How Branding Influenced Me To Buy CBD Water
Wanna know a not-so-secret about me? I’m a sucker for good branding, packaging, and promise of an amazing product. Seriously, I’m THE dream consumer for beauty & wellness products. If you can convince me that your brand aligns with my lifestyle, will add value to my day, and put it in gorgeous packaging that makes my aesthetic senses tingle — I’m all yours. The funny thing is that the above sentiments often ring true for most consumers. Which is exactly why branding & storytelling matters so much to modern marketing strategies.
Personally, I find it fascinating when I stop to dissect the specific reasons that influence me to buy a product. I find that it keeps me conscious of my purchasing habits and aware of what works for modern brands in an ever-changing market. I figure at least some of you would find it equally interesting and that it might even inspire you to start thinking with a similar mindset while shopping & producing your own content…so naturally I decided to make a blog series about it :)
First up, is Recess — an NYC based lifestyle & wellness brand that goes beyond sparkling water. Keep reading to see what influenced me to purchase this product within 10 minutes of being introduced to it along with the experience that followed once I tried it.
What is it:
Recess is a newly introduced line of sparkling water infused with hemp extract and adaptogens for balance and clarity.
How I found it:
Scrolling through my Twitter feed one day, I noticed a headline from an online marketing publication (Adweek) that read “Need to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing? Try Recess, a New CBD-Infused Sparkling Water Brand” — those first few words alone were enough to get me intrigued. Bravo to the Recess PR team because I have seen this brand mentioned just about everywhere that you might find millennials hanging out online at since then.
What made me buy:
The journey from discovery to purchase happened entirely online. Within the first few seconds of landing on their website, I knew this was a brand & product that would resonate with my lifestyle. Here’s a breakdown of the exact details that got me excited enough to make my first purchase within 10 minutes of discovering Recess.
Branding:
As a Brand Stylist, branding is something I’m very conscious of when I’m interacting with products. The branding + aesthetic for Recess was modern & minimal with a touch of whimsical edge that made me feel inspired & excited to discover a new product.
messaging:
After reading just the first few sentences on the Recess website, the verbiage let me know that this was a brand for me. The Recess brand voice is witty & wise, which allows their messaging to feel human + relatable. The copy throughout their website makes it very clear that this product was made with modern creatives, like myself, in mind and was ultimately created to make my life better.
The introduction alone made it clear that the mission behind Recess was designed to add value to my life. Their copy made a personal promise that resonated with my soul — that their product would make me feel more balanced, creative, and calm. As someone who also loves wellness and tries to be mindful of everything I put in my body, the list & description of the organic, good for you ingredients in their products helped officially seal the deal.
At this point, I knew the Recess brand had a foundation that went deeper than following trends of CBD (which is all the rage right now). I also instantly perceived that they had more value to add to my life than the average sparkling water brand, and got a sense that they probably genuinely care about their consumers well-being, rather than just their profit margins.
They used their branding to attract my curiosity and storytelling to build trust within their brand — all before I ever tasted any of their products.
Now, that’s branding magic.✨
Online Experience:
The aesthetic alone of the Recess website was enough to keep to captivated, while the combination of 3D style, minimal design + subtle animations kept the experience light, inspiring, and let me know that they put a lot of thought & energy into creating a unique online presence. The user-friendly navigation was the cherry on top. Scrolling through their home page, the website guided me on a crystal clear journey that began with an introduction to the brand, straight to the point explanation of the value of their products, which ended with call to actions on how to buy. A roadmap that all modern businesses should consider following when they want to attract modern consumers.
Aftermath
Wanting to get a chance to try all the flavors that Recess has to offer, I ordered The Sampler and waited in anticipation for my chance to try out a new product. Being one of the first to try things before they go super mainstream has always been exciting for me. A little over a week later, my box of CBD infused sparkling water arrived at my doorstep.
The packaging was pretty, pastel and matched my vibe perfectly — from the box it came into the cans inside. I cracked open my inaugural can the same day my shipment was delivered and tried it with my favorite salad for lunch. The first flavor I tried was the pom hibiscus, which ended up being my favorite — it had a subtle hint of the promised flavor & was crisp enough to feel refreshing and hydrating when paired with my meal.
As for the CBD after-effects, the feelings there were super subtle as well. I’m already a pretty mellow person who fares pretty well without caffeine on an average day but do have ups & downs with work-induced anxiety. I really wanted to put the CBD attributes to the test, so I made sure to drink before spending a few hours each day creating content. I can confidently say after drinking these daily for a few days, I felt calmer, clear-minded, and more focused on my content creation tasks. Seriously, I churned out an entire Social Media Style Guide while drinking these bad boys!
the real question: would i buy again?
Definitely. I wouldn’t consider myself hooked enough to make another online purchase immediately, but if I saw these while grocery shopping I’d definitely throw a pack in my cart.
That’s all folks! Did you enjoy this new series? Did it spark any aha moments on your own purchasing behavior or create inspiration for your branding & messaging? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!
