Rehabbing a centuries old, 254-acre farm in coastal Maine might not be what you expect from someone with a background in private equity. But losing my mother to colon cancer 13 years ago set me on a mission to better understand how the world around us can affect our well-being.
This journey led me to discover the healing properties of hemp. Given the intimate connection between colon cancer and inflammation, I wanted to create a portfolio of truly effective products so that others might have better health experiences than what my family endured. But how could I educate consumers on a relatively new wellness category and connect with people who could benefit most?
Using CTV to tell my personal story was key.
Conveying a founding story and unique mission
I joined Prospect Farms because I believed that clean, scientifically proven cannabis could be extremely beneficial for one’s health and wellness. Our goal is to break through the crowded hemp and cannabis market by creating products that meet the highest quality standards supported by clinical research and an unwavering commitment to quality standards.
By the time the farm was up and running in 2018, there were already 3,600 cannabis wellness brands on the shelves. But very few of those products disclosed where their ingredients are grown, and many contain harmful additives and known cancer-causing agents. Brands in the vertical are abusing consumer ignorance by falsely presenting their products as clean or green when the ingredients are anything but.
Personalization drove incredible results for Prospect Farms, including 3.4 times sales in key markets.
To break through the noise, we knew we needed to strip away the marketing nonsense that exists in the space. How could we communicate our brand’s standout commitment to organic, regenerative farming principles and clean, effective ingredients? The narrative is too nuanced to convey with a simple display ad or Instagram tile. We wanted to build a more intimate relationship with the consumer because our products require trust.
Starting first with a line of CBD skin care products, we used CTV to communicate the unique value proposition of the farm at the center of our mission. The channel allowed for far more cost-efficiency and precision than an expensive campaign across the too-broad reach of linear TV. This opened up opportunities to educate consumers on the properties of the cannabis flower’s specific terpenes, which deliver targeted benefits.
To truly drive impact, we knew we had to tell our story to those who would be most receptive to it. We personalized our outreach by targeting cannabis-friendly consumers within the geographic locations where our products were available. We then re-invested in the highest-performing markets, enabling us to avoid wasting spend on locations where our message wasn’t resonating.
This level of personalization drove incredible results for our brand, including 3.4 times sales in key markets. Yes, from a business perspective, that’s great news. But what I find even more rewarding is that this likely led to thousands of lives being improved. We’ve come a long way from our humble beginnings in coastal Maine.
Exploring new verticals
Our goal has always been to help people and their families. And that includes four-legged family members. As one of the largest USDA-certified organic hemp farms in the country, Prospect Farms has expanded into pet products. Similar to skincare, the pet category is fraught with bad actors pumping their products full of cancer-causing additives.
Two-thirds of American households have companion animals, predominantly dogs and cats. But do people understand what they’re putting into their furry friends’ bodies?
The numbers convey a harrowing truth: 20 years ago, the average golden retriever lived to 15. Now, they’re only making it to 10 or 12 years old. The decreasing life expectancy of dogs is one of the biggest public health crises that no one is talking about. We are unknowingly exposing our pets to cancer-causing agents every day, and we often don’t see the damage until it’s too late.
Pet owners can be proactive in protecting their animals’ health with anti-inflammatory CBD products. We recognized the opportunity to carve out a niche in the pet category as not only an effective product but also a safe, trusted product in that space.
Once again, we had to get personal. We were fortunate to develop a partnership with Brooke Shields, a passionate animal advocate who had organically found her way to our products and experienced their benefits. Brooke has personal experience with the heartbreak of losing beloved pets to cancer, resulting in a deep commitment to helping pet owners keep their animals healthier for longer.
As a passionate celebrity voice of the brand and advocate for its values, Brooke is coming on board to launch a pet product line with Prospect Farms in July. CTV will be a meaningful part of our brand strategy, allowing us to present a compelling, engaging narrative that shares our story, mission, and products through a powerful celebrity voice.
With a figure of Brooke’s magnitude, we found it vital to have her passion for animals take center stage. A still or display ad wouldn’t do it justice, nor would it offer enough time or texture to relay what makes the brand unique.
Working with video gives us the space to present a living, breathing narrative. Plus, the precision and addressability of CTV will empower us to reach consumers living near the 400,000 storefronts in the U.S. that sell pet products, including the nearly 18,000 independent and neighborhood pet stores which is the core focus of the new pet line.
Catalyzing growth for nascent brands
This has always been personal for me. At Prospect Farms, we’ve seen firsthand the benefits of CBD and how it can change lives, literally. We believe in its healing power and think the rest of the world could greatly benefit from it. But for that to happen, we first need to educate and empower consumers.
That’s why I’m grateful for all the ways we’re doing that. Our story is being amplified and finding the audiences who care. What started in Maine is getting even bigger, and more people and pets will be helped by our mission. At the end of the day, that’s what matters most.
