While Upstart Food Brands continues to grow and evolve, our commitment to startup CPG food and beverage companies – well-funded and not – has never wavered. In fact, having helped commercialize hundreds of startup CPG brands of all shapes and sizes, working directly with entrepreneurs, food scientists, food brokers, co-packers, printers, packaging suppliers, logistics experts, and other industry consultants, our team’s understanding of a food founder’s journey and challenges has only strengthened and deepened over time.
Our bread-and-butter (excuse the food pun) is developing brands that set businesses apart from their competition. From initial conceptual and thematic development to naming, storytelling, branding, packaging, product photography, web development, sales tools, and more, building differentiated startup CPG brands from scratch is something we can confidently say we do as well as any creative firm, no matter the size or notoriety – our work speaks for itself.
What truly sets our work apart is our unparalleled industry expertise and how that informs our execution. Our intimate knowledge of the business of commercializing successful food brands gives our startup clients a major advantage in a market that chews brands up and spits them out. Some brands only have one chance to enter their market successfully, and even then, the most strategic and smartly developed brands only succeed a shockingly small percentage of the time. Your precious startup investment dollars will go a lot further with Upstart Food Brands.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS AS A STARTUP
CONCEPT, THEME, & NAME
Startups have a unique opportunity to get their foundational brand name, theme, and concept right before hitting the market. These critical early decisions can mean success or failure, as everything that follows (story, messaging, logo, packaging, etc.) is derived from this overarching direction. The ripple effect can be difficult (and expensive) to correct for later. We can help you ensure that your brand name and the strategy that informs it is strong, differentiating, and distinct from the competition.
FOCUS ON STORYTELLING
The human brain is wired to respond to storytelling, but not just any story makes a connection. We’re experts at coaxing out the emotional words, tone, and underlying ideas that make meaningful connections with your specific audience. That story is then applied cohesively throughout every consumer touchpoint – through words, images, color, packaging, etc. – to ensure that your unique story is believable, authentic, and effective.
STAND OUT ON THE SHELF & ONLINE
The culmination of a great brand strategy and foundational story, packaging is often the point in a brand’s journey where you win or lose. Make that connection at the shelf or online in that split second you have to shine, and you might just gain a customer for life. Fail to capture your customer’s interest in that fleeting moment, and the greatest product in the world can be relegated to irrelevance. We help brands to stand out and to win that critical brief encounter with a new customer.
WEBSITES THAT WORK
The secret about successful websites is that they have little to do with technology. Sure, it’s crucial to have a site that functions well, delivers content at lightening speed, and has an intuitive user experience, but those functional considerations should be a minimum expectation for any quality website. The key is really how effectively you use the web to tell your story and connect with your customer. Inspiring someone to spend their money on your product – online or at retail – is an exercise in persuasion and connection, not ones and zeroes. Our websites work because our branding works.
