Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Lights are bright, we chase the sight.
[00:00:02] Speaker B: Media dreams, we take the flight Partnerships, they lead the way.
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Success is what we aim today.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: Today I'm speaking with Ren Robinson, e Commerce affiliate manager at Cycling Frog. Ren, thank you so much for taking the time to share more about you about Cycling Frog and the partnerships that are helping you drive growth through your brand.
[00:00:23] Speaker A: Hi, thanks for having me on today.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: Well, first of all, I'd love for you to tell us, you know, a bit more about the business of Cycling Frog. I'm really curious actually to the founding story, like how it all came about.
[00:00:38] Speaker A: So Cycling Frog was actually founded in 2014 by our CEO Sequoia Price Lazarus. He's got a deep history working within the cannabis industry in the sector. Back when it was first founded, he realized that the industry wasn't quite ready for it. He's kind of a revolutionary, he's a fast thinker. And back then people were still a little bit skittish about the industry. They're like, what is this? Why are we doing it? Basically, they weren't ready for him and his vision. So he took a step back, took a hiatus and then decided to focus on how to develop a hemp derived product that was more recreational versus medical. Some time passed and then he relaunched in 2021 with a fresh look and feel. And basically when he relaunched it started off with gummies and then from there I, after some great positive feedback, he expanded into seltzers.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: Cool. Very cool. I'm Canadian and I'm in Vancouver, so cannabis has been a big part of our culture for a long time. And then now it's, you know, it became legal in Canada quite early in as far as other countries are concerned. So, yeah, I, I, I know that there was also that stage in Canada that happened where it was, people were a little trepidatious at first and it just takes a while for people to fully understand the products, the benefits and, you know, there's a lot of stigma that might have happened previously with it and so I imagine there's a lot to overcome. So it's, it's interesting that, you know, it's been around since 2014. That doesn't sound like that long ago, but that's 11 years ago, right?
[00:02:04] Speaker A: Yeah, actually it was a long time ago. And now that you mentioned that, I do remember that people knew about cannabis back then, but it was mostly for people who had medical cards. So it was very much a thing that you did if you needed it and if your doctor decided you needed it. So I can see how it was around back then, but like we said, it wasn't so accepted like it was. And it makes sense that he took a step back and decided to pivot and relaunch in a time when people were ready and would be excited about the product.
[00:02:31] Speaker B: Makes a ton of sense. So, Ren, I'm super interested to learn more about the products that Cycling Frog has to offer, so maybe you can explain a little bit around what products you have.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: Yeah, so as I mentioned, we've got gummies, and then we have selt serve. We've got flavors such as blue, raspberry and the gummies. And then for our seltzers, we just launched our 10 milligram line of our core seltzers. And those guys are wild cherry, ruby, grapefruit, and blackcurrant. So they come in 5 milligrams, and then they also come in 10 milligrams. And the great thing about our products are, especially the seltzers, are they're sessionable. So they're intended to be a single dose for a person where you can sip it throughout your day and not have to deal with that whole, like, whoa, I'm super high. All of a sudden, it's more of them. You can take your time. You can go on a nice little ride with it. It's, like I said, fashionable for one person. Just included in your day.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, I find this interesting, and one of probably the biggest benefits of, you know, regulation coming into place and real companies being a part of this is this idea of, like, some control. Right. There was a time where you might not know how much CBD or THC you were taking this way. It's like, it's very measured. Right. And that's really common among, like, food and beverage products. We know, okay, there's this much caffeine in it, and there's much. This much sugar in it. And now you just apply that same idea into THC type products. So it make. I think it makes it not only just safer for people, but it does make it more comfortable for someone to know, you know, what they should expect as far as benefits or effects from a lot of these different products that are out there.
[00:04:08] Speaker A: I agree. Especially if you know your limits, you can say, okay, I look at this, I see that it's got 2 milligrams per can. I know that I can handle this. Unlike, like you said before, maybe somebody made brownies in their mom's basement, and they're like, I don't know. And so you take it and not know what kind of Ride you're going on. The way we do it, like you mentioned, does make it safer. It does kind of allow people to come into this with education and so they can make an informed decision about how much they want to take or if they want to spread it out amongst a day or so.
[00:04:37] Speaker B: Yeah. And this has become a very competitive market. Right. Maybe at one point there wasn't a lot of these products on offer, but now, you know, like you said, there's edibles and there's drinks and there's seltzers has come a long ways. What would you say that makes cycling frogs products unique in the market?
Yeah.
[00:04:57] Speaker A: So like you mentioned, there are a lot of places or a lot of players in this space. You can probably Google THC Seltzer and you'll get inundated with a ton of brands. And what sets us apart from them is we own the full process from seed to shelf. And what that looks like is we plant our own seeds on our farms and then we harvest them and then we do everything in house. So we remove the impurities, we flavor all the products with real fruit juice and then we ship it out for third party testing. Once everything passes and we get our certificates, we bring it back and then we package it and ship it off. So we know what's happening with the product from start to finish. We care about it. There's no artificial flavors or sweeteners or we're pesticides and whatnot. We produce a product that tastes good, it's responsibly first and it's something that you can trust because we know what, what's going on.
[00:05:46] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I like this. We're talking about, hey, you know what, it's, it's very well measured as far as what the components of it are. You know, you can trust it, but it's all. It's also really cool that this market has matured to a point where things like seed to table. I had never heard that line before, but I love that. The idea of seed to table, it's almost this food movement. It's almost like you can become foodie in this, in this way, like real fruit juices.
That's quite an evolution from where this industry probably started out. Which was more about maybe the high that you get or the relaxation benefits. I think that's, that's really interesting. And do you find that your consumers are very interested in that? Is that a thing that they talk about a lot? Do they talk about the taste and the flavors of a product like this?
[00:06:30] Speaker A: They do, yes. So What I hear a lot and what we see a lot from our reviews and feedback is that it's genuinely a tasty beverage.
I'm sure we've all tried them before and you recognize that some of them have like this interesting aftertaste or you've got like this weird coating on your tongue. Whereas ours tend to be a lot more approachable and flavorful. And like I mentioned, we use real fruit juice.
[00:06:51] Speaker B: It's almost like I would kind of compare this to, you know, you have sugar free drinks and maybe they have aspartame or stevia and you have that like, there's that taste and you're like, this isn't real sugar, it's trying to be sugar. And imagine using real fruit juice has that same effect. When you're talking about an ingestible. I think that's cool that you're having real fruit juices.
It's coming right from a farm that, you know, you guys are very vertically integrated, meaning you're growing the product, you're processing the product, you're, you know, going all the way through to the sale of the product. I think that's important to know that there's a lot of control and trust just with cycling frog on that. I think that's something. As we start talking about how you work with partners, I believe that's really important to people is when they're, when a partner, whether that's a creator, an influencer or a publisher or review site, they want to make sure that this product that they're essentially vouching for in a lot of ways with their audience, that it can be trusted and that they would stand behind it themselves.
I'm interested to know about your role in the company. So as we shift from the company and the products that you have, why don't you tell me a little bit about your role and what's most challenging or exciting about it.
[00:08:01] Speaker A: So as you mentioned, I am the E Commerce affiliate manager and essentially I am the face of the brand for the affiliate side of things.
I am the person that they interact with and interface with day to day. I handle onboarding, I handle troubleshooting, I handle walking people through the products and education. So I essentially am that human face behind the brand for the people who partner with us and advertise on our behalf.
[00:08:25] Speaker B: Very cool. So tell me a little bit about your affiliate and creator programs. What are some of the goals that you have when you're running these programs?
[00:08:33] Speaker A: Yeah, so a lot of our goals focus around new customer acquisition and education.
We find that when people are educated about a product, they feel much more comfortable with purchasing it. They also feel comfortable with sharing it with their friends.
So the more information people have, the more, I don't want to say bold, but the more comfortable they are. And so that's the approach I take from both approaching partners and working with them. It's a. I am here to hold your hand, to make sure that you understand everything and that you feel comfortable and confident to go forth and, you know, advocate for this product.
[00:09:06] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So you're, I mean, part of your role is not only educating consumers, but it's really educating your partner so that they can do a better job of educating their audience and their consumers.
[00:09:18] Speaker A: Exactly, yes. And actually quite fun because not everyone learns in the same way. So I get to constantly reiterate or I'm constantly coming up with these different ways to talk to people, to get in front of them, to provide materials and sources. And so it just gives me this great repository of items to give to people. So if someone learns visually, then I've got all these visual things. If someone learns from, you know, having a face to face conversation, then I've got slideshows and decks and stuff ready to sit down and just walk them through the products.
[00:09:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I imagine that gives the partners a lot more confidence when they're going out into the market with that. So tell me, how does the affiliate and creator strategy help you achieve these goals of new customer acquisition and education that you mentioned?
[00:09:59] Speaker A: So the education piece of this is where it really comes in. Like I mentioned, when people feel comfortable about what they're talking about, they can go forth and they can spread the word. So maybe it's that you've got this favorite influencer that you follow and they're like, oh my gosh, guys, I just got this new flavor from Cycling Frog and it's so great. And here are all the reasons why it's so great. Or here's how it fits into my lifestyle. Or hey, maybe you're getting together with your friends for a Thursday night kickback. Have you thought about this? Or maybe even you're doing like a dry January or a California sober lifestyle. And then they include how this fits into there. So essentially it just comes down to the word of mouth and that social validation that comes from working with partners such as creators, bloggers, people within the top funnel space.
[00:10:43] Speaker B: Yeah. And with a product like this, I imagine people are buying it and using it in all kinds of different ways. Like you said. I know there's this huge shift away from alcohol among the younger generation. But, you know, they still want to hang out with their friends and have fun and relax. There's also, you know, people that have a difficult time. Maybe they have a really stressful job. And what they might have done before is come home and have a beer and a cigarette. Let's say it was like 20 years ago. And they're like, nah, that's not really part of my healthy lifestyle anymore. I'm getting home, I'm going to the gym after that. And that's how I'm decompressing. So you could have all these different people that use that product in a different way, speak to their audience in a unique way, but still educating on the same benefits. So you guys get to control, hey, here's what the product is. Here's what the product is for, here's how it can use it. But then they get to say it in their own voice to their own audience in so many unique ways. I love that.
[00:11:36] Speaker A: Yeah, people get very creative. We've seen tons of mocktails come about it. We've seen people get together and have these parties that are kind of themed. And as you mentioned, people love sharing with their friends. We've got some people who, like, write reviews about, like, hey, this is really great. Before, like you mentioned, my go to used to be to come home and have a beer and anything that went with it or whatever. And then they switch over and they're like, well, now I do cycling frog. I come home and I have a cycling frog. And it feels much better. It feels. It feels like it aligns with my goals of living a healthier, cleaner lifestyle.
[00:12:06] Speaker B: Yeah, I love that. So what are some of the big successes you've seen in working with partners? And feel free to name names at this point.
[00:12:14] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. So we've got a couple of partners that have seen over, you know, six figures working with us. We've got some partners that we work hand in hand with. One of them in particular, CBD oil users, does a great job. They kind of have a platform, like I mentioned, where it's a very educative thing. They list the products, puts a lot of product reviews. And so I see that it works for them in the way of, here's the product, here's how it stacks up against their competitors, or here's a couple of other products in the space, and here's how it's different, here's why we like it, and put our name behind it. Yeah. To say that's kind of where we see a Lot of success with our partners where they are open and honest about the product and how it stacks up against other products in the space. And then here's more information about it or here's where you can find it.
[00:12:59] Speaker B: Yeah. And how many partners do you work with? Maybe not an exact number, but is it. Are we just talking about one or two partners or do you work with quite a few different partners and creators?
[00:13:07] Speaker A: We work with about 250 active partners and that's not to speak of the partners who have not yet been onboarded and got up and running. So right now we've got 250 who are actively out doing things and spreading the word. Wow.
[00:13:21] Speaker B: The thing I love about this space is you take these like very unique partnerships where they're saying stuff in their way to their audience, but then you can do that at a huge scale. Like 250 different people that are and partners that are talking about your different products. You think about the matrix of this, how many products there are, how many partners there are, what they're talking about.
That's incredible. It's incredible that you've been able to scale this that well. I think that's a testament to you and to Cycling Prague. And of course, I'll give a little bit of a props to technology that can help support that. When you're working with partners, how do you choose the types of partners you work with and which ones do you look for?
[00:14:01] Speaker A: Yeah, so when choosing partners, I look for people who have active links, insights. So as you know, when you apply, you can put which websites or like which site links or social channels and stuff. I look for people who have active social channels and links. From there, I look to see if they are regularly interacting with their audiences or keeping their information up to date. And if the links that they have on their website are ones that are trustworthy versus ones that send you off to some sketchy land. They really want to make sure that we are working with people who kind of have the same transparent, open and honest and reliable information that the brand has as well. From there, I also want to make sure that we work with people who align with our brand ethos. The worst thing you can do is have people advocating on behalf of your brand who don't share the same values and morals as you do. Because there's kind of like this conflict and it's similar to you are the company you keep. So we look for the company that we keep within our affiliate brand are the ones who we would say, hey, this feels like an extension of us or, hey, you seem like the type of person that we would personally interact with.
[00:15:05] Speaker B: Yeah. And again, I think trying to do this at scale is. Must be somewhat difficult where you're. I mean, you're vetting everybody not only just for, like, hey, is this a real person? But what do they talk about? So do you spend some time looking through their content as well? So are you looking through, let's say, their Instagram feeds and trying to get a feel for them?
[00:15:27] Speaker A: Yes, sometimes I do feel like a stalker because I am going through your Instagram feeds. I'm reading your comments, I'm reading the feedback. I'm hunting down all of your social channels. Even if you don't mention them or list them, I truly do want to make sure that you're not just listing one channel or a website. I want to make sure that within your personal life, you're not out there spouting things that don't align with the brand. So I go pretty deep with some of these. With some of these checks.
[00:15:53] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I think that's important, right, because you're. You're allowing another person to speak on behalf of your brand to their trusted audience. And you want to make sure that that, like, authenticity and that credibility goes all the way through. That comes from your brand, through your partners, and then over to that audience. And that audience, once they start using the product, they become ambassadors as well, in a way. So you want to do the best job up front to make sure that they're getting the right message so that when they tell their friends about it, they're able to kind of continue that. That communication as well.
[00:16:24] Speaker A: Exactly. Misinformation spreads really quickly. And my job is to make sure that we catch it before it starts or if it.
And then we're course correcting or we're educating people so it's not a thing that continues on down the funnel or the telephone line, if you will.
[00:16:39] Speaker B: Yeah, it sounds like you. You're attracting a lot of different partners to your program. You have 250 active partners. I'm sure you're looking at them and vetting. You're in a position where you can choose who it is that you want to work with because the product is an attractive product. People like it. You know, you're getting great reviews on it. On the other side, why should partners work with you and recommend your products and services?
[00:17:01] Speaker A: Ooh, because that's a good question. I think partners like to work with us or should work with us, because as we mentioned before, there's a Lot of transparency. There's a lot of openness, there's a lot of honesty, and there's a lot of education that goes behind it. We don't just add people to the program and say, go forth and make things happen. Good luck on your own. When they sign on, it's welcome to the team. Here's all the resources you need to be successful. And if you feel like something's missing. Hi, my name is Wren. I'm here to help you along your journey. In addition to that, we also have several bonus windows where we give our partners opportunities to earn more money. And these happen to coincide a lot with our sales. So with the sales, we have a lot of people coming to the website, so there's already that incentive. And then here's the bonus for you to earn even more. And then with that, we also do some product seating.
I know sometimes brands give out products. Sometimes brands are like, good luck. Buy this on your own. But we're just like, hey, you're getting started. Let us know what you need or what you would like to feature, and we can get that to you to help make you successful.
[00:17:58] Speaker B: Cool. So great product. Sounds like you have great support for them as well. You know, it's. It's less common than you would think that there's a person that they can talk to, you know, about the program. Because like we say, a lot of this can be done at such a great scale using technology, but you still need this human element. You're working with people, right? People love to work with people.
[00:18:18] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
[00:18:20] Speaker B: I mean, I am incredibly excited that we have you as a partner at Impact.
Great to have you as a brand here. I think that if there's partners out there, creators, review sites, influencers, if you want to be working with a company that cares a lot about, not only, you know, is this right product, but does it have the right lifestyle fit for you?
Are we using the right ingredients in it? You know, is it something fun? I think you guys are a great brand to be working with.
[00:18:52] Speaker A: Thank you.
