8 Best Forge Digital Marketing Alternatives 2026

Forge Digital Marketing provides ecommerce growth services for health, wellness, supplements, CBD, THCA, regulated products, and other consumer brands. Its capabilities include Shopify and WooCommerce development, conversion optimization, SEO, paid media, email and SMS marketing, creative production, retention, and analytics.

That service mix may suit many direct-to-consumer businesses. Other regulated brands may need deeper cannabis retail experience, owned editorial distribution, local dispensary SEO, programmatic attribution, brand development, ad-free acquisition, or first-party audience tools.

TikTok’s dangerous products policy prohibits advertisements and landing pages that promote, sell, or provide access to recreational drugs or unauthorized dispensaries. This restriction illustrates why agencies serving cannabis and other regulated brands must evaluate each product, market, audience, creative asset, and landing page before recommending paid channels.

Key Takeaways

• Forge Digital Marketing already serves CBD, THCA, and other regulated ecommerce brands, so alternatives should be compared by capabilities rather than basic category access
• Regulated brands may need specialized support across cannabis retail, programmatic advertising, local SEO, owned media, branding, retention, or first-party data
• Paid-media eligibility depends on the exact product, jurisdiction, audience, creative, and platform policy
• Ecommerce design, email, and conversion optimization should connect with acquisition, retention, and customer lifetime value
• Herb Agency combines compliant acquisition, owned media, first-party audience development, email, content, reactivation, and analytics within one regulated-market system

What Regulated Brands Should Evaluate

Category and Market Experience

Cannabis, hemp, CBD, THCA, nicotine, wellness, supplements, and other regulated categories do not share identical rules. Requirements can differ by product composition, jurisdiction, sales model, audience, and marketing channel.

An agency should understand the exact products being marketed and where they are available. It should also have a process for reviewing platform policies, product claims, age requirements, geographic restrictions, and customer disclosures.

Cannabis dispensaries may need local search, menu integration, in-store measurement, and loyalty support. Ecommerce brands may place greater emphasis on website conversion, email automation, customer acquisition cost, average order value, and repeat purchasing.

Ecommerce and Retention Capabilities

A regulated ecommerce program should connect website performance with customer acquisition and retention.

Relevant capabilities may include:

• Shopify or WooCommerce development
• Mobile usability
• Conversion optimization
• Product and category pages
• Email and SMS automation
• Cart recovery
• Customer segmentation
• Loyalty and replenishment programs
• Win-back campaigns
• Customer lifetime value analysis

Brands should establish whether the agency manages the complete ecommerce journey or only one part of it.

Acquisition and Distribution

Restricted products cannot always rely on conventional paid search or social advertising. Depending on eligibility, brands may need a combination of programmatic media, SEO, editorial content, email collection, organic social media, direct mail, public relations, and local search.

The agency should explain which channels are available, which are restricted, and how each activity contributes to discovery, acquisition, conversion, or retention.

Broad claims about compliant advertising are not enough. Eligibility should be evaluated for every product and campaign.

Content and Claims

Regulated ecommerce content can introduce compliance risks across product descriptions, advertisements, articles, emails, packaging, testimonials, creator campaigns, and landing pages.

Brands should ask:

• Who verifies product information?
• Who reviews health and performance claims?
• How are advertising policies monitored?
• What happens when a claim or campaign is rejected?
• How are creative approvals documented?
• Are age and geographic restrictions reflected in the customer journey?

Accurate content should be built into the production process rather than reviewed only after campaigns are complete.

Measurement and Attribution

Marketing reports should connect channel activity with customer and financial outcomes.

Depending on the campaign, useful metrics may include:

• Qualified traffic
• Email collection
• Ecommerce conversion
• Customer acquisition cost
• Average order value
• Repeat purchases
• Customer lifetime value
• Cart-recovery revenue
• Direct revenue
• Assisted conversions
• Influenced revenue

Direct, assisted, and influenced outcomes should remain clearly separated. The agency should also explain its attribution window and customer-matching methodology.

1. Herb Agency

Herb Agency is the top choice in this comparison for cannabis, hemp, and other regulated brands seeking coordinated acquisition, owned distribution, first-party audience development, conversion, retention, and analytics.

The agency reports more than 11 years of regulated-industry experience, a monthly audience reach of more than 14 million people, and more than 1,000 brands supported.

Integrated Regulated Marketing

Herb Agency provides cannabis marketing services across:

• Paid and programmatic media
• SEO and content
• Editorial distribution
• Social strategy
• Email marketing
• First-party data
• Direct mail
• Customer reactivation
• Creative production
• Analytics and attribution

Its full-funnel growth strategy connects awareness, acquisition, audience collection, conversion, retention, and measurement.

This structure is relevant to brands that would otherwise need separate providers for paid media, content, email, first-party data, and reporting.

Paid Media and Owned Distribution

Herb Paid Media develops campaigns across eligible search, social, programmatic, X, and other channels. Campaign planning accounts for the product, jurisdiction, audience, creative, landing page, and current platform requirements.

Herb Editorial supports trusted editorial media, including sponsored content, product features, newsletters, and social distribution. Herb Social adds platform-native content and data-driven social strategies.

This combination allows brands to use paid media for immediate reach while developing content and audience assets that can continue producing value after a campaign ends.

First-Party Audience Development

Herb Mail can identify website visitors and support consent-based audience growth.

Qualifying contacts can enter programs for:

• Welcome communication
• Product education
• Customer segmentation
• Launch announcements
• Cart recovery
• Loyalty
• Replenishment
• Repeat purchasing

Herb Reactivate provides updated contact information where available for subscriber addresses that have become undeliverable. Herb Postal supports direct-mail follow-up for cart abandonment.

Analytics and Reporting

Herb Dashboard allows brands to review performance metrics across audience collection, email engagement, clicks, campaign activity, and placed-order value.

This allows media, content, email, audience growth, and customer behavior to be reviewed through one reporting structure. Direct conversions and influenced revenue should still remain clearly labeled.

Verified Campaign Results

Herb Agency reports that DynaVap’s email list grew by 52,714 contacts during the documented campaign. The program recorded a 51.71% open rate, a 22.32% click rate, a 2.5% email conversion rate, and more than $500,000 in influenced placed orders.

Additional Herb Agency-reported outcomes include:

• Arete Hemp: 617,207 programmatic impressions, 2,513 clicks, and $125,558 in influenced revenue
• Sunmed: A 52.86% 30-day open rate and $55,695 in placed-order value from Herb Mail contacts
• PAX: 7,989 reactivated emails and more than $100,000 in placed-order value
• Indacloud: A 99.20% postcard delivery rate and 3.41% QR-code scan rate
• cbdMD: 733 article reads, 264 orders placed after articles were read, and $32,142 in placed-order value

These are Herb Agency-reported campaign results rather than independent regulated-marketing benchmarks.

2. Hybrid Marketing Co.

Hybrid Marketing Co. is a full-service cannabis agency serving dispensaries, consumer brands, hemp companies, and business-to-business operators.

Its services include strategy, branding, websites, SEO, paid media, email, SMS, social media, content, events, and retail creative. The agency builds channel plans around defined business objectives rather than selling a fixed service package.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis marketing strategy
• Branding and design
• Website development
• SEO and content
• Paid media
• Email and SMS
• Social media
• Event marketing
• Retail and point-of-sale design

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should confirm which acquisition channels are eligible for their products and markets. They should also establish how brand, media, search, email, and retail activity will contribute to shared revenue and retention goals.

Hybrid’s broad cannabis orientation should be compared with the brand’s need for ecommerce specialization, owned media, proprietary audience tools, or advanced attribution.

3. MediaJel

MediaJel combines cannabis marketing services with a regulated-industry advertising and attribution platform.

Its current channel mix includes programmatic display, native advertising, online video, connected TV, digital out-of-home, SEO, paid search for eligible campaigns, audience targeting, and centralized reporting.

Relevant Capabilities

• Programmatic display
• Native and video advertising
• Connected TV
• Digital out-of-home
• Cannabis SEO
• Eligible paid-search campaigns
• Audience targeting
• Multi-channel attribution
• Multi-location campaign management

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should confirm media requirements, inventory standards, audience methodology, geographic availability, frequency controls, attribution windows, and revenue matching.

MediaJel’s paid-media and technology focus should also be compared with the need for ecommerce development, email production, organic social media, editorial storytelling, and customer reactivation.

4. PufCreativ

PufCreativ provides branding, web development, SEO, AI-search visibility, photography, packaging, loyalty support, social media, advertising, and consulting for cannabis businesses.

Its creative and digital capabilities may suit brands that need visual identity, packaging, websites, content production, and ongoing marketing support.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis branding
• Visual identity
• Packaging design
• Website development
• SEO and AI visibility
• Photography
• Social media
• Loyalty support
• Advertising creative

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should connect design work with measurable outcomes such as website engagement, organic visibility, email collection, ecommerce conversion, and retention.

The engagement should also define responsibility for packaging requirements, product claims, accessibility, creative approvals, and ongoing website support.

5. Cannabis Creative Group

Cannabis Creative Group is a full-service agency specializing in cannabis and CBD. Its services include branding, web development, SEO, paid advertising, email and SMS, social media, public relations, packaging, photography, and launch support.

The agency may suit businesses seeking creative development and digital execution from one cannabis-focused provider.

Relevant Capabilities

• Brand identity
• Website design and development
• SEO
• Digital advertising
• Email and SMS
• Social media
• Public relations
• Packaging design
• Photography and video
• Brand and dispensary launches

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should establish how its creative and digital services will support acquisition, ecommerce conversion, local visibility, and retention.

They should also define the attribution method used for performance-based campaigns and confirm which paid channels are available for the exact product and jurisdiction.

6. CannaPlanners

CannaPlanners provides cannabis branding, website development, local SEO, ecommerce support, email, SMS, and retention marketing.

Its services are oriented toward dispensaries, cannabis brands, and new businesses that need a professional digital foundation and stronger customer retention.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis branding
• Packaging design
• Website development
• Ecommerce websites
• Local dispensary SEO
• Cannabis brand SEO
• Email and SMS
• Retention marketing
• Website maintenance

Evaluation Considerations

CannaPlanners may align closely with businesses prioritizing branding, websites, local discovery, and retention. Brands needing large-scale programmatic advertising, owned editorial distribution, or broader paid acquisition should confirm whether additional providers are required.

Dispensaries should also establish how calls, directions, menu activity, online orders, and in-store sales will be measured.

7. Client Verge

Client Verge provides ad-free marketing for cannabis, CBD, wellness, and alternative-health businesses.

Its services include SEO, content, email, SMS, web development, branding, social media, and business-to-business outreach. Its current positioning also includes a six-month growth guarantee tied to traffic or revenue.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis and CBD SEO
• Content marketing
• Email and SMS
• Website development
• Branding and design
• Organic social media
• Business-to-business outreach
• Ad-free acquisition

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should review the terms of the growth guarantee, including the baseline, qualifying metric, required client actions, service period, and available credit.

Client Verge’s organic focus should also be compared with the need for programmatic advertising, paid acquisition, owned media distribution, direct mail, and multi-channel attribution.

8. Spokes Digital

Spokes Digital provides performance marketing and digital-transformation services for cannabis and hemp companies.

Its current positioning emphasizes SEO, paid media, programmatic advertising, websites, mobile applications, email automation, analytics, and AI-assisted marketing.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis SEO
• Local SEO
• Paid media
• Programmatic advertising
• Email automation
• Website development
• Mobile applications
• Analytics and reporting
• AI-supported marketing strategy

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should confirm how AI-supported workflows are reviewed for accuracy, product claims, compliance, and audience suitability.

They should also examine attribution definitions, implementation requirements, platform eligibility, and how technical development connects with acquisition and retention.

How Herb Agency Extends Regulated Ecommerce Growth

Herb Agency combines regulated acquisition with owned distribution, first-party data, lifecycle marketing, and analytics.

Acquire Eligible Customers

Herb Agency uses SEO, editorial content, paid media, social distribution, and programmatic advertising to reach customers through channels appropriate to the product and market.

Each campaign can guide customers toward a product page, retailer, educational resource, email signup, or eligible purchase.

Develop an Owned Audience

Herb Mail turns qualifying website activity into consent-based audience relationships. Those contacts can enter email programs for education, segmentation, recovery, loyalty, and repeat purchasing.

Herb Reactivate and Herb Postal extend this process by updating undeliverable records and reconnecting with cart abandoners.

Support Conversion and Retention

Content, email, direct mail, and customer data can work together after the first visit.

This helps regulated brands move beyond one-time acquisition and focus on conversion rate, repeat purchases, customer value, and long-term retention.

Measure Commercial Outcomes

Herb Agency connects campaign activity with audience growth, email engagement, content consumption, customer actions, and placed-order value.

Clear attribution definitions help brands understand which channels contribute to acquisition, conversion, retention, and revenue influence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should brands look for in a Forge Digital Marketing alternative?

Brands should identify the capability they need most, such as cannabis retail expertise, programmatic advertising, branding, local SEO, owned media, first-party data, or retention. The agency should understand the product, jurisdiction, customer, and sales model. It should also explain how claims, creative approvals, and attribution will be handled. Herb Agency connects these functions within one regulated-market system.

Does Forge Digital Marketing work with regulated brands?

Yes. Forge Digital Marketing currently lists CBD, THCA, and regulated markets among the industries it serves. It also provides compliant advertising, ecommerce development, SEO, retention, email, and conversion services. Alternatives should therefore be evaluated according to specific capability gaps rather than an assumption that Forge lacks regulated-market experience. Herb Agency may provide closer alignment for cannabis brands needing owned media and first-party audience infrastructure.

Why does first-party data matter for regulated ecommerce?

First-party data helps brands maintain direct customer relationships when targeting, retargeting, or third-party tracking is limited. Email engagement, purchases, customer accounts, loyalty activity, and consent-based profiles can support more relevant communication. The information should be collected transparently and protected appropriately. Herb Mail, Reactivate, Postal, and Dashboard support audience development, re-engagement, and measurement.

How should regulated marketing agencies prove performance?

Performance should be measured against the campaign objective. Useful metrics may include qualified traffic, email growth, conversion, customer acquisition cost, average order value, repeat purchases, and customer lifetime value. Direct conversions, assisted outcomes, and influenced revenue should remain separate. Herb Agency publishes campaign results across media, email, editorial content, audience development, direct mail, and reactivation.

Why does owned media matter for regulated brands?

Owned media provides an additional distribution path when paid advertising is restricted or inconsistent. Editorial articles, newsletters, social content, and educational resources can reach customers during research and consideration. Owned distribution should complement SEO, email, ecommerce, and eligible paid media rather than replace them. Herb Agency combines Herb Editorial and Herb Social with acquisition, first-party data, and analytics.