Case Study: Soul CBD
- Katie Pannell
- Apr 16
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 17
THE SITUATION
Soul CBD is came to me because their brand voice had slowly shifted from Angie & Mike's vision, and had firmly landed in "we believe" territory. Flat, a littttle forgettable, and flavorless. Angie wanted to take back the voice. Make it like THEM again. They needed language that matched the actual vibe of their products: fun, and functional.
THE FIX
I teamed up with co-founder Angie Lee for a real-time zhuzh session to rework Soul’s homepage from top to bottom. No intake forms. No fluff. Just a shared doc, 1 hour, and 2 brains on Big Brain gummies riffing their way to better copy.
Together we:
Rewrote the homepage hero, flipping “routine” into relief and coining the line: 👉 “Your best you is a gummy away.” (With rotating formats: a gummy away, a capsule away, a drink away...)
Transformed filler sections like “We Believe” into punchy, on-brand copy like: 👉 “Nothing to hide here. Ingredients you can pronounce. Quality you can trust. Relief you can count on.”
Introduced cheeky, personality-packed microcopy across the page, like renaming “Find Your Routine” to “Chew on This.”
Revamped the email opt-in and press content
Aaand with that, we booked our next few projects
THE NEW SCOPE
Brand Voice Guide
Welcome Sequence Funnel Punch-Ups
Press & Article Punch-Ups
Internal Decks & Wholesale One Pagers
BRAND VOICE GUIDE CREATION
I codified their founder-forward tone into something replicable, readable, and ready for handoff—so future writers (and AI tools) wouldn’t default back to “clean, natural, science-backed” jargon.
HERE ARE A FEW EXCERPTS:
HOW TO USE "ON-BRAND" HUMOR:
A SAMPLE CUSTOMER PERSONA:
PRODUCT COPY/CAPTION OPTIONS:
HERE’S A PART OF EMAIL THEIR TEAM WROTE USING THE NEW VOICE GUIDE:
THE RESULT
Soul now has a homepage that’s fun and functional. Emails people actually read. A voice guide they can hand off to anyone. And messaging that makes their product line feel cohesive—not cobbled together.
The cherry on top? This work doesn’t just “sound better.” It sells better.
![I is for If/Then
This one is for the people who want to name their thing *for* their people.�
It’s this simple:
If my people are into [insert weirdly specific thing],�then the name should feel like [insert unexpected vibe].
After that, decide on a tone word to describe your if/then.
Then make a list of single words that fit the tone. Repeat. So, round 2 would be 2 tone words, and 2 word combos. Go until 4 tone words and 4 word combos.
Here’s an example so you don’t overthink this:
If my people are into slow, minimal morning routines,�then the name should feel like choosing yourself before checking your email.
The tone here feels grounded.
So here are some of my one word wonders: still, whisper, always, hush, prelude.
Two tone words: grounded, lyrical.
Two word combos: me first, before them, soft boundaries, only always
See?](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/488217639_18032261684635771_8301651091444165714_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=rsAN6NpfndcQ7kNvwGsvweQ&_nc_oc=Adlo6ivAUEZ3t5I3oeWew0vRLmbkHBAaCE5wpXwluMkhTBzgaw6bimb0mc204KB0f7E&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=vbRZBBbcxpdY4eEdz5VRDw&oh=00_AfF3867ZXMNtOJlvt4y8m94ETnt_bDY6QbU-eY7WTCMNFA&oe=681081E9)
![R is for Roleplay
You have full permission to use AI for this one— I brought prompts!
TO BE CLEAR — We’re *not* using AI to come up with a name. We’re using it to get your brain unstuck by forcing you to explain, defend, or rethink your thing in ways you wouldn’t on your own. “Verbally” process to see what words, phrases, descriptions bubble up. You may land on a name afterward, or a tagline, or new copy!
I like to run through 3 scenarios: talking to your harshest critic, your yes-man best friend, and a parent who doesn’t quite understand how you make money on the Internet.
AI is definitely the easiest way to roleplay (especially if you’re trying to keep your thing a secret until it launches), but you could if you borrow a person IRL too.
Here are your prompts:
1. Harsh Critic:
AI Prompt: "Act as if you're my harshest critic, grilling me on [thing you’re naming]. Challenge every assumption. Tell me why it doesn’t stand out, why no one will care, and what makes it a dumb idea. Identify any weaknesses or negative associations. Be “relentless, but insightful. I need to see this from every angle.”
2. Yes-Man Best Friend:
AI Prompt: "Pretend you’re my best friend who thinks everything I do is GENIUS. Tell me why my [thing you’re naming] is the most exciting, brilliant, must-have idea ever. What makes it irresistible? What words come to mind when describing it? Make assumptions about its success and highlight its best features."
3. Perplexed Parent:
AI Prompt: “Act as my as my technologically-challenged parent who never quite understands what I do. Ask me basic, but confused questions about [the thing you're naming] to clarify its purpose and appeal. Force “me to explain it in the simplest way possible.](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/485120929_18030822563635771_1594399755830970539_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=nMM-8N0nee4Q7kNvwH98j3g&_nc_oc=Adl2sIqJyL9oZub-oWZq2PDp8k0wRuOTgnreGk6DAPMEsN4k5cE5tFrONykFlPGP_-w&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=vbRZBBbcxpdY4eEdz5VRDw&oh=00_AfFEFGZ9tffvW5f8lb6JGvhDmZgv-R5b2a5ujUqqM2_Oyw&oe=681083CE)
![T is for Time Travel
What would your brand be called in another decade? A throwback name can make anything feel nostalgic, timeless, or futuristic—depending on which era you borrow from.
The ‘50s trend was suffixes like “—omatic” and “—orama.”
The ‘60s was all very space agey and atomic.
Flash forward to the early 2000s when dropping vowels was the hot new thing, or adding “-ly.”
Then there was the era of [color][noun]…
How to time travel:
1. Cosplay as me! Go to a thrift store, antique store, yard sale or estate sale (like I do every single weekend) and notice the names of things. Old stuff = a naming time capsule
2. Study old ads and packaging — look for suffixes.
3. Google some forgotten words or slang. (Just look ‘em up on urban dictionary before you get attached because they might have new meaning since their original use…)](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/485128557_18030670289635771_3134685602885424824_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=vZjDhX2DGmkQ7kNvwHG10JI&_nc_oc=AdmrrHxIxLPbzlE1gdPOPzjPNNfkw7DhECfvK4ScuwZkYdrT2lXPWI089b5ysAaD7-w&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=vbRZBBbcxpdY4eEdz5VRDw&oh=00_AfGFBOyj0eIAvyX7ICEPprb5zPUMjDnA_EuGysPvQ-oUZg&oe=681098C5)
![Your newsletter needs a name for several reasons but here are a few:
☞ Because just asking people to “subscribe” to whatttt exactly??? is why your list isn’t growing.
☞ Your frenemies and distant relatives will be jealous to see [Your Newsletter Name Here] has a monthly readership of [obscenely high and cool number.]
☞ You could attract the attention of a PUBLISHER
☞ It's harder to quit when people know it by name (accountability is a blessing and a curse)
☞ You can put it on a mug (and write it off as business expense)
☞ It started its life as a newsletter, but might have a bright future in podcasting!
Comment "NAME" for my free How-To Guide!](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/483973869_18029971115635771_5714123445978720042_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=gszVE7zcnIwQ7kNvwGZLNJa&_nc_oc=AdkjFtzio7qyPgxwqsz8cxiXxwml1bT_wy5li2pxCUlsXgyU1hxiwmmIA0SlBnj0nqY&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=vbRZBBbcxpdY4eEdz5VRDw&oh=00_AfEGip87-9o4qXt021469BOJiWszZUeiNBUA06grimPTEA&oe=6810B486)
コメント