Schaefer is a growth strategy firm built exclusively for food and beverage brands. We build and install advertising systems that take the guesswork out of paid media—so that winning new customers isn't gambling with your ad spend.
Agencies launch campaigns, watch what happens, and adjust after the money is already spent. That's not a strategy. That's trial and error with your budget.
We talk to real food shoppers — not proxies. We figure out what drives purchase in your category, what your competitors are missing, and who your most valuable buyers actually are. So you know exactly who to reach before any money moves.
When you know who your best customers are and why they buy, the right creative, the right people, and the right platforms stop being guesswork. Strategy before spend is how we get the biggest results.
We turned down every other industry so we could understand yours completely. We know why someone buys your food product over a competitor — because we go find out ourselves. Then we build the exact audience segments of your best customers so every dollar you spend is talking to the right person. No generalist agency can do that.
The F&B category has its own rules and shopper dynamics. We've spent years learning how to advertise with them for pre-revenue, scaling, and billion-dollar food brands.
— Sidnee Schaefer, Founding Partner
“What impressed us most about Schaefer was their meticulous attention to detail. These outcomes have directly shaped our positioning and strong launch.”
“They surpassed every expectation we set delivering insights into our products, categories, customers, and even new channels that are driving growth.”
“The results of the work were exciting. Our business is growing fast and we have to know our customer. Schaefer gave us new, actionable insights on our best customers.”
“Schaefer has been a game changer for our digital marketing strategy. Bonus — Schaefer is a fun, approachable, organized, and responsive team.”
The Challenge
Strong product. Loyal customers. But growth had plateaued. DTC sales and conversion rates stalled, and their messaging wasn’t aligned with what actually drives purchase.
Our Approach
We led a four-phase engagement—Audit, Research, Strategy, and Testing—to replace fragmented tactics with a connected, insight-led growth system.
MeatWorks targeted age, gender, and income—but missed what actually motivated purchase.
Using our Buyer Psychology framework, we uncovered a surprise: their best customers weren’t young dads with grills. They were older, retired adults cooking for one or two, using discretionary income to bring joy to everyday meals.
Our food & beverage paid media audit is the fastest way to find out what's working, what's wasting budget, and where your biggest opportunities are. It's $1,400. If you sign on as an ongoing client afterward, that cost comes back to you as a credit.Or if you'd rather just have a conversation first, that works too.
Day 1: Access & kicoff
Day 2-4: Deep dive analysis
Day 5: Findings & presentation
Food and beverage research and marketing strategy partners in CPG, manufacturing, food service, and private equity.
Most F&B brands come to us after months of flat results and a growing suspicion their agency doesn't have a plan. We audit your account, find exactly what's broken, and fix it — or your money back.
