Blog Thoughts & Insights

Maureen Ballatori, CEO + Founder of 29 Design Studio, has been awarded a Business Inspiration Award for Minority or Woman-Owned Business by the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce. Maureen Ballatori just wanted to make a living based on her creativity. And playing small was never part of the plan. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “I am […]

Try asking the almighty Google, “How do I brand an association?” You’ll get loads of articles about brand association — what a customer considers when they think about your brand. You know, the mental connections between a brand and a concept. Heady stuff (pun intended), but not quite what you were looking for. Okay, now […]

Brands tell stories. And in our highly visual society, often, the simplest way to distill the essence of a brand is through visual design. Forbes.com published an article on this theory from 29 Design Studio Founder + CEO Maureen Ballatori.
“In business, if you want to make complex ideas simple and understandable, sometimes you need to pull out the whole toolbox. People learn and emotionally connect in different ways. That’s true in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer branding and marketing, as well as product design.”[…]

Greater Finger Lakes Creative Agency Fuels Winning Pitches Again at the Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Competition Rochester, New York (November 19, 2021) –  29 Design Studio continues its winning streak helping clients win big prizes in the prestigious international Grow-NY Food and Agriculture competition with its third consecutive winner in the last three years. The competition […]

We know how helpful software is in improving collaboration. You’ve seen the list: Monday, Basecamp, Dropbox, Slack – they enhance project management and communications. At 29, we use them all.  But how about extending this collaborative energy into the way marketing and sales work together?  Too often there is a breakdown in integrating marketing and […]

AgriMarketing published a feature article detailing tips for food innovators to engage funders. The article, which highlights how to write a compelling story for investors, was written by our own founder and CEO, Maureen Ballatori. Ballatori writes: “If your story does not flow, is not clear, does not answer critical questions, and fails to pique the […]

First, it was hot because it was illegal. Now it’s hot because of demand. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo legalized medical marijuana in 2014, followed by its recreational use in 2021. While cannabis has always been a heated market, legalization has sparked intense conversation and industry change. 29 Design Studio has kept up with cannabis […]

Forbes.com published an article recently from 29 Design Studio Founder + CEO, Maureen Ballatori. The article highlights five principles to drive your strategic and creative work with branding and marketing for economic development. Ballatori begins by writing, “Did you know that Austin, Texas, has two slogans? There’s the official slogan, “The Live Music Capital of […]

Rochester, New York (May 19, 2021) — 29 Design Studio, a creative agency founded in 2007, has added Franca Mantisi to its team, as the company continues to expand its regional and national reputation in food and ag tech. The new addition follows three recent first-place awards in regional competitions sponsored by the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA).   Some recent […]

Alice Hallahan joins branding and marketing agency as art director Rochester, New York (April 5, 2021) – 29 Design Studio, a creative agency founded in 2007, has added Alice Hallahan to its team, as the company continues to expand its regional and national reputation in food and agtech. The agency has increased employees by 250% […]

29 Design Studio, a local agency specializing in branding and marketing for food, beverage and agriculture, has won three first-place awards and a merit award in regional competitions sponsored by the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA).

Let’s talk about the latest industry that has gotten an overhaul: soil. Until recently, soil was called dirt. Dirt was everywhere, and it was annoying, unremarkable, and, well, dirty. Soil needed to shed its dirty reputation. While soil is respected as necessary to grow healthy and productive plants and trees, dirt is a nuisance.  With […]