Challenge
Chocolate Lab owner Phil Simonson had a small chocolate case crammed into a cheese shop, and had long dreamed of owning his own restaurant where chocolate was an ingredient in every dish. When the time came to open his own restaurant and chocolate shop on E. Colfax, Chocolate Lab, he hired ROOT to launch his one-of-a-kind concept.
Results
Our unique grand opening party activities resonated well with the media and influencers. Chocolate Lab received glowing media placements from every targeted placement, which included key messaging phrases like “highly acclaimed,” “unique feel,” and “if there’s one thing not to skip on, it’s the cocktail menu.” To this day, Chocolate Lab receives the highest of praise, and Phil has managed to keep his small chocolate shop alive with sights on additional outposts.
Solution
We threw a fun and unusual launch party where the media and influencers created their own savory food and chocolate combinations that made for eye-opening and eye-catching stories and Instagram posts, and of course, we sent them home with truffles and make-your-own s’mores kits.
“Kuvy brought a fun and exciting energy to our space. The launch party for our restaurant had a lot of bloggers and connected people and ended up getting us a lot of publicity. We greatly appreciate the services ROOT Marketing & PR provided and recommend them for your opening. When we were expanding from just a chocolate shop to adding a restaurant as well, ROOT Marketing & PR really helped put us on the map. They were fun and easy to work with. We got a ton of media hits in all the right places, and that momentum is still carrying us through today.”
Challenge
Chocolate Lab owner Phil Simonson had a small chocolate case crammed into a cheese shop, and had long dreamed of owning his own restaurant where chocolate was an ingredient in every dish. When the time came to open his own restaurant and chocolate shop on E. Colfax, Chocolate Lab, he hired ROOT to launch his one-of-a-kind concept.
Solution
We threw a fun and unusual launch party where the media and influencers created their own savory food and chocolate combinations that made for eye-opening and eye-catching stories and Instagram posts, and of course, we sent them home with truffles and make-your-own s’mores kits.
Results
Our unique grand opening party activities resonated well with the media and influencers. Chocolate Lab received glowing media placements from every targeted placement, which included key messaging phrases like “highly acclaimed,” “unique feel,” and “if there’s one thing not to skip on, it’s the cocktail menu.” To this day, Chocolate Lab receives the highest of praise, and Phil has managed to keep his small chocolate shop alive with sights on additional outposts.
In Their Own Words:
“Kuvy brought a fun and exciting energy to our space. The launch party for our restaurant had a lot of bloggers and connected people and ended up getting us a lot of publicity. We greatly appreciate the services ROOT Marketing & PR provided and recommend them for your opening. When we were expanding from just a chocolate shop to adding a restaurant as well, ROOT Marketing & PR really helped put us on the map. They were fun and easy to work with. We got a ton of media hits in all the right places, and that momentum is still carrying us through today.”
After near-immediate success with their first store, Savory Spice quickly grew both via online sales, and brick and mortar stores (now at 30 locations across the US.) Savory Spice hired ROOT with an initial focus on landing mentions in e-commerce gift guides.
learn moreFermentation is one of the hottest and most competitive CPG spaces. Bubbies Fine Foods, with its iconic grandma “Bubbie” brand, has been a major player in the industry for more than four decades.
learn moreORIGIN Milk launched Colorado’s Whole Foods Markets, Sprouts and specialty market shelves bringing nutrient rich, delicious and beautifully-hued heritage A2 milk to shoppers. The problem was, no one knew had a clue about the Ohio-based dairy company nor about heritage-breed A2 dairy products.
learn moreSenior PR Account Manager Emily Tracy has more than a decade of experience in food, beverage and hospitality PR. Emily was drawn to PR from her desire to support the small businesses who create the foundation of strong communities. She creates and implements award-winning PR campaigns with a heavy focus on strategic media relations and compelling content.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a dual major in journalism (PR sequence) and political science, she was the lead content specialist and an account manager for a full-service communications firm in Atlanta. During her time there, she managed two PRSA winning campaigns, one in content marketing and one in crisis management.
Today, she’s fulfilling her dream in Colorado by representing some of the finest good food businesses in the U.S. and beyond, including Bubbies Fine Foods, The Plant Based Seafood Co., Savory Spice, Table22, Birdcall, Motherlove Herbal Company, Boulder County Farmers Markets, Naturally Boulder and others. Through her work at ROOT, she has won a silver or gold award every year she’s applied from the Public Relations Society of America (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 – so far!)
Kuvy Ax is the founder and owner of ROOT, a seasoned and award-winning PR, marketing and social media agency dedicated to supporting good food – to those who grow it, make it, sell it and bring it to life.
For more than 20 years, Kuvy and her team have handled public relations and marketing for almost every type of food or beverage-related company, program, and event. Her nonprofit/volunteer work has included positions as President of Pollination Planet, Co-President of Slow Food Boulder County, as a member of the Board of Directors of the World Travel Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Les Dames D’Escoffier. She has also been a member of the CTO and Dept. of Agriculture’s Heritage & Agritourism Committee, and volunteered for the Flatirons Food Film Festival for many years.
The ROOT team has earned seven PRSA CO Chapter Awards since 2021.
In 2022, Kuvy was a judge for the New Hope Network Expo West and Expo East NEXTY Awards, and was also a speaker at both Expo West and Expo East. She was also a judge and trainer for New Hope’s inaugural Press Pitch event.
In 2023, Kuvy was a New Hope Network Expo West Pitch Slam semi-finalist judge and mentor, as well as emcee for the actual event.
Kuvy loves nothing more than traveling, eating, and eating while traveling.
Anna Wilhelmsen is a seasoned communications professional with over a decade of expertise in food, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle PR. She leverages PR as a tool for positive change to drive meaningful results while aligning with her client’s business objectives.
Anna has represented renowned figures in the restaurant industry such as Wolfgang Puck, and food CPG brands including McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream and Vital Farms. Her corporate communications experience in-house at leading consumer brands like The Bouqs Co and Beautycounter honed her skills in navigating the complexities of high-growth environments. She works with clients to provide strategic PR and communications planning, media relations, corporate communications, brand partnerships, brand positioning, and more.
Becky’s 15 years of marketing experience includes large and small agencies, startups, social media and event-focused agencies, and full-service agencies.
Working in such different spectrums of the industry has provided her with the opportunity to be an expert in field trends, better analyze the effectiveness of marketing programs, and further understand the importance of having a strong strategic focus in all campaigns.
She graduated from Champlain College, located in Burlington, VT, and has since lived all over the country! She brings her go-with-the-flow attitude and problem-solving skills to her role at ROOT as resident “figure-it-outer.” When she’s not writing social content or brainstorming campaigns, she can be found doing a myriad of duties including our newsletter, website fixes, client research, and organizational tasks. In her spare time, Becky can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee while trying to wrangle her two sons (dog and human).
Every month, the ROOT team digs deeper into good food and marketing trends, news and tips. Sign up here.
Every month, the ROOT team digs deeper into good food and marketing trends, news and tips. Sign up here.
Josephine Agrawal, our Social Media Strategist and Influencer Marketing Manager, is a grammar-obsessed marketing conference nerd who brings 6+ years of digital marketing experience in social media, content strategy and brand voice development to the table.
Josephine loves the challenge of conveying brands’ personalities and real-life passion through their social media channels.
Josephine entered the world of social media marketing while working with MerleFest, one of America’s most renowned and oldest Bluegrass music festivals. With a passion and ear for music, Josephine moved to Nashville, Tenn., and became a go-to social media marketer for local restaurants, renowned musicians, and the Nashville Public Library system. She specialized in event promotion for some of Nashville’s most beloved events, helping to draw crowds that exceeded 100,000. Josephine has also worked extensively in the media world, handling social media for publications like Ed Helms’ The Bluegrass Situation, Edible Nashville, Nashville Scene and the Nashville Post.
She left Music City in 2018 to become the Digital Marketing Manager at Lucky’s Market in Niwot, Colo, where she orchestrated social media strategy for more than 15 new store openings, strategically implemented all paid digital advertising, and taste-tested lots of tasty (and not-so-tasty) veggie chips.
These days, Josephine handles social media strategy for businesses of all sizes, as well as social media training to empower businesses to effectively handle their own social media. When she’s not hashtagging, she can be found cooking Indian food, doing yoga or watering her plants.
Her favorite healthy meal to make is a fresh arugula salad with toasted pine nuts, lemon, olive oil and parmesan cheese.
Kristine Root is a branding and marketing authority with over a decade of experience leading market research, positioning, brand development, and planning for food, beverage and wellness brands.
Kristine’s unique approach blends creativity and innovation allowing her to build holistic marketing plans that level up to business objectives and deliver measurable results. Her 14+ years of experience in marketing strategy and consumer insights is coupled with an unmistakable passion for delivering impact.
Kristine currently manages brand and marketing strategy for ROOT Marketing & PR where she designs growth marketing programs and directs strategic initiatives for the agency’s growth minded clients looking to position for market expansion.
Having held positions in the agency and brand side, Kristine understands the complexity of marketing from both perspectives. She started her career at Whitney Morse, a prominent advertising and branding agency in Minneapolis, MN where she learned the ropes of brand strategy and the value of great design. Kristine was the co-founder of Purple Bamboo, lead the 200% growth initiative for Biodentist, and served as the Director of Business Development and Marketing for The Pineapple Agency — an experiential marketing agency focused on creating raving loyal fans for clients like Noosa Yoghurt, Outdoor Industry Association, Hansen’s Soda, and Under Armor.
Kristine holds a BA in Marketing Communications from Gustavus Adolphus College and digital marketing nano degree from Udacity.
After-hours, you will find her reading cookbooks and books on marketing strategy with equal vigor. She enjoys going to the market, playing with new recipe ideas, camping, biking, skiing, and practicing soccer skills with her family.
Her favorite healthy dish to make is grilled Colorado peaches with mascarpone and fresh mint. But you may want to ask her again tomorrow, she’s always trying something new.
Every month, the ROOT team digs deeper into good food and marketing trends, news and tips. Sign up here.