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Packaging is the Vehicle in Dogwalkers’ Brand Journey

Cannabis brand gets a full redesign that results in a discreet, convenient packaging system with a distinguished, time-tested feel. It uniquely uses color to communicate not only to consumers, but also to stakeholders throughout the value chain.

Primary packaging for the .75g Big Dog and .35g Mini Dog pre-rolls.
Primary packaging for the .75g Big Dog and .35g Mini Dog pre-rolls.

Green Thumb Industries (GTI) is a Chicago-based cannabis cultivator, processor, and dispensary operator, national in scope, that is dedicated to providing dignified access to safe and effective cannabis while giving back to the communities it serves. The company produces all-things cannabis offering brands in all the usual cannabis niches, including recreational edibles, vape cartridges, and pre-rolls, alongside the raw flower. It also operates retail locations for dispensing for medical and adult-use purposes. 

In an industry that’s known for upstart brands founded by career changers or cannabis hobbyists seeking to go pro and stake a claim in the “Green Rush,” GTI stands out. It operates like any other CPG or food and beverage brand owner. In fact, the leadership structure is replete with CPG brand owner and retail expats, each with years of supply chain, logistics, and packaging experience. Such considerations can be perceived as mysterious dark arts to more novice would-be brand operators. 

Within each redesigned Dogwalkers’ tin, five small pre-rolls are nested into a paperboard insert folded into a five-pocket chevron pattern. Text underneath the lid reinforces the brand positioning.Within each redesigned Dogwalkers’ tin, five small pre-rolls are nested into a paperboard insert folded into a five-pocket chevron pattern. Text underneath the lid reinforces the brand positioning.

So as states slowly but inevitably lean toward legalizing the cannabis trade, and licenses for commerce become available, GTI plans to be there with the infrastructure to apply a mature, professional approach. It treats its brands in the same way you’d expect a P&G or Mondelēz to treat theirs. 

“The approach has always been the CPG strategy,” says David Bleicher, Brand Manager at GTI. “As cannabis becomes more commoditized, what consumers will gravitate toward in the future, and what will allow us to hold value, is the brand, the authenticity, and the story. That obviously entails the packaging and all communication platforms that go with it.”

Dogwalkers’ origin story
One such brand benefitting from GTI’s professional brand-owner touch is Dogwalkers, also one of its first licensed brands. Dogwalkers was established in 2016 in Illinois to offer unique, small-format cannabis pre-rolls to consumers who value authenticity and convenience. Dogwalkers has since expanded to four states, rapidly earning customer loyalty as a result of the brand’s consistent quality and ongoing donation partnerships with deserving animal shelters. 

Leisurely strolls with his dog Bailey inspired GTI’s founder to launch the Dogwalkers brand. Most pre-rolls available at the time averaged 1 g to 1.5 g, representing a sizable time and effort commitment for users—particularly light, occasional users. GTI sought a smaller size of pre-roll that might only last the length of one walk around the block with the dog. 

With Dogwalkers, GTI launched a considerably downsized 0.35-g pre-roll format, called a Mini Dog, sold in five packs. GTI also launched larger—but still not onerously big—0.75-g Big Dogs, sold as singles. 

Primary packaging consisted of five Mini Dogs in a hinged, tin-plated steel container, similar to the one used by the Altoids brand of mints. Big Dogs were packaged as singles in a plastic “J-tube”-style tube with a screw-top closure. Graphics for the original Dogwalkers tin pack were lighthearted and bright, with a white background on the top plate and a large, blue “D” and “W” logo communicating the Dogwalkers brand name (See photo on page 37). 

Sit, stay, and play packs
The brand’s pre-rolls come in three varieties, each designed to provide a different cannabis experience that ranges from tranquil to euphoric. In the original pack, an art element—a color-coded silhouette depicting a dog either sitting, staying, or playing—communicated which variety each pack contained. A sitting dog indicated Indica flower, meant for calmer experiences. A standing dog communicated “stay” denoting a mid-range Sativa-Indica flower hybrid. A boisterous, tail-wagging dog at “play” represented a Sativa-dominant blend, which lends itself to more active, euphoric experiences.

Each tin included a paper insert telling the walk-around-the-block origin story and alluding to dog shelters with which the brand is involved. Secondary packaging consisted of a similarly printed opaque white flexible pouch with child-resistant and tamper-evident properties. As a whole, this package treatment and brand position were quite serviceable in their first iteration. 

Impetus for a rebrand, packaging change
The most common approach for pre-roll manufacturers is to use what’s called the shake or trim portion of the cannabis flower. These are portions of the plant that are cut away from the more valuable bud or flowering portion. Generally, the trimmed buds are reserved for separate, individual sales as a whole flower product. 

But when Bleicher took over as Dogwalkers’ brand manager in 2018, he recognized that GTI manufacturers were allocating premium, popcorn-sized buds for pre-rolls. Not to mention, each pre-roll was hand-packed by a skilled artisan. These realizations suggested to him that the bright whimsy of a cartoon dog on a cheerful blue-on-white design wasn’t sufficiently conveying the premium quality of the main ingredient.

That’s why in 2019, the Dogwalkers brand underwent a comprehensive rebrand to elevate the packaging, logos, and communication pillars to further establish the brand as a leader in the cannabis and CPG space. 

A child-resistant paperboard carton saves space in transport and in retail compared to the incumbent pouch pack. Color coding throughout allows these primary/secondary packaging systems to be universal enough to work in many different markets. Market specific-informational labels, also following the color convention, are added within each market, and color prevents mixups as to variety.A child-resistant paperboard carton saves space in transport and in retail compared to the incumbent pouch pack. Color coding throughout allows these primary/secondary packaging systems to be universal enough to work in many different markets. Market specific-informational labels, also following the color convention, are added within each market, and color prevents mixups as to variety.

“We chose to rebrand the various elements of the Dogwalkers portfolio in order to better reflect a commitment to crafting premium, full flower pre-rolls while acknowledging the rich history of this authentic and timeless cannabis product category,” Bleicher says. “Dogwalkers sets itself apart from the pack through its tireless commitment to quality and humble respect for products made with a human touch.”

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