Vertical Brands has appointed Cynthia Cleveland as president, effective immediately. Vertical Brands has one of the largest portfolio of owned and partner brands in the cannabis industry. Headquartered in California, Vertical has operations in California and Ohio, and plans for expansion of its brands into other states. Cynthia Cleveland is an expert in translating and monetizing intellectual property rights into major global consumer brands. She is a seasoned leader in licensing, new business development, and brand development.
Cleveland responded to the announcement of her new role by stating, “Vertical, as a seed to sale company, has created an unparalleled back end platform, with the necessary infrastructure to be successful in establishing and growing brands in the cannabis industry. The key to success is to be able to deliver the same brand experience each time for the consumer at scale. After investing over $50 million in its cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, and distribution platform, Vertical Brands is now poised to launch and build our brands successfully.”
Successful brands represent a promise to the consumer. They deliver on that promise by reliably delivering emotion and functionality. The modern cannabis market is moving beyond the stoner days depicted by Spicoli from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
Today’s consumer is multi-faceted and cuts across every demographic group. Brands that can deliver on convenience, quality, reliability, and format have the foundation for success. Vertical’s brands deliver on these with a scalable back of house platform. Wrapping these products into “lifestyle” brands with specific demographic targets gives Vertical the tools to break through the clutter and establish its place in the consumer’s mind.