--- title: 2025 Review & 2026 Strategy — American Extractions type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2025-11-10-american-extractions-marketing-call-100505846.md tags: - american-extractions - meeting - strategy - 2025-review - 2026-planning - google-ads - email-marketing - lead-generation - seo - b2b - stick-packs - wellness - hemp - regulatory-risk - pipedrive layer: 2 client_source: American Extractions industry_context: b2b-services transferable: false --- # 2025 Review & 2026 Strategy — American Extractions ## Overview Strategy session with American Extractions (Mark Schweiger, Caitlin Doak) and Asymmetric (Karly Oykhman, Avoke Onorimuo) to review 2025 marketing performance and set direction for 2026. The central outcome was a significant strategic pivot: repositioning American Extractions from a THC/CBD-focused manufacturer to a mainstream **"wellness powder manufacturer"** in response to anticipated hemp regulation. This pivot unlocks broader keyword targeting, removes advertising restrictions, and opens a larger addressable market. **Attendees:** - Caitlin Doak — American Extractions - Mark Schweiger — American Extractions - Karly Oykhman — Asymmetric - Avoke Onorimuo — Asymmetric --- ## Key Decisions ### 1. Strategic Brand Pivot: Wellness Powder Manufacturer Mark confirmed that hemp-derived Delta-9 THC is likely to face federal regulation imminently (a clause in the budget bill). Rather than wait, American Extractions will proactively reposition: - **Old positioning:** THC/CBD/hemp manufacturer with stick packs as a product line - **New positioning:** Wellness powder manufacturer for drink mixes; cannabinoids are an optional ingredient, not the core identity > *"We are a wellness powder manufacturer with a variety of potential actives. If cannabinoids remain legal, that's just like a sub-point — another ingredient like alpha-GPC or creatine. But it's not the driver."* — Mark Schweiger This affects all channels: Google Ads keywords, blog content, landing pages, email targeting, and social media. ### 2. Pause ClearMix Google Ads; Reallocate to Stick Packs The ClearMix campaign is ineffective and will be paused. All Google Ads budget will shift to stick packs/drink mixes once keyword research is complete. Mark's direction: **all** budget to stick packs, not "most." ### 3. Email Marketing as Primary Lead Gen Channel Email marketing is now the top-priority lead generation channel. A prior small stick pack campaign yielded 3–4 responses, demonstrating strong ROI relative to Google Ads. The plan: - Purchase a **1,000-contact list** from a lead broker - Target **beverage manufacturers** (not cannabinoid brands) - Load contacts into Pipedrive; send stick pack email campaign - Karly will draft a target segment profile (job title, industry, geo) for Mark and Caitlin to review before purchase ### 4. 2026 Goals Narrowed to Top Three Original five goals were reviewed. Mark and Caitlin aligned on focusing 80% of marketing effort on: 1. **Increase lead generation** (primary — email marketing, Google Ads, new channels) 2. **Improve conversion rate** (messaging alignment, lead quality) 3. **Increase average order value** (cross-sell: e.g., stick packs → gummies/shots) Goals 4 (brand authority) and 5 (customer referrals) are deprioritized as nice-to-haves. --- ## 2025 Performance Review ### Google Ads - **Overall:** Underperformed due to low search volume for hemp/THC/CBD keywords and advertising restrictions on those terms - **ClearMix campaign:** Ineffective → pausing - **Stick pack campaign:** Higher CTR but still limited by low impression volume - **Root cause:** Niche hemp keywords have insufficient search volume; B2B-specific long-tail terms (e.g., "contract manufacturer for hydration stick packs") are too low-volume to drive meaningful traffic ### Website & SEO - Website health score: 100 - New user traffic trending up over last 90 days - Top organic query: "white label product manufacturing" — 111 clicks (down 15% over 3 months) - Most ranking queries tied to Delta-9/THC terms → low click volume due to low search demand - **Issue flagged:** Significant drop in stick pack form inquiries since website relaunch (previously ~4–5/week; now ~2–3 total since launch). Mark to pull data; Karly to investigate. - Inbound backlinks: primarily homepage only; Karly to pull full backlink report ### Social Media - LinkedIn: +60 followers, 13,000+ post impressions over the past year - Facebook: significant increase in page views - Assessment: solid brand presence; B2B social drives awareness, not direct leads ### 2025 OKRs Goals were largely missed. Primary reasons: - Foundational work (website rebuild, Pipedrive setup) took longer than anticipated, delaying lead gen execution - Google Ads strategy failed to generate sufficient leads at the volume needed - ClearMix and stick pack OKRs both relied on Google Ads as the primary lead gen mechanism — a flawed assumption in hindsight --- ## 2026 Marketing Strategy ### Primary Channel: Email Marketing - **Why:** High ROI, fast turnaround, proven even at small scale (3–4 responses from a short prior campaign) - **Plan:** Purchase 1,000-contact list targeting beverage manufacturers (small-to-mid size); exclude cannabinoid brands - **Execution:** Load into Pipedrive; deploy existing stick pack email sequence to new contacts - **Next step:** Karly drafts target segment profile → Mark/Caitlin review → finalize → purchase list ### Google Ads (Relaunched) - **Focus:** Stick packs and drink mixes exclusively - **Keywords:** Broaden to "drink mixes," "hydration powders," "energy drinks," "custom beverage formulas" — not hemp-specific - **Landing page:** Rework to reflect mainstream wellness positioning (current page is too hemp-focused) - **Budget:** ClearMix budget reallocated after keyword deep-dive with ads specialist ### Content & SEO - **Blog pivot:** Shift from THC/CBD topics to new product formula categories - **New formula pipeline** (target: marketing-ready by January 1): - Energy - Focus - Sleep - Relax - Pre-workout - Post-workout - Caitlin's point: start building keyword rankings now — products don't need to be fully white-label-ready to begin content marketing around them - **Keyword research:** Karly's team conducting deep dive into non-cannabinoid stick pack / drink mix keywords ### New Channels Under Consideration | Channel | Rationale | Status | |---|---|---| | **LinkedIn Ads** | Precise B2B targeting; strong results for B2B clients | To explore after foundational work complete | | **Trade Shows / Conferences** | Direct audience engagement; Mark & Caitlin already discussing | Identify specific events; develop sales tools kit | | **Geofencing** | Target event attendees without booth cost; supplement trade show presence | To explore alongside trade show strategy | ### Conversion Rate & Messaging - Current self-reported conversion rate: ~65% of qualified inbound leads close - ~20% fall out at MOQ stage (too small) - ~5% each: pricing, not-ready, miscellaneous - **Implication for messaging:** Don't lead with low MOQ — risks attracting customers too small to convert. Focus messaging on capability, formulation expertise, and wellness positioning. ### Website Imagery - Current AI-generated gummy images flagged as unprofessional - Decision: hire a professional photographer for product shots (gummies, stick packs, etc.) - Karly to recommend photographer and provide pricing --- ## Action Items | Owner | Action | Notes | |---|---|---| | Karly | Fix Booker dashboard configuration errors | Restore live data access for Mark & Caitlin | | Karly | Pause ClearMix Google Ads campaign | Do not reallocate budget until keyword research complete | | Karly | Conduct deep keyword research for stick packs / drink mixes | Internal call with ads specialist scheduled; share results by next client call | | Karly | Draft target segment profile for 1,000-contact email list | Job title, industry, geo; send to Mark & Caitlin for review | | Karly | Rework stick pack landing page for wellness positioning | Align with new brand direction | | Karly | Publish 1–2 blogs on new formula categories (energy, focus, sleep/relax, pre/post-workout) | Begin building keyword rankings now | | Karly | Pull and send inbound backlinks report | Mark requested visibility into who is linking to the site | | Karly | Send updated 2025/2026 strategy deck to Mark & Caitlin | Deck was shared on-screen but not yet distributed | | Karly | Recommend professional photographer with pricing | Send to Caitlin & Mark | | Mark | Pull stick pack inquiry data pre/post website migration | Send to Karly to investigate the drop | | Mark & Caitlin | Review target segment profile draft for email list | Approve or refine before list purchase | --- ## Related - [[clients/current/american-extractions/_index]] - [[clients/current/american-extractions/pipedrive-setup]]