How do you go from underground champion to legal market darling? The transition isn’t for the faint of heart, but iconic legacy market cannabis brand Ghost Drops is making its play.
Holding nothing back, the brand is putting all of its considerable resources into the effort. That means trotting out a genetics catalogue that’s not only an exclusive resource, but one that’s easily among the best around. There are also the partnerships that the brand has established with some of the most creative geneticists and cultivators to be found. Add in the sheer energy that the brand is known for and you have a potent recipe for success.
It’s not all business as usual while entering a different market. Ghost Drops is also making changes that position the company to make a successful leap. One of them involves hiring Gene Bernaudo as the new CEO. He’ll also be functioning as the interim COO. Known for his former work as President of Ignite, Bernaudo is a double threat. Along with an impressive history of global market experience, he also knows what it takes to build cannabis brands in Canada. His excitement about what Ghost Drops can become is infectious.
His outlook for the endeavour is bright, even while acknowledging the strategy has caught some off guard. “The news we’re transitioning to the legal market might come as a shock to some of our fan base, but we actually believe the news will be received well,” says Bernaudo. “Ultimately, everything we do, we do for our ‘Ghostfam’ community.” He adds the move will be a good thing for the current base, since the products will be easier to obtain.
The Ghost Drops fan base – its Ghostfam – is nothing to take lightly. It includes over 80,000 site subscribers as well as a healthy 78% recurring customer rate. Social media is also something that indicates the brand’s community is a solid one; there are more than 20,000 Ghost Drops followers on Instagram alone.
What’s the plan? As Bernaudo outlines it, Ghost Drops aims to engage in a mass conversion of its loyal legacy base to the legal market. Up to now, that’s something no other company has been able to accomplish. While some things will change, Bernaudo emphasizes that the core values of the company and the focus on innovation and quality will remain in the forefront.
Bernaudo does see the effort as a means of shifting away from the current status quo and working toward something bigger and better. He also sees it as a battle that must be won, given the current state of the legal market..
“This play is part of our fight for the people – for our customers and future customers, our geneticists and cultivators, our industry, and for everyone who wants to see a different future for cannabis,” says Bernaudo. “We’re fighting to change the system: to dismantle stigmas and stereotypes, to elevate cannabis culture and give voice to our community.”
The timeline for the launch is a short one. Currently, the goal is to have Ghost Drops firmly active in the legal market before the end of 2021. To do that, the company will lead off with a product that’s already proven to be a fan favourite: First Class Funk. Bernaudo sees this move as confirmation the brand isn’t going to compromise on quality in order to enter the legal market. Instead, it will put its best foot forward from the very beginning.
Other products are being prepared as well and will appear in the market according to the new strategy. Those releases will continue to exhibit the same energy and drive that long-time fans have come to know.
Bernaudo has made it clear that Ghost Drops will continue crafting the best cannabis products, creating new communities, and taking on the naysayers with the same passion and verve as in the past. He assures past customers that what they’re used to will still be there even as the company looks to expand its reach.
In short, the legal market isn’t going to change Ghost Drops. The plans being launched by Gene Bernaudo and his team indicate that Ghost Drops will be the instrument for changing the legal market for the better. The Ghost Drops plan, he says, is to finally make the legal market what it was supposed to be in the first place.
