Dispensary Branding

Keeper of the Green

Keeper of the Green is a high-end cannabis dispensary in Helena, Montana. In 2018, Brantley Creative was hired to fully rebrand the business and provide comprehensive marketing and business consultation services, and I have continued to work with Keeper of the Green ever since.

Dispensary branding and marketing is a specialized field, requiring knowledge of Montana’s cannabis laws, the local business climate, and the target demographics.

Services for the Keeper of the Green dispensary have included logo design, print design, packaging design, signage, digital marketing, social networking, online menus, website design, Google Maps marketing, apparel design, and much more.

Dispensary branding

“The river flows by, each strand of seaweed swaying rhythmically in the current just under the surface. Eagles soar overhead, watching over the water and grassy banks below. This is where the spirit of Keeper of the Green was born.”

Keeper of the Green’s “Peace Eagle” logo represents the core values of the dispensary (nature, peace, and health) while conveying a commitment to quality that appeals to Keeper’s core target demographics.

A second variation of the logo design features a more squarish aspect ratio. Various fill patterns are used to create a unique look for use on apparel, merchandise, and advertising.

The Keeper of the Green logo has become a beloved brand and symbol proudly worn by fans in the Helena area.

Storefront design

Keeper’s flagship store in Helena, Montana opened in 2019. I worked alongside the business owners to create a unique look for the store that brings the natural beauty of western Montana into the interior.

All product packaging, labels, displays, signage and mural design created by Brantley Creative.

Packaging

Keeper’s core product, of course, is Fine Craft Cannabis. A key differentiator from other competitors is the commitment to “strain-specific” products, meaning value-added products like edibles are created using cannabis of a single strain, rather than blending together multiple strains. This is preferred by customers for predictability and consistency in effects.

These “strain cards” are used for jar labels, display case labels, and marketing collateral. They were designed with clean lines and clear fonts for easy readability and quick comparisons between options.

Keeper’s product lineup changes frequently, with new strain variations and small-batch releases. Preprinted packaging would be impractical for the business. After a lengthy search, we found craft paper products that suited our needs and complemented the Keeper aesthetic. Labels were designed for printing in-house, with a layout that quickly adapts to variations in product and strain name.

In the cannabis industry, product packaging design requires extra considerations to satisfy legal requirements for child-proof containers, warning labels, and ingredient labels. Effective storage for perishable products is also imperative. Solving these challenges requires thorough knowledge of the legal and practical issues surrounding packaging choices.

Brand awareness

After establishing the logo and marketing channels for Keeper, our early brand awareness campaigns emphasized the close link to nature and positioned the dispensary alongside high-end outdoor brands, a familiar and trusted aesthetic for our target demographics.

Photography and design by Brantley Creative.

Email and text campaigns

In recent years, our direct marketing channels of text and email have become a vital line of communication with customers, as legal restrictions and social networking terms of service limit our capabilities through other digital and traditional sales methods.

This gallery features a selection of our bi-monthly email and text campaigns.

Facebook and Instagram

In Helena, Facebook continues to be the highest engagement platform, followed by Instagram. Facebook Pages cannot be set to private or age-restricted, so our content needs to be G-rated. We focus on brand awareness, location and contact information, and event promotion.

Since pages on Instagram can be set to private, we are legally allowed to advertise products, deals, and use cannabis-related terms and phrases. However, Instagram’s Terms of Service often flag this type of content.

Through trial and error, we’ve found that keeping our posts all-ages friendly and strictly image-based (no big text descriptions), combined with Stories posted by our budtenders showing specific products and deals, has provided the highest success rate for conversions without triggering content violations.

Signage

Exterior and interior signs for both Helena locations, from the roadside A-frame and parking signs to the cut-metal logo on the shop wall.

Website, menus and online ordering

KeeperOG.com was established early on in the branding process, and the dispensary website has evolved with the business as it has grown and adapted to the changes in the cannabis industry of Montana.

At launch, cannabis was still for medical license holders only. Features on the website were focused on educating and assisting the Helena community. Frequently asked questions and referrals to local doctors were very important for new customer acquisition.

Since the recreational cannabis laws were passed, the website has been simplified and focused on getting visitors to the online menu, locations, and contact information.

Brantley Creative worked with Leafly and the point-of-sale provider, IMMJPos.com, to integrate a real-time inventory menu and online ordering system with Keeper of the Green’s website.

Event and YouTube marketing

A big part of Keeper of the Green’s community outreach revolves around music. Yearly concerts and mini festivals on 4/20 have attracted large crowds and provided a great opportunity to connect with customers, raise brand awareness, and create relationships with other businesses in Montana.

During covid lockdowns, we produced a live music series on YouTube, live streaming concerts by our favorite Montana artists from a professional studio in Bozeman.

Brantley Creative booked performances, designed printed and digital concert posters, and assisted with planning these events.

Watch on YouTube

Google Maps marketing

Google Maps has become a vital component of marketing for any local business, including dispensaries. A strong presence on Google Maps allows discovery by new customers, helps in navigating to shop locations, and creates immense value in search engine optimization, which places a business at the top of relevant Google searches.

Brantley Creative created a compelling Google Maps listing: adding great photos, setting up a complete profile with official branding, and getting stellar reviews through campaigns and outreach with customers.