29 Design Studio Onboards Ag Businesses Focusing on Strategic Marketing Post-Pandemic
Rochester, NY – In a year where recession looms large, 29 Design Studio must be doing something right. The branding and strategy agency isn’t seeing a downturn and has continued to see growth with clients in the food, beverage, and agriculture industries. Scaling agribusinesses Norwich Meadows Farm, ProAgni, and Billsboro Winery have joined the agency’s roster of clients.
“Food, bev, and ag businesses are doubling down on their brand strategies and marketing,” said 29 Design Studio founder + CEO Maureen Ballatori. “We’re starting to see the smoke clear for some after a tough couple of years from the pandemic. Despite those challenges, the farms kept farming, the agtech companies kept innovating, and the wine kept flowing. Now, these companies are focusing on honing their messaging, positioning, and storytelling – helping them better align with their core audiences.”
NORWICH MEADOWS FARM
Warren Lee, Commercial Director at ProAgni, said they chose the agency for their industry expertise and collaborative work ethic. “We needed someone with local knowledge and a strategic mindset. It’s been invaluable to us to have the 29 Design Studio team share their perspective and tune up our messaging, not just for access to a new market for us, but to make our message clearer generally.”ProAgni has been in the media as a recipient of numerous awards for its innovative practices, including winning the $1M top prize in the 2022 Grow-NY food and agriculture competition.
PROAGNI
In the agtech sector, farmers have an opportunity to leverage agtech to boost on-farm efficiency. In some cases, agtech may be in reference to automation and robotics, but we’re seeing agtech innovation in other areas too.
One of our clients, Norwhey Brewing, founded by Cornell professor Dr. Sam Alcaine and his co-founder Trystan Sandvoss (formerly of First Light Farm Creamery), created a hard seltzer from whey, a byproduct of yogurt production. This is an innovation in dairy fermentation and upcycling that doesn’t involve robotics.
Another client with a Cornell connection providing an innovative agtech solution is Ascribe Bioscience. The company discovered a way to isolate a microbiome in soil and turn it into an affordable biopesticide, saving farmers money while boosting soil health.
Just being here in Upstate New York is its own opportunity. We’re fortunate to have Cornell University leading major innovation in agtech and other areas of agriculture. We’re also fortunate to have the international food and agriculture competition, Grow-NY. Following the competition is a great way to stay on top of agtech innovations that could benefit our local farms. Grow-NY is always seeking regional ecosystem partners, including pilot farms for the annual finalists to connect with. Learn more about Grow-NY at www.grow-ny.com.
BILLSBORO WINERY
Situated on the banks of Seneca Lake in Upstate NY, Billsboro Winery focuses on small-scale production in crafting award-winning dry classic European varietal wines from the region’s best vineyards. Their commitment to quality is evident in the glass and the atmosphere in their tasting room.
As production increases for owners Kim and Vinny Aliperti, so does their focus on wine consumers and the many ways they interact with the Billsboro brand. Kim said, “The 29 Design Studio team knocked it out of the park for us with our new logo mark and email templates. Their work was so good we’re moving forward with a website refresh to elevate our whole online presence!”
“I’d argue that there’s no bad time to focus on brand strategy and creating messaging that resonates with your target audience,” Ballatori says. “The companies we work with have stories that are hard-earned, and we look forward to helping share them with the world.”
29 Design Studio works with food, beverage, and agriculture brands on strategy, branding, and marketing. Focused on strategic partnerships with clients, the agency specializes in brand-building, realizing success for companies such as Fee Brothers, King Brothers Dairy, Gimme! Coffee, Visit Finger Lakes, and Lattini Sunflower Milk.
View past work and explore case studies at www.29designstudio.com.