substrates • Premium materials • Variable data, variable imaging and consecutive numbering capabilities • Fast turnaround times that set the industry benchmark • Free printed press proofs (shipping charges apply) |
Quality, customer service and fast turnaround are primary criteria accounting for 97 percent positive Google reviews (4.8 out of 5) based on nearly 800 reviews. Ninety-percent of reviewers give Lightning Labels five-star ratings. The company scores a perfect 5.0 for custom cannabis labels, based on 61 reviews. This can prove extremely reassuring when time is short, money is tight and room for mistakes is non-existent.
| Making and keeping cannabis labels compliant If you’re a new company entering the cannabis market, you may have a lot of concerns over meeting different states’ regulations. At the same time, you want your cannabis labels to be as distinctive and competitive as possible in a rapidly-changing market. Here’s a quick tip: Marijuana vendors need to focus on the basics first before tackling the more creative challenges of creative labeling. Once that’s done, Lightning Labels can help develop and print an attention-grabbing custom label that not only provides the necessary information but also establishes a sophisticated brand image that stands out in a crowd. For more than 16 years, Lightning Labels has been providing cannabis companies turnkey resources for their entire product spectrum, both medical and recreational, including labels for cannabis oils, edibles, topicals, and other offerings. Two-point approach to compliant cannabis labels When creating cannabis products, there are two basic elements that need to appear on your packaging: · A primary panel featuring the name, product identity, and basic details like UPC symbols and weight or quantity. · A secondary, informational one that includes information like ingredients, instructions for use, expiration date and any other details needed to comply with individual state regulations. Compliance, on national, state and local levels is constantly evolving. Lightning Labels’ vast expertise in this field serves as a constant companion and safety net. Nitty gritty of navigating compliance While there are any number of white papers and policy documents addressing the specifics of cannabis labeling recommendations, such as the one put out by the National Cannabis Packaging and Labeling Standards Committee, this doesn’t have to be something as difficult as rocket science. Lightning Labels can help you deliver a variety of regulation-compliant labels that will get your products noticed in an increasingly crowded marketplace. That includes offering thousands of label sizes, various shapes and paper stocks. Special capabilities include variable data/imaging, bar codes, QR codes and consecutive numbering. There’s also easy online ordering, to make the label production process as smooth as possible. |
Following are 6 ways Lightning Labels helps meet the needs of both emerging and established cannabis purveyors:
- Fast turnaround on orders/re-orders. Lightning Labels established its reputation meeting tight deadlines for high quality, affordable labels customized to exact specs. These specs can include oil/water resistant premium labels, maximum durability, variable data, and variable imaging and consecutive numbering/ barcode. US-based operations help ensure timely delivery of labels done right.
- Easy, user-friendly ordering via robust online dashboard. Among dashboard feature and benefits are: Easy creation/saving/ongoing use of account profiles featuring detailed order information, and easy access to shipment tracking numbers, past-purchase tracking, simplified reordering, a quick link to initiate orders that aren’t straight re-orders, and ability to review approved artwork thumbnail.
- Low order minimums, maximum capacity and flexibility. Order 50 on up to 15 million. This provides maximum scalability for cannabis companies experiencing dynamic and variable demands.
- Personalized customer service and account management. Notes Director of Sales and Customer Service Gary Paulin, “Every customer has a dedicated account manager, who in turn is backed up by a fully staffed customer service team. More and more, we’re viewed by customers as packaging and labeling business consultants, helping to guide strategy and decision-making, all while maintaining fast turnaround and affordability.”
As part of a team charged with handling day-to-day account management, Pate points out that ability to order, auto-reorder, get proofs, track and approve easily online is a major enhancement. “It also allows me to do a daily review of accounts and make sure everything is on track—a major part of customer service,” she says. - Thousands of sizes, extensive choice of shapes, substrates, inks and special finishes. Another role of the account management team is to help cannabis clients winnow down choices based on their needs, wants and logistical requirements.
- Commitment to innovation and improvement. Lightning Labels was founded in 2002 on the principles of constant betterment, incessant innovation and fail-safe customer service. New technology is improving productivity while reducing the carbon footprint.
Prepress & Press Manager Larin Zamora notes, “Adding automation has made our lives easier by removing some of the repetitious work and helping us focus more on quality and reducing waste. Our capabilities have increased significantly as we’ve added equipment and employees over the past couple of years to maintain our turn times and produce a good product and meet the expectations of our customers.”
Paulin adds, “Our mentoring, training and team building initiatives have paid off big time,” notes Paulin, who has spent three decades educating and training business leaders in a variety of product arenas.
The company also is moving toward adoption of new digital label ID track-and-trace and augmented reality technologies that authenticate and follow every container for bullet-proof supply chain tracking and customer service updates, big benefits in the world of cannabis.
| CBD product labels: What do customers want to know? In the constantly evolving CBD marketplace, even as regulators keep revising rules, consumers continue buying products at an astounding rate. Information on many of the new CBD offerings, however, is inconsistent at best, and potentially misleading at times. For that reason, CBD marketers are being urged to adopt more uniform, accurate and responsible labeling practices – before legislators step in and enact laws to protect customers. The investment firm Cowen & Company reported that CBD retail sales in 2018 ranged between $600 million and $2 billion. By 2025, they estimated, that figure would rise to over $16 billion. With that kind of potential, it’s no wonder that companies are scrambling to get in on the CBD gold rush. If you’re planning on entering this market, or expanding your share of it, here are some helpful tips on CBD product labels to assure your sales success. · Is your CBD product label for a food or supplement? New Hope Network advises you to pick the right label category. If your product is a capsule, soft gel or oral spray, it should be a supplement label. For oil drops, if you list the number of drops for a serving size, then the product is also a supplement. But if you’re dealing with foods or beverages, the container and serving sizes will help determine the label. Is the product intended to be consumed all at once? If not, the product probably needs to be labeled as a supplement. In that case, New Hope suggests following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines for cannabis and cannabis-derived products. · Vital information on the front of the CBD product label. New Hope also recommends paying special attention to the front of the package. Customers want to know net weight or volume, capsule or tablet count, statement of identity (herbal supplement, for example) and the amount of nutrient the product contains (such as 15 mg of CBD per serving). · Assurance the CBD is authentic. Hemp Industry Daily reported on a movement in some states toward inserting a special code to guarantee the origin of the CBD and its potency. For example, after an incident in which dozens of Utah residents were sickened by synthetic CBD products, the state is urging producers to include a label code that proves the product is legal. To accomplish that, you’ll need a method for printing CBD product labels customized with the code or other information. · Clarify the claims. If you have any doubts whether descriptions of product benefits meet state or federal guidelines, check what the FDA states in its Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide. Finally, as you keep up with the latest regulations and consumer trends, you’ll also want to obtain assistance from firms like Lightning Labels, which has extensive experience with custom CBD product labels and years of expertise printing the kind of attention-getting labels that produce results in a competitive retail environment. |
About Lightning Labels
Lightning Labels is a Denver-based label printer offering state-of-the-art affordable, full-color custom labels and custom stickers of all shapes and sizes to cannabis purveyors for more than a decade. They offer many options for materials and laminates and special effects to achieve digital short-run requirements (50 minimum) on up to 15 million labels, plus Lightning fast delivery. For more information and to place orders online, visit LightningLabels.com. For the latest in packaging news and labeling promotional offers, find Lightning Labels on, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@LightningLabels), Pinterest, and LinkedIn. To reach out to Director of Sales and Customer Service Gary Paulin directly: 720.526.4750; gary.paulin@lightninglabels.com.
