Green struggles: Overcoming the stigma of hemp products

That was the struggle Brad Lake and the team at The Brothers Green faced while launching their brand of hemp-based health products back in 2017.

Back then Brad was a recent Lincoln alumnus with a lingering shoulder injury and a background in rural banking. With a rough idea for a business, he teamed up with Brendon McIntosh, a recent pharmacist graduate. Together they become The Brothers Green.

The pair describe hemp as a “misunderstood, controversial and slightly unorthodox plant.” Together they dream of using the plant to take pressure off New Zealand’s health crisis and helping the farmers who grow it.

Now their business is thriving, thanks to clever marketing and a long-fought battle to build a strong reputation.

Lincoln University caught up with Brad to discuss the trials they faced and what he wishes they had done differently.

Back when The Brothers Green was just an idea, Brad and Brendon brought together a group of recent graduates who could help make their operation a reality. Together they set up their first North Canterbury hemp farm.

They had a strong start, releasing a wide range of products in 2019, then Covid hit.

“The rug pulled out from underneath us, but it pushed us towards the best possible route we could have gone, which is online.

“We’ve found a lot more success through that channel.”

Online marketing was no easy feat. They managed to build a loyal customer base, but struggled to expand. It was particularly difficult to market hemp online, as some platforms restricted it due to the plant’s relationship to cannabis.

“When we first started we had to prove to people it wasn’t marijuana.”

 Then they took a radical shift in their marketing strategy.

“Just because you’ve got a good product, doesn’t mean it’s going to sell. The most impactful thing we did was stopped talking about the fact it was hemp.”

Hemp had too much of a stigma, too many people were turned off by the idea of it. But their dedicated customers had left all kinds of feedback singing praises about what the product had done for them. They took this feedback and incorporated it into their marketing strategy.

“We instead focused on what it was good for. We five times our revenue in about two months.”

It was a major change for the company, and one that proved how important sales skills were.

“That was the one thing I wish we had known.

“I came from the rural sector where you don’t market your products, you just have buyers.”

He believes having somebody trained in sales and innovative marketing would have completely changed how they approached their business and helped overcome the hurdles they faced.

This year marks the first year of Lincoln University’s new Entrepreneurship and Innovation major, a Commerce degree focussed on creative problem solving, similar to the approach taken by The Brothers Green.

Graduates will be ready to tackle the challenges of starting their own business, or jump into a wide range of roles in the world of commerce.

Check our new Entrepreneurship and Innovation major here.