Branding and website for a start-up cannabis testing lab in Oklahoma.
Abraxas Labs is a scrappy cannabis testing laboratory that is piloted by a small team of dedicated scientists that have the vision to set a new standard for their industry.
The lab didn’t know how to start building a brand. Being a startup, they hadn’t had time to focus. They were spitballing their marketing and messaging, taking steps in all directions, and getting nowhere. I was brought in to work with the team and bring out a unified persona for the company, create focus and clarity, and create a game plan for their future efforts.
In an industry where all the labs compete on price and use the same language in their marketing, how could they stand out? Differentiation.
Challenge
Establish a brand foundation that could support all marketing and messaging for Abraxas Labs. Create a brand strategy and messaging framework that anyone could use—not just a trained marketing person. Demonstrate those tools to the Abraxas team by using them to create the lab’s first marketing push to raise awareness and announce the grand opening.
Outcome
The results of our strategy sessions and research led us to focus on differentiation. By harnessing the CEO’s insane drive to make a difference in the cannabis industry and dismissive attitude to the status quo, Abraxas Labs looks and sounds nothing like the competition. The lab had early sign-ups for special offers and inquiries for business long before the doors officially opened.
Scope of Project
Brand Strategy
Copywriting Framework
Email Campaign
Website Wireframe
Copy for Website
Brand Bible (usage guide)
“Russell listened to us and was flexible in our ever-evolving start-up process. He got to know our story, then created a product that was personalized—truly us.”
— Megan Calahan • Lab Manager
Finding the gaps in an oversaturated market to position the brand.
I facilitated a two-part strategy workshop to clarify the lab’s positioning, identify their ideal customers, determine a direction for the branding, audit the competition, and list any objections potential customers would have to do business with Abraxas Labs. This process showed us an unoccupied space within the cannabis testing market: Honesty. The cannabis industry was new to Oklahoma but there had already been multiple shutdowns from labs issuing dishonest test results. Still, the competition's marketing was flooded with the same empty messaging of “accuracy” and “innovation.” Despite Abraxas Labs having a true claim to accuracy and innovation (being one of the only labs led by a PhD), we positioned them as the honest and transparent lab. This positioning demonstrates accuracy rather than simply talking about it like the competition. A commitment to accurate results, good or bad, proves their scientific rigor and builds trust with customers.
Defining the details of the ideal customer makes it easier to find them and offer them value.
The Abraxas Labs team imagined a desirable future where they had a few select customers on a subscription, allowing the lab to provide these customers with tailored services. The lab's ideal customer was large enough to benefit from a customized and efficient testing service while also being able to afford it. To create a customer profile, we identified the owners of the largest grow farms and defined their goals, desired outcomes, problems, and objections. This customer profile allows Abraxas Labs to have a laser focus on how they can better serve their ideal customer to achieve their desired future.
Brand traits and a brand personality that reflects the CEO’s attitude.
The strongest brands are embodied by their leadership. Abraxas Labs CEO’s attitude and drive for innovative processes inspired us to define the brand personality with the archetype of Creator/Outlaw. This was the perfect archetype for such a creative, scientific, and disruptive mind. The Creator archetype is driven by innovation while the Outlaw archetype desires revolution. With the personality established, we created the entire foundation for the brand to build up from: Vision, Mission, Values, Tone, Voice, etc.
“The tools we received will be a guide to continue growing from and the framework Russell left us will be beneficial in writing brand-related messaging in the future.”
— Megan Calahan • Lab Manager
