Beware of CBD food
While cannabidiol-infused anything is a trend, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on CBD food products, saying that based on “the lack of scientific information supporting the safety of CBD in food,” it cannot conclude that it is generally recognized as safe to be used in food for humans or animals. The FDA on Monday also issued warning letters to 15 companies it says illegally sold products containing cannabidiol, a chemical component in cannabis that doesn’t cause a high.
“We remain concerned that some people wrongly think that the myriad of CBD products on the market, many of which are illegal, have been evaluated by the FDA and determined to be safe, or that trying CBD ‘can’t hurt,’” Dr. Amy Abernethy, FDA principal deputy commissioner, said in a statement. For now, the FDA has only approved a single CBD drug for the treatment of two rare forms of pediatric epilepsy. Stay tuned: the FDA plans to give an update on its approach to CBD products in the coming weeks.
But, for now...
What’s a CBD brand to do when they want to get in on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, but aren’t allowed to advertise on social media? They get crafty, of course. Sparkling water brand Recess, which infuses each drink with hemp, is paying customers to share its brand on Instagram. Starting on Nov. 29, for every repost, direct message or Instagram Story someone shares, the brand will send $3 to that user’s Venmo account. Users have to direct message the brand a screenshot as proof along with their Venmo handle. The brand is promoting the campaign on Instagram with a 20 percent off code beginning on Friday, and plans to shell out $3,000.
The smart diaper is here
Folks who got on the waiting list last summer for the diaper/video monitor/app combo that Procter & Gamble Co. developed with help from Google can now buy the whole getup for $359 (less a $30 offer code that expires at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 27). What you get for that includes a reusable sensor that detects "No. 1," but not necessarily "No. 2," and works with specially designed Pampers Swaddlers diapers that have a cutout for the sensor. There’s also a Logitech video camera and two-way audio monitor that also tracks room temperature, humidity and movement, feeding data to the app. Your baby need never live an unmeasured moment, assuming she graduates from smart diaper to smart watch, nor endure a wet diaper. Refills of the Lumi diapers are available for delivery direct from P&G at $59.95 per month, with each specialized diaper costing only 4 cents more than ordinary Swaddlers, according to Pampers.
Beating d-to-c
For all the attention direct-to-consumer startups have gotten in recent years, traditional brands still beat them easily on most loyalty measures in a new survey by research firm Survata. The loyalty gap, however, narrows significantly or even disappears in many categories among Gen Z consumers ages 18-24. The survey looked at Casper vs. Sealy in mattresses, Gillette vs. Dollar Shave Club in razors, H&M vs. Bonobos in apparel, Ray-Ban vs. Warby Parker in eyewear, and Purina vs. BarkBox in pet food. For the general population, incumbents won by 4-1 or 3-1 margins on such questions as loyalty, trust and which brand people would buy if prices and everything else were the same. But for the 18-24 year olds, on that last question, Gillette won by only a 51 percent to 49 percent margin, and Sealy by only 55 percent to 45 percent.
Jingle water
Michael Bublé is back for Bubly. The crooner, who first appeared for the PepsiCo sparkling water brand in a Super Bowl ad, is lending his voice to a Christmas-themed spot. But the cans, not the singer, play a starring role in this ad, which was handled by The Mill and Direct Focus.
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