GLENVIEW, Ill. — When Republic Brands President and Chief Marketing Officer Paul Marobella started with the company about a month ago, he realized its former name wasn’t a good fit.
The Glenview, Ill.-based company, a leader in natural rolling papers and premium accessories in the roll-your-own markets, recently rebranded itself from Republic Tobacco to Republic Brands to better represent its portfolio.
“While tobacco—loose leaf, roll-your-own and pipe tobacco—is still a part of our portfolio, our iconic paper brands and what’s happening with how people are consuming rolling and different types of legal material is changing and growing,” Marobella told CSP Daily News in a recent interview. “Plus, it gives us room for acquisitions, and new product development and finding new product opportunity to provide amazing, full-line products to convenience stores and other retailers all around the U.S.”
Marobella said the word “tobacco” was limiting, and he wanted to better lean into the company’s brands, which include OCB, JOB, E-Z Wider, Gambler and Premier, including the new Stunna Organic Hemp papers (pictured above) which launch in September. One of the reasons he came to the company was to tell the stories of its brands in a way that’s meaningful to consumers, so that when they walk into a c-store, they ask for a brand by name. Availability is a huge part of preference in this category, Marobella said.
“But a lot of times we notice our products are often down by the floor level and you can’t really see it,” making it that much more important that consumers know the brand name, he said.
“And then I think once they know it’s there, then you create, not just the brand preference, but you create the retail store preference, and then you get repeat visits because they know their preferred brands are carried at that store,” Marobella said.
To help build that brand awareness, consumer research—and sharing that research with buyers and key accounts—is essential, he said. One area where buyers and consumers have needed education is with cones, for example. Not everyone knows that cones are an easy way to enjoy an all-natural smoking experience, without someone having to know how to roll, Marobella said.
Outside of rolling tobacco, interest is picking up with products like cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp flowers, he said. The legalization of cannabis in some states has also had a huge affect on Republic Brands’ portfolio.
In the future, the company will continue to look at the importance of delivery.
“If somebody’s at home and they want a frozen pizza, a Coca-Cola and a pack of rolling papers, and maybe not want to leave their couch—these delivery apps are becoming a more and more critical part of the route to the consumer,” Marobella said.