How a Two-Person Distribution Team Conquered Oklahoma.

Using branding and guerilla marketing to establish a leading distribution business.

Union Six Oklahoma

Union Six is an Oklahoma-based distribution company. Formerly known as “Green Wholesale Distributors,” Union Six came to us with a vision for the future of distribution. They were tired of the lack of access cannabis companies had to connect with each other.

The only solutions in the market were either too expensive or favored established multistate operators. They wanted to figure out how to level the playing field with an online marketplace and a distribution fleet that serviced the entire state. We helped them build a brand, strategize their approach, and set things in motion.

SERVICES:

CONSULTING

BRANDING

MARKETING

DIGITAL SALES

SOCIAL MEDIA

PHOTOGRAPHY

WEB DESIGN

Client Challenges

Didn’t have a core brand message to amplify.
Had a generic identity that blended in with the crowd.
Brand new business without recognition or client base.
Needed in-demand cannabis products to sell to dispensaries.
Needed a dispensary base to attract high-quality cannabis brands.

Here’s How We Solved Them...

Brand Strategy

Turning the generic into the distinct.

After a series of discovery and strategy meetings, we decided to start with branding. Oklahoma needed more well-branded distribution companies, and there was an opportunity to differentiate with a strong brand. The heavy hitters in the industry had a stronghold on the market. Still, they lacked a solid digital presence and a memorable brand.

The core of a strong brand is an authentic brand strategy that relates to its target audience. Oklahoma business people value old-school ethics and integrity and support local businesses. We helped establish this business as the premier local distribution service.

Union Six came to us under the name “Green Wholesale Distributors.” The name “Union Six” signifies that this team is here to unite the six corners of Oklahoma. The shape of the state is as unique as the cannabis market, and businesses need local support to thrive.

Brand Identity

Bringing Union Six to life with a logo, and visual assets.

A winning brand identity brings your brand strategy to life. We dove deeper into the “local” Oklahoma approach to derive a color palette. Each color we picked related to a key geographical feature of Oklahoma or cannabis.

We wanted a rugged font that appealed to the male-dominated market, with a modern touch to give Union Six a “cutting edge” feel. Union Six’s small team relied heavily on technology to differentiate them from competitors so we leaned into the use of black to communicate the modern”dark mode” tech feel.

Finally, we created a badge logo inspired by classic American blue-collar companies. The badge logo helps communicate strength, trust, and stability. The logo itself is a lock with a 6-point cannabis leaf, representing the safe distribution of cannabis to the six corners of Oklahoma.

Web Design

Creating the digital backbone of sales and operations.

Next, we needed a website. Union Six is unique in its vision. Their goal was to build an online wholesale marketplace with sales capabilities and back it up with a distribution team that will travel to all six corners of the state.

We worked with Apex Trading, a cannabis ERP system, to provide shop functionality integration. Together we built a system that made it easy for the Union Six team to upload new products directly to their marketplace, manage inventory, track deliveries, and keep track of invoices in one custom built platform.

Functionality was the number one priority for the website, but it also needed to be visually appealing. Since the Union Six brand is subtle we used bold and direct copywriting to clearly communicate what the brand is about.

You can view the website here.

Digital Sales

Getting top brands and building a dispensary network at the same time.

Union Six has two categories of clients: dispensaries that make purchases on their website and producers that list their products for sale. Quality content and direct outreach were the best way to get clients on both sides of the spectrum.

First, we built a multi-channel digital sales system. We created a strategy that identified ideal clients, compiled a list, and methodically reached out to them at scale. Our goal was to reach their clients where they spent their time online. That included email, Instagram, Facebook, and more.

We built the system to seamlessly integrate with their sales process and reduce the need for door-to-door sales from such a small team.

When we generated a lead, Union Six automatically received their contact information so they could follow up and close the deal.

First Month Of Business Stats

250+

Individual SKUs Onboarded

50+

Oklahoma Dispensary Partners

2

Exclusive Brand Partnerships

Social Media

Creating a hub for cannabis business owners and industry personnel.

Next, we created a B2B platform for cannabis businesses on social media. We shared industry news, interesting statistics, and info about key players in the industry. We also tastefully infused highlights of our products and services for the audience we started to amass.

Social media was a vital tool for our digital sales efforts. We used Instagram as a platform to build trust and nurture potential customers. Even when a dispensary would decline to buy products from Union Six, they stayed in their ecosystem and interacted with them. Our Social Media content helped convert multiple sales from retailers that weren’t yet ready to buy but circled back months later.