After watching friends and family struggle with different health ailments, Courtney Roundy wanted to help. And after hearing several people tout the surprising improvements they’d seen after using cannabidiol (CBD) products, he knew what he had to do: create a line of products featuring CBD and hemp that would help people manage their health issues. Read on to find out how Harmony Hemp is striking a chord with consumers and retailers alike, including their recent deal with GNC.
Products that help and heal
With more than three decades of experience in the health and wellness and consumer packaged goods industry, Roundy knew that he had the contacts that could help make Harmony Hemp a hit.
“I really just wanted to help people and I knew that with all of my contacts with food and drug I could get my brand to a large audience quickly,” he says. Those contacts, combined with Roundy’s knowledge of consumer behavior data, proved useful for supporting the launch of Harmony Hemp. The brand has a wide range of products, from full-spectrum CBD to hemp products that address both general and specific ailments, in forms like lotions, bath bombs, and supplements. They even have a host of pet products, with more items scheduled to join the lineup.
Changing attitudes
The brand’s hemp products especially have been a foot in the door for some retailers and consumers who may shy away from CBD/THC products. “We’re using proven ingredients that are already doing well on the shelf and then adding CBD to help improve their efficacy,” says Roundy. “It’s not just general items that are in the supplement category, it’s the ones we absolutely know will be enhanced by the addition of CBD or hemp.”
But there’s still a stigma around hemp and CBD products, Roundy notes, and that’s something that the company is actively working to dispel. “We had to bring hemp into the market and have it be trusted,” he says. “We wanted to bring it gently into the market.” They’re doing this through their packaging, with eye-catching, family-friendly designs. Harmony Hemp is also making a concentrated effort to educate not only retailers on their products, but also consumers.
Bringing CBD and hemp to the masses
Having spent so much of his professional life in the CPG industry, Roundy was familiar with ECRM and understood its positive potential if leveraged correctly. He’s been attending ECRM sessions for the past nine years and was excited to learn about RangeMe’s integration with ECRM, and he has been thrilled with the synergy of both companies.
Recently GNC contacted Roundy via the RangeMe platform. “There was some back and forth, and I sent sample requests, and we’re building a great friendship,” he notes. “It cuts everything down and you’re able to focus on that working relationship. They can see all your products, and you don’t have to do these big, lengthy emails that everyone hates reading, with a bunch of attachments. It’s all just right there in front of them.”
Attending ECRM sessions further boosted Roundy’s relationship with the retailer. At a recent ECRM session, Roundy and the buyer from GNC who had reached out via RangeMe had the opportunity to meet in person. And, since they’d already gone through all the initial meeting formalities, they were able to jump right into item-specific things like ship dates and new vendor questions, he explains. And, Roundy continues, “that never would have happened without RangeMe.”
