WE LOVE WHAT WE DO

Upstart Food Brands is a virtual, boutique, full-service branding agency, dedicated to the needs of small and startup food businesses. Everything from our industry experience to our business model to our partnership philosophy gives our clients a distinct advantage.

• Business strategy & consulting
• Branding (brand strategy, brand and product naming, identity/logo, tag line, brand story)
• Brand assets (photography, illustration, copy, product mockups)
• Packaging strategy & design
• Website development
• Social media strategy
• Marketing & promotion
• Sales tools
• Retail support

“VIRTUAL AGENCY” BUSINESS MODEL

We understand that our clients have limited budgets. Being a “virtual agency” means that we’ve intentionally decided to exist without the expenses that constrain many brick-and-mortar companies.

We don’t have office space (our office is wherever you are), we don’t hire employees (we hire and manage resources with the exact skillset your brand needs), we’re not hamstrung by benefits and other hard costs (okay, we splurge on Sump Coffee, but they’re our neighbors, and it’s REALLY great coffee!).

The flexibility of our schedule means that we’re not limited by standard 9-5 operating hours—morning, noon, and night we can be available to accommodate your schedule.

FOOD & BEVERAGE BRAND-BUILDING EXPERIENCE

A common refrain from our clients is that the freelance designers and marketing agencies that they work with don’t often understand the challenges of a small food company, and the work is disconnected or generic.

Our founder, and the driving force behind Upstart Food Brands, Josh Schipkowski, has spent the better part of a nearly 20-year career working with food and beverage companies. Upstart Food Brands intricately understands the needs of small food companies (from regulatory concerns to trademarking to pricing strategy), as well as how to leverage a company’s brand to truly stand out on the shelf—and in the minds of the target consumer.

We use our experience to our clients’ advantage, making every investment strategic, and every result relevant.

A PHILOSOPHY OF PARTNERSHIP & COLLABORATION

Our virtual model gives us not only a financial advantage but a philosophical one, allowing us to bring in rich resources for each and every job.

We don’t aim to do everything in-house, but we do aim to fully support our clients, leveraging a collection of established partners who lend expertise that tends to be deeper than what you’d get from a typical marketing agency.

We believe successful brands are measured by sales, and to that end, we partner with sales organizations and consultants that help get our clients sold into retail locations across the country. We collaborate with logistics experts, PR firms, photographers, and social media managers. We hand-select partners we know can make the biggest difference for your brand, and we manage the work, so that you can focus on what you do best.

Best of all, we seek out partners that can provide the same level of value for your investment, giving you comfort that you’re building your business and brand in the most efficient way possible.

HOW WE WORK

We want to be your strategic brand development partner.

Come to us with your budget, talk to us about your needs, and we will create an effective strategy that fits, whether you’re an established company looking for new life or a new company trying to get off the ground.

We do individual projects (branding, packaging, websites, etc.), but commonly we’re tasked with complete branding initiatives or rebranding overhauls—which is where we really shine.

We will develop a thoughtful proposal that includes all of the necessary components to achieve your goals. And because we understand the importance of cash-flow for a small business, we typically break project costs into manageable payment plans.

Contact us today, and we’ll be in touch to get the conversation going!