The APAX Group, Prana Principle’s parent company, was founded in the Netherlands 26 years ago. With more than two decades of experience in creating hemp and hemp-derived products, and Prana CEO Sebastien Hebbelinck has brought that same ingenuity and innovation to Colorado. The mission of Prana Principle is to deliver the most innovative, high-quality CBD products to its customers to enhance their health and well-being

Prana launched its extensive topical line last year with beauty masks, serums, lotions and massage oil, and this fall is expanding its line with premium CBD bath products including fizzy dust, bath soak and manicure and pedicure cubes. It will be participating in ECRM’s upcoming Hemp/CBD Health & Beauty Care Virtual Session later this month. 

ECRM spoke with Mike Frink, Prana's Vice President of Business Development, about the company, it’s products and how it’s working with retailers to serve these CBD consumers.
 
ECRM: Describe some of your key products, and the consumer markets that you target.
Frink: Consumers desire CBD topicals that help support their overall well-being. Prana’s Cold Therapy Cream is a fast-acting lotion that can soothe aching muscles and joints. This product is ideal for someone with an active lifestyle and those who have everyday pains. Another key product, our Soothing Sleep Lotion, combines melatonin, lavender and broad-spectrum hemp oil to help the body relax and promote a good night’s sleep. CBD skin care continues to grow in popularity, and our Cellulose CBD Face Mask is a superior product that is designed to calm and rejuvenate the skin. All our products are sulfate and paraben free and use natural botanical oils.
 
ECRM: What is your company/products' "wow" factor?
Frink: Prana Principle has eye-catching, unique and upscale packaging that our customers and even competitors love. Our products are packaged in sleek black containers, with custom art and wooden tops. Our ingredients and packaging are made in the United States in small batches. We test every new batch to confirm potency and purity and ensure there is 0.0% THC. Prana only uses non-GMO and organic hemp from farms in Oregon, Kentucky and Colorado. Consumers know they can trust Prana Principle for their CBD wellness needs and can enjoy an upscale product in a beautiful package at a competitive price.
 
ECRM: How do you support the success of those buyers/category managers with which you work?
Frink: Prana has a strong presence in print and online. This summer our products were featured in several national mainstream magazine publications, including Vogue, InStyle, Allure and Shape. We also promote our products in niche magazines like Origin and Thrive.  Likewise we maintain a steady and strong presence by advertising and collaborating in trade magazines to bring an ongoing added value and information to buyers and retail decision makers. We have collaborated with dozens of beauty and skincare influencers, and our products regularly appear in online blogs.

Our goal is to have our products speak for themselves through the voices of the most popular and trending influencers on social media. This has been a great way to share how consumers can enjoy our products. Prana also raises brand awareness with ongoing paid and organic social media posts. We have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok page that we regularly contribute to. Prana’s marketing campaigns are built around product launches, sales and seasonal holidays.
 
ECRM: What trends are you seeing in the particular categories you cover?
Frink: We have seen substantial demand from consumers for topical CBD products that can be used daily. Our CBD skincare products are ideal for daily use and are made with broad spectrum hemp, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Although CBD skin care is new to the market, it has been used for centuries to treat numerous skin conditions. We are currently evaluating and expanding our product line to include more CBD topicals our customers can incorporate into their daily routines. 
 
ECRM: How has COVID impacted your business, and how have you adapted to the challenges?
Frink: We have seen some challenges with production and launching our new products as a result of COVID. These obstacles have been relatively small and we have continued to meet our retailers’ needs. This has been a stressful time for everyone, and we have seen more consumers seek out CBD products to help them relax during these uncertain times. We are grateful we can continue to provide products to our customers for their overall wellness during a difficult time. Prana has had a lot of growth this year, and as a result we moved into a larger warehouse to meet our product demand. 
 
ECRM: Where are your products currently distributed?
Frink: Our products are currently in CVS, Publix, Giant Eagle, Mountain Mamma’s, Dollar General and LTD Commodities. Prana Principle is set to have products in 10,000 retailer locations by the end of 2020. We also have relationships with several spas and salons across the country and expect continued growth in this market as restrictions end and more places begin to operate as normal. 
 
ECRM: How do you see your category evolving over the next few years?
Frink: Over the next few years Prana Principle expects to see FDA regulations in the CBD industry that will allow brands to develop more products and expand into more retailers. There has been a lack of regulation and guidance from the FDA for CBD ingestibles, which is why we solely focus on topical products at this time. 
 
ECRM: What's the best way for buyers to contact you?
Frink: Buyers can contact Prana Principle by emailing info@pranacbd.com, calling us at 833- 201-7777 or filling out this form on our website. 

Editor's note: This Q&A is a sponsored post