Writing Cannabis Product Descriptions

Product descriptions are one of the most important aspects for Canadian Licensed Producers when it comes to branding and marketing. Product descriptions are used in a variety of applications including provincial board listings, retail-focused messaging, websites, email marketing and social media. As an LP brand, you need to ensure the quality and consistency of your product descriptions across all platforms. This article will detail the steps it takes to write descriptions along with all of the important factors to consider.

Why do Product Descriptions Matter?

Product descriptions are vital for both B2B and B2C communications. When consumers purchase cannabis online, they are not able to use their senses to determine the quality (they cannot physically smell, touch, smoke or examine the bud). The only way for a consumer to learn more about a product when purchasing online is by reading the product description and viewing any attached images. The way you describe your product can clearly lead to an increase or decrease in sales directly through provincial board websites.

Retailers and budtenders need support through product education and information to successfully sell your products to their customers. Retailers will frequently pull descriptions from LPs for their own marketing campaigns, so make sure they are equipped with the proper intel. Retailers often train their staff to sell products based on the descriptions entered into the provincial database. For these reasons, LPs need to ensure that their product descriptions are both quality and consistent across trade marketing materials, product education sessions, owned online resources (website and social) and provincial board listings.

Data from the Ontario Cannabis Store tell us that:

1. Customers rate product descriptions as very important
2. Most customers say they make key purchasing decisions based off descriptions
3. The most highly-cited difficulty for consumers when buying is lack of information

What should I Include in my Cannabis Product Description?

Depending on the type of SKU and cannabis product you are offering, there will be different considerations for the amount and type of content you need to provide for descriptions. 

Every type of product should include information about your processes and what makes your brand unique. Telling the story of your brand and your brand processes is your chance to differentiate from all of your competitors. The OCS aptly states “If we put two product descriptions side-by-side, customers should be able to tell the difference, just the same way they can tell the difference between Apple and Dell, even though they’re both tech companies.”

Just because you are selling cannabis doesn’t mean that your products or your brand is like everyone else. Communicate to consumers what makes you unique and special. Where is your product grown? By whom? How is it dried? How is it trimmed? What is it grown in? How long was it grown for? What QA practices exist in your facility? Is it organic? Sustainable? Sun-grown? Indoor? How did the strain get its name? How did your brand get its name? Include all of this information plus any other fun or interesting facts about your brand and products.

What should I NOT include in my Cannabis Product Description?

There are a few things you should definitely avoid when writing cannabis product descriptions. Those guidelines include:

• Do not appeal to young persons
• Do not include testimonials or endorsements
• Do not include lifestyle descriptions that evoke emotion
• Do not include health or cosmetic benefits
• Do not include unsubstantiated effects
• Do not include promotion about energy value or nutrition amount
• Do not associate with alcoholic beverages
• Do not associate with tobacco products

Want to Learn More About how Cannabis Brands can use Product Descriptions?

We’ve got more information about writing product descriptions for cannabis brands in the Cannabis Brand Marketing Guide we’re releasing at the end of the summer. We’ll be sharing some best practices and types of product description channels for cannabis brands to use. The guide will be full of useful tips and tricks for navigating this highly-regulated and difficult-to-navigate industry.