(Prana Principle is one of the companies featured in The Power of a Brand: Lessons From 20 Top Cannabis Companies, in the June issue of mg Magazine.)
For Prana Principle, branding was not about creation but translation. The company leveraged the reputation and history of its twenty-five-year-old corporate parent, APAX Nutrition Europe Ltd. The corporation played up its European heritage—which many Americans find exotic—when it launched the American division, APAX USA Inc., under which Prana operates. “Our experience in Holland, and now in Colorado, provides the perfect synergy for innovation,” said founder and chief executive officer Sebastien Hebbelinck.
Prana Principle portrays itself as “the experienced CBD company” that regards consumers with respect. “We don’t want to just sell a trendy product at a time when CBD is all the buzz,” Hebbelinck said. “Using any of our products is a very personal choice for our consumers. We respect that. We want Prana to be a trusted name that customers believe in.”
As part of an effort to dispel conflicts between perception and reality, the company has partnered with groups including Hemp History Week, U.S. Hemp Roundtable, and Hemp Industries Association. “Through these relationships, we are working to change [the image of] the entire CBD industry,” Hebbelinck said
