So you’ve cultivated stellar bud, packed some perfect pre-rolls, and secured the retail space to show it off. Now it’s time to rack up those conversions and build your customer base! The only question is, how do you stand out as a brand and grab the attention necessary to make those sales?

As the cannabis market continues to grow, so does the competition. When it comes to choosing between strains and brands, first impressions are built by the senses, particularly sight and touch. It’s crucial that customers are not only equipped to recognize your product for what it is, but that they are also able to make positive inferences about the hard work and intentionality that went into crafting it. In a sea of tightly packed counters and shelves, Point-Of-Purchase displays can be the perfect way to make your pre-rolls “POP.”

As outlined by The Balance, “One research study conducted by Brigham Young University found that displays with signs outperformed displays without signs by 20 percent. That means that sales of the items with signs were 20 percent higher than the sales of the items without signs.

Even more incredible was the fact that regular priced merchandise (not on sale) outperformed sale or clearance priced merchandise by 18 percent when it was signed and the sale items were not.”

They follow-up by pointing out that a large portion of purchases — upward of 70% — aren’t decided upon until the customer is actually in the store. So how do you capitalize on this proven sales tactic?

Pre-Roll Packaging

Pre-Roll packaging is key to keeping your pre-rolls safe and fresh in the retail space, however, choosing a tube without fully considering its potential means missing out on a cost-effective marketing opportunity!

While not all states allow clear tubes, the ones that do give sellers the ability to show off their product both inside and out. Like a jewelry display or a case at a museum, customers will be encouraged to carefully examine the qualities of the pre-roll(s) inside. This is especially useful for brands that choose to customize their filters, tips, or papers, as well as those who incorporate additional value-props, such as a kief coating.

The colors, opacity, and materials can all be customized to ensure you’re making the most out of that extra surface-area.

Colored tubes are a great option for those who want or need to keep their packaging opaque. Stand out with something bright, “wow” with a metallic coating, or tie your branding components together with a custom color-match! With such a wide array available, you also have the opportunity to choose multiple options so customers can distinguish between different products and strains at a distance (indica, sativa, and hybrid, for example).

When it comes to pre-roll tube, there are several tube sizes to accommodate a variety of multi-packs. In addition to the standard single pre-roll tube, there is also wide and extra wide. Wide pre toll tubes can accommodate 3 upward-facing joints or up to 5, if nested in alternating directions. Similarly, the extra wide stands ready to hold anywhere from 5 to 7.

Is your brand on a mission to minimize its footprint? If so, eco-friendly tubes may be a great way to reinforce your message (and serve as an additional selling point). Much like the variety of colors and sizes, companies can choose from a wide range of options from sustainable tubes made from recycled ocean plastics to glass and cork pre roll tubes!

A premium product deserves premium packaging. In fact, anything less can de-value your high-quality smokes! Glass tubes are a great option for those looking to elevate their packaging beyond the common “doob tube.” Create an artisanal look with a cork top or ensure security with a child-resistant cap — either way, the tactile value of glass wares will surely elevate both your product and price-point.

Enticing Labels

Take your tubes to the next level with a custom pre roll tube label that clearly showcases what your brand is all about. When scanning the shelves, customers are looking for something that stands apart, especially when considering a product they’ve never tried before. You can easily create brand recognition with a bold logo, recognizable colors, and unique design components. Your label is your billboard; utilize creative services and make the most of it!

Label placement can be just as important as the content when it comes to informing consumer experience, even if you’re working within standard/stock sizes. For example, choosing a label that fully envelops your tube means more surface area on which to design and print. You can do so knowing that you’ll be fully utilizing your tube’s real estate from top to bottom! Conversely, a shorter label that leaves part of the tube exposed can showcase a custom color treatment or provide customers a window through which to view of your pre-roll, should you choose a clear tube.

Want to show off your custom tube color and/or have seamless integration between your packaging, product, and artwork? A clear label may be the right fit! Perfect for showing off coatings and infusions, custom pre-roll branding, or the enticing qualities of palm leaf blunts (like our Cordia and Toasted Tendu options), clear labels allow ample opportunity to play around with negative space and design in a way that interacts with or otherwise emphasizes the product inside!

Much like the aforementioned full-coverage labels, custom branded shrink sleeves are a great way to guarantee you’re making the most of the space available to you. They snugly wrap over both the lid and the base, covering the entire tube and providing extra room for artwork and important product information. Best of all, shrink sleeves’ tight seal and perforation make them tamper-evident so you can provide your customers with peace-of-mind without having to invest in additional packaging components.

Peel-back labels are ideal for those in states with long lists of required call-outs, warnings, and other verbiage. Why lose out on precious branding space when you can layer-up and double your content area? With their “read and re-apply” construction, users can easily access the underlying information and lay the label back down without degrading the integrity of the packaging or encountering sticky residue.

If you’re looking to add a little extra oomph to your label, look no further than specialty printing! Get that sleek black-on-black effect with a UV spot gloss, add some texture by embossing/debossing, or embellish with a metallic foil. Your tubes will have no problem standing out in both appearance and feel with any one of these elements, though they can also be combined into something ultra-sophisticated with the help of experienced designers and printers. We make this easy at Custom Cones USA by offering creative services along with our wide array of products for a fully-integrated, all-in-one experience!

POP Display Boxes

So you’ve worked hard to make sure your pre-rolls are branded, packaged, and labeled to perfection. Now it’s time to make the most of your resources as you assemble your products and send them out to their new home: the dispensary shelves! Make no mistake, in a retail store crammed with similar merchandise, everything from the materials used to display your product to the boxes they ship in can serve an additional marketing opportunity.

Shipper displays are the best of both worlds when it comes to shipping and shelf presence. Their ability to keep your pre-rolls safe during transport AND provide an effective, stand-out way to showcase your product makes them both convenient and budget-friendly. Not only will they make your life easier as you send your product out to retail, but dispensary staff will appreciate the simple, direct translation from box to shelf.

Drawer-style boxes are perfect for on-the-counter displays and quick grab-and-go purchases. Their open construction ensures that your product is easily accessible and self-stocking, so long as the container remains filled. They are a great way to get more eyes on your branding/product and secure those last minute impulse purchases!

No matter which variety of box you choose, you can always take it to the next level with a custom die-cut! These punch out/pop-up shapes provide endless opportunities to incorporate special designs that speak to your brand and help you stand apart from the rest without incorporating extra materials. Think about a die-cut as a tall person flagging someone down in a big crowd — all eyes will be drawn to your box first with its unique style and added height!

Much like with labels and other printed items, specialty inks and techniques can be applied to the surface of your displays to embellish and elevate their feel/quality. Easily curate a cohesive product line by incorporating the same UV spot glosses, textures, metallic foils, etc. across all aspects of your brand! At Custom Cones USA, we’re here to help you do just that: concept, design, and produce multiple components under one roof with guaranteed quality and uniformity.

Vendor Days

Looking to meet your customers face-to-face and further promote your stellar pre-roll products in-store? Vendor days are the way to go, especially if you bring some cool swag or treats to give away! As suggested by Leafly, “A great way to ensure that folks remember your event and your brand is to deck them out in branded merchandise…the possibilities are endless, so long as there’s no cannabis product involved. Customers love freebies, and giveaways can help encourage them to return to your business.”

Popular items that don’t directly involve cannabis include rolling paper booklets, branded glass or wood tips, and variety/sample packs of unfilled pre-rolled cones. You can print, brand, and decorate all of the above to your hearts content when working with Custom Cones USA — we’re here to help you take your vendor day freebies from generic to “Whoa, where’d you get that?”

Branded Store Merch

In addition to customer-facing swag, ample marketing opportunities lie in the production and distribution of dispensary-specific merch. Retail spaces will happily utilize things like signage and mats for the floor and counter, as well as freebies for their staff, such as lanyards and lighters. Next time you’re in-store, whether it’s for a vendor day or just to check out how your product looks on the shelves, be sure to bring along some cool, branded items to distribute to the store/staff. It fills a utilitarian need for them and works as low-cost advertising for you! Bonus points if that merch is curated to coordinate with your other designs and branded components — tubes, labels, boxes, booklets, and all!

We know you know how valuable your pre-rolls are, how much care you’ve put into the bud inside, and how well they smoke. However, all of that can get lost on shelves densely packed with other similar products. A well thought out merchandising plan that incorporates stand-out packaging and displays helps bridge that gap by showing customers the thought and care behind your product from the outside in. The more present and recognizable your product(s) and brand are in the retail spaces that sell them, the faster you’ll gain brand recognition and those highly-valuable return customers! Don’t sell yourself short (literally) by neglecting the free billboard space that’s available to you, rather, seek consult from a full-service company who will help you do it right. From tip to tube and beyond, The Pre-Roll Experts at Custom Cones USA are here to ensure you’re utilizing every chance you have to put your best foot forward — contact us today to see how we can best help you elevate your brand to the heights it deserves!

This content was sponsored by Custom Cones – The #1 provider of pre-rolled cones in The United States.