Estimated reading time: 9 Min
CBDbies was born as a brand in Tulum in 2018 under the umbrella of the company The Redheaded Mexican, a company dedicated to the world of Well-being and the Fitness founded by Janis White and Jeffrey Daubney.
Both with extensive experience both in the World of Wellness such as in the use of compounds derived from industrial hemp. This is where the CBD or cannabidiol that gives the brand its name comes from.
In fact, Jeffrie has more than 25 years of experience in the cannabis industry and Janis has decades of experience in the world of Wellness And of the Fitness. And since they both knew about this compound and its benefits, the perfect combination was created to create CBDbies.
Since that happy encounter to date, the brand has experienced three years of explosive growth, offering a product of Wellness Sure, intelligent and effective for times of pandemic when at times it seems that there is a lot going on, but that a lot is needed: cannabidiol.
To learn how this brand has been built, what challenges they have faced and how Cubbo You have become an indispensable partner and ally for CBDbies, we are pleased to speak with Gabriela Ruiz Durán, Operations Manager of CBDbies
Is cannabidiol marijuana?
Frank: Hey Gabriela, we're going to get out of the elephant in the room right from the start... I imagine they'll ask you this a thousand times but is this marijuana?
Gabriela: No, it's not marijuana. We produce products derived from industrial hemp. That's where cannabidiol comes from. This is part of the cannabis family. But it is important to differentiate so that people understand that cannabis is a family of plants and that like any family of plants, it has different variants, and hemp is one of them.
We make the simile with the citrus family: in citrus fruits you have oranges, grapefruits, lemons, which all have different properties and characteristics. They are part of the same family. But they are not all the same.
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Driven by the pandemic
CBDbies Was born as a ecommerce. When it began, it operated exclusively in Tulum with hotels and spas. It was distributed at physical points of sale in Tulum. But the web wasn't the strong suit. And he was not the strong one until the beginning of the crisis of the Covid pandemic.
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I mean, this isn't marijuana. What is known as marijuana is THC and it's one of hundreds of existing cannabinoids. It's the best known and the most researched, but that's not the one we use.
The one we use is the CBD which has no psychoactive effects and is a natural compound, that does not generate addiction and that is used to improve quality of life and well-being, that's why we identify with Wellness industry.
Frank: And how safe is it to use?
Gabriela: The WHO classifies cannabidiol as a safe compound that does not cause dependence and can be consumed by older adults or children. However, it is true that most people don't know about this topic and there is a very strong stigma against marijuana that affects the entire cannabis family a lot.
Frank: I imagine that selling this product has been quite a legal and social challenge. Can you tell us a little bit about this?
Gabriela: On the legal side, we have had no problem because the General Health Law, which is the standard that applies to us, allows the commercialization of products made with industrial hemp as long as they have less than 1% THC and in that sense our products have less than 0.01% THC.
And we have always operated within the framework of the law. On that side we have never had any problems... Now, on the social issue you were asking... As I tell you if there is a very strong stigma associated with cannabis.
Educating about cannabidiol
CBDbies It sells mainly edibles, balms and oils containing cannabidiol. And this has represented a first challenge for the brand: educating the population to understand the differences between cannabidiol and marijuana and, in addition, to know and test the benefits provided by this natural compound.
That is the first major barrier that CBDbies, which proudly declares itself the first Mexican brand to offer cannabidiol, has to overcome. And it's not an easy task.
Frank: I understand that educating the potential buyer is key for you, right?
Gabriela: Yes. It is a product that is currently not fully understood. Since the company was founded, we have dedicated ourselves to researching and having at hand all possible sources of medical studies and all the information and educational environment we can use in order to transmit this information to people.
Studies, articles, user guides prepared with health professionals such as psychiatrists who prescribe it. That's the content we distribute across multiple channels and formats to give people truthful information, to help them make an informed decision.
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Multichannel communication
A multichannel content marketing strategy - videos, podcasts, articles, memes and lives - is how CBDbies Educate the market and solve the stigma associated with the cannabis industry.
Frank: And what channels do they use?
Gabriela: Instagram is where we have the most traffic. With the Posts news that we offer, and incredibly with the memes - Gabriela laughs - they work super well.
In addition, we do Lives with the medical team to discuss questions that people constantly ask them, about whether it's safe, about doses, etc.
But we also use YouTube, with some info-drops, which are short clips that we take from the Lives. And we also have a Wellness Informa podcast and we post information on Facebook.
CBDbies and Cubbo: Perfect Allies for Relax
CBDbies It really explodes during the Covid crisis. Prior to that date, the ecommerce As such it didn't have as much traffic. But quarantines - unbearable and continuous - affected many people on a mental level and anxiety became a daily part of this particular war we are waging against the said virus.
That's where immediate deliveries become a necessity for CBDbies and that's where Cubbo comes to offer an efficient and effective solution.
Frank: Tell us a little about how they operate logistically and how they arrived at Cubbo
Gabriela: Well, we made our own shipments, like any small company. Initially from Tulum and when the office opened in Mexico City, then from Mexico City. And with the pandemic, when our ecommerce It started to grow a lot, it was that we found Cubbo. And they arrived just in time! Because they came at a time when our company was scaling up and we really needed these solutions: automation and being able to get rid of logistics. Because it's a super job. And the great benefit of working with a Fullfilment Company Like Cubbo, is that we can focus on developing our business. And that brings a lot of value.
Focused on the business
The Great Cubbo benefit for CBDbies it has been being able to completely forget about logistics, focusing on your business. The entire logistics operation is in the hands of Cubbo and CBDbies you can control it in real time from any mobile device.
Frank: And how does that work with Cubbo, are they doing well?
Gabriela: Yes. We deliver the product to the distribution center and Cubbo is responsible for picking the packaging and if we need to personalize the box, put a brochure or something on it, they do it for us following our exact instructions and then make the delivery.
And in addition, we can review all this in real time with the Cubbo app, from anywhere in the world. So with my phone I can see what my inventory is like, what's going on with my orders and any other details. This is great.
Frank: And the Same-Day Deliveries? Tell me a little bit about this because I understand that they have been pioneers in it.
Gabriela: Yes. When the pandemic began we thought “people are stuck at home, they're going to need CBD” and then we started doing the Same-day shipping in Mexico City. We did it ourselves with an express courier. But it was something that we needed that Cubbo resolved and initially, they didn't have the option of same-day delivery. So we told them: Everything is fine, but a necessary condition for us to work with you is that you implement the same-day shipping option in the short term. Because it was something that we had already proven to be in high demand by people and it was also an added value that we already offered and could not lose.
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Frank: AND Cubbo Did you comply with that request?
Gabriela: Of course - he laughs - And super good. Besides, people don't understand the magnitude of what a Same-day shipping in Mexico City. Do you know how big and complicated Mexico City is? There's always something that's going on. That is why the Logistics to be able to make a same-day delivery, it's a super job, it's a very, very big challenge. Delivering from end to end is a big challenge, but with Cubbo we're doing really well.
CBD 100% Mexican and for the world
The products of CBDbies - and The Redhead Mexican by extension - are 100% made in Mexico. An added value that allows them to control both the quality and the maquila and packaging processes.
This gives you a CBDbies capabilities that very few companies have and that make them look with hope to the Mexican borders, to expand to the rest of the world.
Frank: In the next five to three years... What can we expect from CBDbies?
Gabriela: Well coincidentally, Janice and Jeff were in Shark Tank from Mexico, they brought the brand to participate and that gave us a lot of exposure and we have had multiple approaches with different marketers who want to take our products to other regions of Latin America: Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Venezuela.
There our Partnership with Cubbo it's going to make things a lot easier for us because they already operate in Colombia and it would be the same system we have here.
Frank: There are other ways you can work together with CBDbies Right?
Gabriela: Of course! I am always asked by people who want to get started in the world of cannabidiol about how to start. And I tell them that the best thing is to try with an established brand. That's why CBDbies Offers a distribution arm and a maquila arm. We offer you the distribution of our products in your store or supermarket and we can give you a wholesale price, facilities, information, materials, etc. And what's the advantage? That this brand and the products are already registered and that it is a brand that is tested and recognized.
And if, once you test the concept, you realize that there is a market among your customers that is very interested in CBD, and you still want to develop your own brand, then welcome. We can help you there too, happy to work with people who have a value proposition and we believe that there is a market for everyone. And that's why we can do their makeup ourselves. We make the product for them and deliver it with a white label and they market it however they want. It's a very simple process.
CBDbies and Cubbo they make an ideal alliance to succeed in developing a 100% Mexican product, which relaxes you and provides well-being, using logistics that in turn liberates, provides well-being and also relaxes the company that uses it, allowing them to focus on what is truly important: growing their business.
Are you looking for an ally that enhances your delivery process, compliance and customer satisfaction? Do not hesitate to contact us, we are the best fulfillment center for ecommerce in Mexico and Colombia, just click here. With solutions such as Fulfillment in Mexico City, you can take your operation to the next level.
