Cannabis and the Branding Challenge: It’s Not Just About Legalization, It’s About Normalization

October 29, 2019 | By: Allison Ames, President and CEO of Beanstalk

There’s no doubt that we are in the midst of a green rush: By 2022, sales of legal cannabis are expected to surpass $20 billion. And sales of CBD (short for cannabidiol, it’s the non-psychoactive ingredient in cannabis and hemp versus THC, the psychoactive ingredient) products grew by 57% last year alone. This year, three out of four U.S. chefs identified cannabis-infused food as a strong trend. According to surveys, members of Gen Z view cannabis as healthier than alcohol.

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Kraft Heinz Flavors Up Coffee Aisle with Non-Alcoholic BAILEYS® Ready-to-Drink Cold Brew Coffee in Cans

Chicago, September 23, 2019 - Bringing an indulgent adult treat and authentic flavors to the coffee aisle, Kraft Heinz is partnering with BAILEYS®, the producers of the world's best-selling cream liqueur, to launch non-alcoholic BAILEYS® Ready-to-drink Cold Brew in cans.

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The Power of Licensing #10: What Do Plus-Size Apparel, Cannabis And Esports All Have In Common? Part Three Of A Three-Part Series

August 12, 2019 | By: Michael Stone, Chairman & Co-founder of Beanstalk

This is the final installment of a three-part series about product categories that have recently re-invented themselves due to cultural, societal, technological and political trends. Categories where the economics intersect with the trends. Part One in the series examined the plus-size fashion category. Part Two examined cannabis. Part Three examines esports.

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The Power of Licensing #10: What Do Plus-Size Apparel, Cannabis And Esports All Have In Common? Part Two Of A Three-Part Series

August 5, 2019 | By: Michael Stone, Co-founder and Chairman

This is the second of a three-part series about product categories that have recently re-invented themselves due to cultural, societal, technological and political trends. Categories where the economics intersect with the trends. Part One in the series examined the plus-size fashion category. Part Two examines cannabis.

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The Power of Licensing #10: What Do Plus-Size Apparel, Cannabis And eSports All Have In Common? Part One Of A Three-Part Series

July 29, 2019 | By: Michael Stone, Chairman & Co-founder of Beanstalk

If you live long enough, you see a lot of products and, indeed, entire product categories come and go. In the present time, much of this change has been driven by technology. CD players are gone; Spotify is here. Filofax disappeared, and we now have calendars and notes on our phones. Who needs paper maps when there is Google maps?

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