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Emblem launches first recreational cannabis brand

By Josh Kolm
July 12, 2018

Cannabis producer Emblem has launched Symbl, its first adult-use recreational brand.

While Symbl is separate from the Emblem brand that will continue to be used in the medical cannabis market, Maria Guest, who joined Emblem as its CMO in April, says they are part of the same “brand family” and was built on many of the same values, namely approachability and education.

“The positioning for Symbl is really about owning and championing curiosity,” Guest says. “It’s such a rich territory, given the growing curiosity and interest Canadians have about cannabis and legalization right now, both among new and seasoned consumers. There’s a lot to take in, and we really want to play a key role and help them navigate through that process.”

Education is a major focus for many brands in the cannabis space, from producers to retailers, as they look to “demystify” cannabis and guide customers to the product that’s right for them.

Guest says that while other brands are “playing” in the curiosity and education space, Symbl is differentiating by going down the route of what she calls “purposeful curiosity”: being more proactive in inviting Canadians to learn more about cannabis, answering questions and inspiring their curiosity about how it might fit within their current lifestyle. Symbl’s launch comes with its own campaign, dubbed “Get Curious,” which includes experiences and activations such as launching a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as an age-gated microsite, where it will be sharing content and providing information to potential customers.

“We’re not just sitting passively,” Guest says. “We’re actively trying to invite people to come on in so we can help them figure things out and inspire them to learn more and navigate the industry.”

Guest says Symbl’s positioning is based heavily on the kinds of values that have supported the development of Emblem as a medical brand.

“Emblem is a really thoughtful brand that has really connected on the patient and medical side,” Guest says. “I think we’ve been very actively trying to connect with patients, but also deliver more of an experience for them. It’s been so relatable and approachable because we’ve really demonstrated that we understand cannabis and people. That was the connection and that’s what we’re going to bring on the Symbl side of things.”