Up The Hydration With Vibations

Just as I’ve never been a fan of cannabis vapes, infused beverages have never really done it for me. They’re often loaded with sugar and/or off-putting flavors, and when it comes to consuming before a workout, they just aren’t hydrating enough to make you feel like you’ve made a nutritious and healthy choice. 

MariMed’s VP of Marketing Jay O’Malley was thinking the same thing when he and his team launched Vibations, a cannabis + electrolyte drink mix designed with advanced hydration in mind. Currently available in Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, and Puerto Rico, Vibations is blazing a unique trail in the industry that is sure to catch on and spread.

From wine and beer to weed and water

O’Malley spent 25 years in the Boston beer business before switching over to the plant. While the markets are similar enough—highly-regulated controlled substances—cannabis has the added, beautiful element of health and wellness that was missing in beer, wine and spirits. 

“I love that the lines are kind of blurred in that regard,” O’Malley said. “Even when you’re using cannabis recreationally, you don’t get the harmful effects you get with alcohol. And I’m not anti-alcohol—I still love wine, whiskey, and beer—but I think you can find a place for cannabis in your lifestyle that helps you relax, unwind, destress, relieve pain, and be socially engaged without waking up hungover, dehydrated, and that much closer to liver damage.”

MariMed’s Vibations is interesting because it doesn’t necessarily try to fill the beer-and-wine gap; instead of being marketed as a night-out replacement, it’s more of a fast-acting hydration drink with a happy kick to it. This one’s for consumers who want to drink something that tastes good and does something good, without all of the added sugar that Gatorade or Powerade are flooded with.

“It doesn’t get me wired like Red Bull or Monster, but it does give me energy while feeling like I made a healthy decision,” O’Malley said. “When I was in high school, cannabis was the end-all of degenerates. Now, consumers are the moms and dads looking for the focus and energy to do yard work or spring-clean their garages. For them, Vibations makes that sort-of-horrible task sound not so bad—and the same thing happens if you drink one before going for a run. It eases the pain of getting into it. Instead of wondering when it’s going to be over, you’re just enjoying the journey.”

How to win with Vibations

When marketing Vibations to consumers, O’Malley likes to think about it like Gatorade or North Face. Both brands do a great job of positioning their product as a sort of “for serious athletes” option, but most people who drink Gatorade don’t workout regularly, have never played football, and are probably just chugging it down because they’re hungover—but hey, they still feel good about the choices they’re making.

“It’s the same with North Face. Most people will never climb a mountain with the jacket on, but they’re drawn to the brand because of the positive feelings it evokes. With Vibations consumers, we focus on that broader benefit, which we call ‘advanced hydration’. This allows us to widen the aperture of the consumer set we’re after,” O’Malley said. 

“When we do marketing, it could be for a runner, a paddleboarder, or even people needing to hydrate at festivals. This is for anything that requires a little endurance, from cleaning house to going for a run to being out in the sun all day. When you think about it from the perspective of advanced hydration, you’re more present, more focused, and more energized to tackle that task.”

What’s next for Vibations

Consumers looking for everyday hydration with an added energy boost can win with Vibations, and Vibations wins not only for these unique offerings, but because the brand tastes way better than anything else on the market.

“If you look at some of the flavor offerings in cannabis beverages, they tend to lean a little too into the hippie, hibiscus, coriander-type flavors. That might taste good to a few people, but no one wants to consume 3-4 of those at a backyard BBQ or concert where other people are crushing 5-10 Twisted Teas,” O’Malley said.

“We’ve developed flavor profiles that have more mass appeal without selling out or not being authentic to the plant and its benefits. From lemon lime to strawberry lemonade, people already know and love these flavors. Then, you’ve got all of the added benefits from the plant, whether it’s THC or the minor cannabinoids we add. I think we’re being true to both the mass market consumer demand and the benefits that the plant brings to society.”

And the brand is only just getting started. They’re currently launching in Illinois, where there’s very little beverage competition but plenty of opportunities for Vibations to fit right in.

“Illinois has this really amazing culture of street festivals, running clubs, and social clubs, which can really help build the word of mouth for us,” O’Malley said. “We’re also dying to get into California. Vibations fits the culture—you know, skateboarding, walking around on the beach. I hope we find a way to do it someday, but for now, we’re doing great in Maryland, Massachusetts, and we have early signs of success in Illinois that are outstanding.”

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