Data Availability

• There are numerous online articles and online recommendations for the best CBD brands within both the U.S. and internationally. Various sources rank brands based on several key performance indicators and this information is readily available in the public domain.
• For leading brands in the CBD space, there are significant amounts of available data on company practices, strategy, messaging, and other information required to perform a competitor analysis.

Initial Findings

• Online magazine Health recently published an article for which they named their 11 best CBD oil brands to buy in 2021. These included CBDistillery (best for anxiety), Spruce (best potency), Charlotte's Web (best for sleep), Cornbread Hemp (best full spectrum), R+R Medicinals (best value), Joy Organics (best organic), Medterra (best CBD isolate), NuLeaf Naturals (best for pain), Plus CBD (best CBD oil spray), Fab CBD (best flavors), and cbdMD (best broad-spectrum).
•  Brands Grade, who provide a service enabling consumers to rank and grade top-rated U.S. brands, based on factors such as value, product range, affordability, customer service etc., have provided an updated list of their top 10 CBD Brands in the U.S., for 2021. These include Premium Jane, Just CBD, Pure Kana, Tommy Chongs, Green Roads, Binoid, Diamond CBD, Plant People, Nature Script, and Medterra.

• Consistently named as one of the top 10 best CBD brands currently in the U.S., Medterra provide over 40 products in 7 categories. Their scientifically developed products are 100% all-American made, and the company is U.S. H.Authority™ Certified. Free shipping is available for orders over $75, and there are also military and disability discount programs available.
• Medterra's brand messaging focuses on the quality and consistency of their products as well as their commitment to customer service. The company claim their industrial hemp is "grown and extracted in accordance within the strict guidelines of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture", and provide details of their partnership with the Hemp Pilot Research Program, aimed at increasing the level of service they offer to their customers, both local and internationally. The company also provide friendly and helpful CBD tips and information, as well as an invitation to contact them for any advice or further information on the subject.
•  Revenue for Medterra for the year 2020 was 8.3 million Euros, and this was down 22% from the previous year figure of 10.7 million Euros.
• Medterra's unique selling point s that they place a premium maintaining their reputation for producing and providing consumers with high-quality, pure, potent, and safe products and great transparency, customer interaction and service. The company has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB — an indication of how well a business is likely to interact with its customers), and has never received any warning letters or negative attention from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), implying they have likely never made any false claims about their products.
•  Some brands strengths are said to be their strict hemp regulations, which are rigorously enforced with high levels of testing and quality control, guaranteed THC-free products, and their personalized shopping experiences, which feature innovative loyalty schemes and reward programs. One noticeable weakness was said to be the lack of 'whole plant' extract options. Among their most recommended products are their CBD isolate oil, melatonin tablets, and pain cream.
• Medterra's brand marketing strategy involves a mix of different campaigns and interactive content. A recent campaign entitled 'CBDo's and CBDon'ts' featured a series of educational ads, advising customers on best CBD practices, such as to look from rigorous testing in CBD products and to ignore industry novelties and gimmicks. The company has also released information regarding the use of digital marketing and data analysis for their CBD retail sales.

• In 2020, it was announced that Medterra had entered into a strategic partnership with Latin-American company Megalabs, allowing the company to further their ambition of entering the cannabis market in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, and giving Megalabs exclusive access to sell Medterra's products there. This is seen as a significant step, considering other companies within the industry (most notably Canopy Growth) have tried and failed to establish a presence in these regions.
• Reaffirming a commitment to CBD research, development and education, Medterra released the results of the first ever Consumer Clinical CBD Study in the U.S. in 2021. The seven-month clinical study, developed in response to requests by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for detailed scientific data and research into using CBD, and its effects on the liver, confirmed that Medterra, alongside 11 other key CBD industry figures, were found to have zero liver toxicity or disease detected in the 839 participants in the study.

Summary

• Part i) of the initial findings has demonstrated there is enough information available to determine the top brands in the CBD industry.
• Part ii) provides an example of a case study/competitor analysis which could be performed on any of the leading CBD brands within the U.S. or internationally.