There’s now more than one way to take a Daytrip.
Best known for its broad spectrum hemp CBD-infused sparkling waters and energy drinks, the brand further expanded its growing platform with the launch of infused gummies in January.
Each gummy contains 25mg of hemp CBD per piece, and is available in 2-packs and 10-count bags in three flavors: Apricot Vanilla, Blueberry Hibiscus and Strawberry Lemonade.
The gummy itself is designed to have “personality,” said Daytrip CMO Lynn Furge, who noted that the company used a custom mold in the shape of sunglasses, complete with detailed frames and lenses, to give consumers a “jolt of happy and cool” rather than a generic shape or a logo imprint. Weighing 5 grams each, the pieces are a “substantial treat,” added Bill Kerr, the company’s chief creative officer.
But the shape also has a functional purpose, as it allows each gummy to be easily split with a friend (post-pandemic, naturally) for a micro-dosed experience of about 12.5mg of CBD.
In stepping from beverages into gummies, Daytrip is shifting into a fast-growing segment of the CBD business: according to data from Brightfield Group, the size of the U.S. CBD gummy market was $308.6 million in 2019, and is projected to pass $1 billion by 2022. Within that set, the brand is hoping to use the gummies as a bigger showcase for the “Daytrip Effect,” as Kerr described, or the interplay between both the CBD and the natural terpenes that are added into the product. He noted that, while “everyone is focused on cannabinoids right now,” consumer awareness about terpenes and the key role that they play in influencing mood and stress levels provides Daytrip an opportunity to play to its strengths.
“If you think about what a sativa was traditionally, with this uplifted, happy feeling, we went back and looked at a bunch of traditional sativa strains and started to look at their terpene breakdown,” he said. From there, the company developed a custom blend that can be used across all its products to give consumers a consistent experience of “that uplifting feeling rather than slide into your coach and take a nap feeling.”
For a company on the rise, moving into gummies has other added benefits. Barriers to entry are lower for both the brand, which is shipping direct to consumers from its website, and consumers themselves; as Lynn noted, most customers can “guess what a gummy is going to taste like,” which is less true with beverages.
At retail, the 2-packs are designed to encourage trial and position the product for impulse purchasing near store registers. Both the 2-packs and the 10-count bags are now available at select natural retailers across the country, including Erewhon, New Seasons, Fairway, Westside Market and others. To help introduce the brand and product to new customers, Daytrip is running a digital sampling program through its website where users are encouraged to order a free pack of gummies “to make their 2021 better.”
That theme also played into the timing of the launch as consumers look to turn the page after a traumatic 2020.
“We made a decision to roll it out at the beginning of the new year to kind of have a little bit of fun,” Furge said. “You saw CBD as an ingredient trend go up a lot, but we also knew that with 2021 it wasn’t going to be all better, so we wanted to have this authentic reality with the launch that felt funny and on-brand, kind of a wink and a nod to the personality that we have.”
In terms of beverage, Furge also noted that, sometime prior to this summer, Daytrip will be introducing new flavors that are “based on trends we see in the marketplace from what people are mixing with sparkling,” whether in mocktails or cocktails.