Tellr Labs is supremely focused on growing brands, fostering communities and promoting thought leadership through the power of content. Most of our clients and portfolios fall within the Web3 sector, but this doesn’t mean that our expertise cannot be used to grow brands from other industries. This blog aims to take readers on a brand-building journey, serving as Tellr’s key case study beyond Web3 in 2023.
Our focus will be on the niche rolling paper industry, a challenging feat due to limited agency partnerships in this sector and a scarcity of available industrial knowledge. Despite these hurdles, we achieved the near-impossible through our content, and we’ll share valuable lessons, problems, and solutions encountered during this unique brand building adventure.
Preface
In 2023, Thailand’s cannabis scene exploded due to its removal from the classified drug list. The number of dispensaries proliferated from zero to thousands in less than 3 months to cater to rising cannabis demands. The rolling paper scene also came into the limelight with this surge, as rolling paper accessories are prerequisites for indulging in cannabis.
As the scene continues to grow, we decided not to let this opportunity slide away. In June, we strayed out of our comfort zone and partnered with Rolling Paper Thailand, a company that, as the name suggests, specializes in selling rolling papers. One of Rolling Paper Thailand’s most valuable assets is that they are partnered with nearly all the world class rolling paper providers. These include Raw, Vibes, Elements and many more. However, the main challenge that Tellr aims to address is facilitating a connection between Rolling Paper Thailand and the thousands of emerging dispensaries. To achieve this, content is required.
Marketing Initiatives
Our initial marketing initiatives fall within three main frameworks. The first stage aims to encourage avid smokers to follow Rolling Paper Thailand’s official Instagram account. The second stage focuses on engaging our audience with the published content. The third and final stage aims to leverage this engagement to earn credibility within the growing community. This is done to raise brand awareness through word of mouth and convince dispensaries to source rolling paper products from Rolling Paper Thailand.
Audience Adoption
Getting specific targeted people can be challenging. That’s why Tellr leveraged both offline and online channels, finding the perfect blend to connect the two together. During the initial stages, offline events took precedence as the cannabis scene was just gaining momentum. Rolling Paper Thailand excelled in this aspect, actively participating in numerous large events. Through their offline booths, they successfully connected with dispensaries, smoking enthusiasts, and even famous influencers. Around 5 to 10% of these people converted to Instagram followers. However the most important thing is to get Rolling Paper Thailand on the map, so that our audience can recognize and follow Rolling Paper Thailand online.
Content Marketing Initiatives
Every moment of these events was masterfully captured and used as stock photos for our various content pillars. Branded photos showcasing rolling paper products and lifestyle shots from the events fueled our content strategy. The Instagram page radiated with engaging content. What propelled us to recognition was a particular post titled “The Ultimate Rainy-day Smoking Solution,” which received a valuable like from Raw’s founder, Josh Kesseleman. This interaction boosted our post’s organic reach among non-followers by 60%. From then on, one of our strategies was to incorporate famous brands and tag them in our posts.
In addition to these lifestyle or branded posts, our educational content also gained traction as days passed. Our main challenge was finding the right level of education for people to consume on a fast-paced platform like Instagram. Our content also includes reaching out to dispensary partners and featuring them in our Instagram posts. These posts tend to receive more comments compared to others and are key to fostering communities.
Earning Credibility
Credibility is a challenging thing to measure, but one effective way is by creating an obvious self-promotion post and observing the traction it receives. Our post titled “Here are 5 reasons why you should partner up with Rolling Paper Thailand ” performed exceptionally well, gaining 7 times more followers, 3 times more profile visits, and twice as many business address taps. This post went above and beyond, resulting in the formation of multiple dispensary partnerships for Rolling Paper Thailand. Ultimately, this proves that our Tellr content was instrumental in closing important deals for our customers. The next challenge is to orchestrate a post that outperforms this current one.
Star Of The Show
We are immensely thankful for Rolling Paper Thailand, appreciating them not just as a remarkable company but as a wonderful friend. Their dedication to fostering communities through offline channels and providing abundant online resources is truly commendable. The impact of their social media ambassador was profound, effectively connecting and engaging with numerous prominent figures within the industry.
This buildup is crucial for our viral “Berner reel,” a brand testimonial callout from Berner, the founder of Vibes rolling paper himself. The post exploded with views, becoming the most viewed reel from Rolling Paper Thailand. Berner also featured the post on his account, a rare gesture he doesn’t typically extend to his partners. Many influencers and KOLs participated in sharing the reel, including one with millions of followers. This reel stands as one of the most successful posts in Rolling Paper Thailand’s history.
Closing Thoughts
Forging a connection between a local brand and a globally renowned industrial giant stands as a remarkable achievement in Tellr’s history. Demonstrating our capacity to not only establish thought leadership but also drive sales in a niche market showcases the versatility of our expertise across diverse industries. Through this blog, we aspire to establish a firm presence in the rolling paper industry, emphasizing the crucial role of community building both online and offline. Our goal is to craft more meaningful content and foster connections with brands worldwide.