Credibility Before the Product Existed
Pre-Launch Brand PR
Thelemata built MDbio Wellness into a recognized health brand before a single product hit market.
~$102K in AVE secured pre-launch. Hundreds of backlinks via syndication. 237M+ combined monthly reach across top-five placements. Zero products available at time of first placement.
THE CLIENT
MDbio Wellness was founded by four practicing Cedars-Sinai surgeons who had spent careers watching CBD help patients manage pain, aid recovery, and improve sleep. Their clinical background gave them a credibility advantage no marketing team could manufacture — provided that story reached the right outlets. Thelemata was engaged ahead of product launch to build pre-launch brand awareness and position MDbio as the science-backed alternative in a crowded CBD market.
THE CHALLENGE
Production delays pushed the launch timeline with no firm go-live date. A product-driven PR strategy — launch announcements, retail features, product reviews — became unworkable. The campaign needed a different anchor, and it needed to move without waiting. Every week without coverage was a week the founders weren’t building the authority their launch would depend on.
THE STRATEGY
Thelemata shifted from promoting a product to building the authority of the people behind it. Four practicing Cedars-Sinai surgeons with clinical experience and direct patient observations on CBD — that was the story. The approach ran three pitching categories simultaneously: health and wellness for clinical credibility, lifestyle for consumer reach, and cannabis trade for category authority. Media training came before outreach, ensuring all four founders were disciplined, outlet-ready spokespeople before any journalist came calling.
EXECUTION
Conducted in-depth SME interviews with all four founders, drawing out clinical observations on CBD in patient care and their perspective on the wellness industry
Ran all four founders through a targeted media training program before outreach began, building message discipline calibrated to each outlet category
Executed a three-category pitching strategy simultaneously: health and wellness, lifestyle, and cannabis trade
Secured a recurring contributor column at EatThisNotThat (26.4M monthly visitors), giving founders a durable owned platform for ongoing thought leadership
Placed founders in CNN Underscored, Parade, High Times, Bustle, and MindBodyGreen ahead of launch
Generated hundreds of backlinks through syndication, building domain authority before the product site went live
RESULTS
~$102K approximate AVE. Hundreds of backlinks via syndication. 237M+ combined monthly reach (top 5 outlets). 0 products live at time of first placement.
Every placement was secured and live before a single product hit market. By launch day, the founders had an established media presence, a contributor column, and a backlink profile that gave MDbio immediate credibility with investors, retail partners, and consumers alike.
Representative placements: CNN Underscored – 129M. Parade – 34.9M. EatThisNotThat (contributor column) – 26.4M. High Times – 20M. Bustle – 17.3M. MindBodyGreen – 10.3M.
THE TAKEAWAY
When a product launch stalls, most agencies stall with it. Thelemata found the story that didn’t require a product — four Cedars-Sinai surgeons with clinical credibility no competitor could replicate — and built the kind of media authority that made MDbio’s launch day a confirmation of credibility that already existed, not a first impression. This is what pre-launch PR can accomplish when the strategy leads with the founders instead of the SKUs.
SERVICES DELIVERED
Pre-Launch Brand PR Strategy, SME Positioning & Media Training, Multi-Category Media Outreach (Health/Wellness, Lifestyle, Cannabis Trade), Contributor Platform Development, Digital PR & Backlink Building.