As a breakthrough company in a young industry, 7 Points saw an opportunity to stand out among cannabis competitors by providing sophisticated, high-end products with elegant packaging.
The company was founded by entrepreneur Wayne Bishop in Woodlake, California, an agricultural town in the Central Valley. As the Valley looks for new ways to diversify, growing cannabis has become a natural fit. Headquartered in a converted citrus packing house, 7 Points had already established its growing operations. But they needed a packaging partner that could help it create a breakthrough point-of-sale presentation.
That’s where Ernest came to the rescue.
Breaking tradition in a non-traditional market
To succeed in the cannabis industry, companies must maximize the yield of each plant. This results in a variety of opportunities when it comes to their product offering. The largest flower contains higher percentages of THC, which brings a premium price. Smaller flower is considered a mid-tier product, while the smallest flower is chopped up for a more economical option. The 7 Points team launched with a powerful vision for a complete product line and immediately began looking for ways to set themselves apart on dispensary shelves. As a result of this innovative thinking, 7 Points is one of only a handful of cannabis companies with bank funding.
“The Ernest team is extremely professional. They think one step ahead, bring solutions to the table, and have always been able to address any challenges we might have. They’ve taken really great care of us.”
Wayne Bishop
Owner 7 PointsA standout brand deserves a custom packaging system.
Most companies package their cannabis flower as cheaply as possible, with little attention paid to branding. To establish themselves as a highly professional company with a differentiated product offering, 7 Points decided branding was key. They came to Ernest with the idea of a jar and asked the team to develop a package around it. Ernest Director of Client Relations Mat Todd took on the challenge head on. Together with Client Relationship Manager Tanner Chuhlantseff and the Ernest Design Studio, he brainstormed a variety of solutions, ultimately landing on an eye-catching orange box that housed the printed jar with wood top.
The package was a winner with Bishop and his team. The high quality materials and thoughtful design clearly showcased the flower through an open window, while still allowing room for information on all sides. The aesthetics of this solution helped the 7 Points product quickly stand out and set the stage for additional packaging development.
The next challenge for the Ernest team was to figure out how to apply the brand look and feel across different size jars, boxes and bags. It started with developing bags to showcase an upcoming expo event. The 7 Points team tasked Ernest to develop and produce the branded bags for its product line with a 30-day timeline from inception to production. This hugely collaborative effort resulted a cinch-top bag with a see-through window to showcase the product and mirror the aesthetics of the 7 Points jar. It also resulted in a resounded success at the event.
Adapting, evolving, and staying ahead
As the 7 Points product line has evolved, one of the key challenges the team faced was the inventory planning for highly variable yields. 7 Points typically didn’t know the crop yield until 60-75 days from when it would be packaged. Which made printing jars cost- effectively quite the challenge. Another challenge the Ernest team was primed and ready to tackle.
With the help of the Ernest design specialists, Todd and Chuhlantseff found a powerfully effective solution: a shrink-wrapped label for the jar that could easily be customized for each strain. In the new design, the printed jar only included core elements of the 7 Points brand. All of the details were on the label, with a branded QR code directing customers to all variable compliance-related information about the strain. In addition, the shrink-wrapping transformed the label into a tamper-proof seal for quality control. The solution went beyond simply being a more efficient packaging option. This new label-approach allowed 7 Points to take advantage of Ernest’s just-in-time (JIT) stocking program, to more efficiently use jar components and reduce over-purchasing and waste.
With such an integrated partnership, Ernest has become a part of the 7 Points team. The benefits of starting the packaging conversation from the very start has many upsides. With a standing conference call each week, 7 Points and Ernest can align on what’s coming up on the product roadmap, brainstorm packaging options and ideas, and ensure the right experts are being brought in at each stage.
As 7 Points started to expand its product into smaller 1-gram boxes for concentrates, Ernest brought in packaging design specialist Stephen Simich to create an impactful magnetic closure box for an impactful, exclusive feel. Throughout the entire process, 7 Points continued to challenge Ernest to provide insights for point-of-sales presentation to stay at the forefront of in-store branding.
“The QR code Ernest came up with is a really cool way to streamline the packaging, better serve our customers and reduce waste.”
Ryan Wall
Head of Marketing 7 PointsA partnership with big potential
As 7 Points continues to expand their product line, Ernest is an essential partner in the process. The company anticipates doubling its offering in the next year, adding tinctures, edibles, and vapes to the product line. In addition, the company has plans to increase the sustainability of its operations. According to Ryan Wall, the head of marketing at 7Points, “Reducing the amount of packaging we use is an increasingly important part of our brand. We want to use more recyclable material in the future and Ernest is helping us find the right balance between a high-quality feel and keeping sustainability in mind.”
Whether it’s operational efficiencies, on-the-shelf impact, or increased sustainability, 7 Points always looks to Ernest as their partner. And with the cannabis market maturing and expanding its national footprint, the collaboration will only keep growing.
“It’s the brainstorming between Ernest and us that is the power behind the finished product. Their ability to solve problems and complement somebody like us, a new company in a new industry is a gamechanger. ”
