Brands to Watch: WYLD
2023 has been a landmark year for Missouri cannabis, bringing the start of recreational marijuana sales and a bevy of new products and brands to market.
Missouri is currently home to more than 200 different brands and more than 10,000 products. As the market grows and new brands and products continue to appear, Greenway looks to highlight Brands to Watch. Companies and brands ranging from homegrown talent and design, to out-of-state players looking to make a big impact, the brands featured here are those that are moving the needle.
One of those brands is WYLD.
WYLD was founded in Oregon in 2016 and can now be found in 11 states across the nation. The company says one goal it began with was to create the best-tasting edibles in the world; not nation but world.
The WYLD gummies are infused with real fruit and are constantly evaluated by food scientists and quality experts to ensure that they are always improving and keeping up with what consumers want, and since 2019, WYLD has been a leader in the hemp-produced gummy space – with the company launching its CBD line that year.
But what does the WYLD brand really stand for? Rachael Smith gave Greenway some insight into what it takes to keep things WYLD.
Where did the idea for the name WYLD come about?
We get asked this all the time. Wyld isn’t an acronym or anything, but rather, a way of life. We encourage people to live life Wyld and to find their own adventures. Although Wyld isn’t an acronym our name stands for many things including integrity, transparency, consistency, and quality. We don’t fit in a box. We follow our own rules. That’s one of the reasons Wyld is spelled with a Y.
What values and ideas does WYLD represent?
In addition to the idea that we can provide an experience and flavor for everyone, we believe in giving back to our communities, protecting our planet, and contributing impactful and progressive change within our society. We have a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team that spearheads this work. We became Climate Neutral Certified in 2022 and are continuing to implement reduction actions and compensate for our emissions each year by investing in carbon credits and 100% renewable energy. We also work with dedicated partners across North America like One Tree Planted, BIPOCann, NuProject, and many others. Our goal is to amplify their voices, bringing awareness to their work, and inspire change. Folks can read more about some of the work we do and check out our annual Impact Reports on The Why in Wyld.
What went into the design and execution in your packaging?
Our 9-sided ‘origami’ box is one of the most recognizable parts of our brand! Our packaging design was created in-house and is supported by our design agency. We work with printers across the country to make our beautiful boxes a reality. We all know people ‘eat’ with their eyes first, so having beautiful, engaging packaging is one of our hallmarks.
What values and ideas does WYLD represent?
Wyld has built a really amazing culture of continuous growth, but that doesn’t just mean sales or operations. As a company we have committed to four areas of impact where we’re always striving to be better: Health and Wellness, Environmental Sustainability, Social and Racial Justice, and Combatting the Failed War on Drugs. We call this the Why in Wyld.
What went into the design and execution of the WYLD packaging?
We wanted to create something unique, with lots of opportunity for interaction. The boxes we use offer many facets for information and branding, with a cool closure that really connects with the complexity and quality we bring through our products. Sustainability is our next step. We’re working hard w/ suppliers to reduce the impact of our packaging on the environment, a project which has already generated fully compostable packs in select regions and product lines.
What should patients and consumers expect from WYLD headed into the new year?
We’re excited to continue expanding and innovating. We’ve just launched two new gummies – Sour Tangerine THC Hybrid-Enhanced for pure enjoyment and Boysenberry THC:CBD:CBN Indica-Enhanced which is a wonderful gummy for supporting sleep. Going into next year, we have robust plans to continue building the best assortment in edibles and provide consumers with new options to explore.
What sets WYLD apart from the competition?
We’re one of the few independent cannabis brands at our size. That independence allows us to stay focused on the things that matter most for our consumers: quality and consistency. We also have one of the largest sales and distribution teams in cannabis, and that backend really matters in terms of how we show up as a partner for retailers. In general, we are aggressive about being excellent and that translates into the amazing community of partners and patrons we’ve cultivated, building value through what we do and how we do it.
If you had to pick a WYLD product, what would you pick and why?
Our favorite day-time high right now is our Sativa-Enhanced Blood Orange THC:CBC gummy. It’s a delicious mood boost for those times when a positive, energetic head shift is desired. For those in a more wintery, hibernation mood – the Indica-Enhanced Boysenberry THC:CBD:CBN gummies help flip the switch with deep body melting relaxation. But really, they’re all favorites depending on the time and occasion. Our different formulas mean there’s always a great pairing between what we’re doing and what we’re consuming.
“We just want to thank the industry and community for the warm welcome here in Missouri so far. We’re having a blast bringing our best to shops near you and we’re sincerely grateful to everyone who is supporting our brand,” Smith concluded.
