Submission Guidelines
MJ Brand Insights is the source for market intel and analysis, product trends, and reporting dedicated to the cannabis CPG market.
We do not accept unsolicited articles. Please read the guidelines before sending your detailed pitch to [email protected]
Our primary audience is cannabis CPG brand holders, owners, and retailers. We also write stories that should be of interest to other industry insiders and well-informed consumers.
Retail Insights
These articles will cover merchandising, loyalty programs, staffing /training opportunities, new store openings, retail strategies, and retailer profiles.
Market Intel
These articles will include in-depth analysis of market trends (category growth, new flavor profiles, etc.), as well as listicles.
Brand Insights
- Products – Encompassing new product releases, brand profiles, announcements of new areas of distribution, and interviews with brand leaders.
- Trends – We cover ingredient innovations, new technology, packaging design, processing innovations, and interviews with trend leaders
News
Our news section covers mergers and acquisitions, key hires and departures, and federal regulatory news. News stories should be short and to the point. Secondary headlines should summarize the story.
Our writing is substantive. We seek hard facts and strive for fresh information.
Our tone is matter-of-fact: authoritative yet approachable.
We are straightforward but not stiff.
We are clever and sharp–not cutesy or goofy.
We avoid “gotcha” or hatchet pieces, but we build trust through honesty.
We are an objective news source.
Our writing is clear, informative, and concise.
We have an enthusiasm for our subject, but we don’t fawn.
We understand that our readers have different levels of industry know-how. We strive to incorporate definitions and explanations in a way that feels natural–not obnoxiously didactic.
We don’t rely on jargon to bolster our credibility, but we do keep our readers in the know about new terms and concepts.
We are masters of syntax. (Please consult The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.)
Word count
Our minimum word counts are rough guidelines. Don’t pack adjectives in order to make the minimum. And don’t worry about going 100 words too long.
Capitalization
Names of strains should be capitalized. Names of terpenes should not be capitalized. For all other capitalization questions, consult the The Chicago Manual of Style.
Punctuation
Use the Oxford comma. For punctuation concerns, consult the The Chicago Manual of Style.
Style
- In most cases, use contractions. Isn’t. Don’t. Wasn’t.
- When making recommendations or warnings, write directly to the reader. For example: “If you’re worried about…”
- Avoid beginning sentences with “there.” You’ll find exceptions to this rule, but leading with “there” is typically a sign of weak and lazy syntax. There are two brands vying for number one? Two brands vye for number one.
- Use concrete language. In other words, avoid vague phrases. A period of time? How about a week, a month, or a season? The job offers good compensation? The job pays well.
- Replace the word “not” with direct, positive structure.
- Eliminate empty words and phrases: the fact that, the fact is, the truth is, in terms of, one of the most…
- Minimize your use of qualifiers such as very and some.
- Vary your first words or phrases. Avoid writing consecutive sentences that begin with the same word. On a similar note, avoid writing consecutive sentences that begin with an introductory clause.
