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
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:
"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.
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."
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
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.
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
| 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 |
| 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 |