...Dakota Growers introduces new name, new look for favorite product

The new name is already well-known: Dakota Growers. "It's a name that says it all, that tells the world where the best pasta comes from," says Liz Reinhiller, director of corporate marketing for Dakota Growers Pasta Company.

The new look is another statement of quality, Reinhiller continues, noting that the harvest illustration reflects the commitment that Dakota Growers Pasta Company feels for the heritage of the family farm.

The Dakota Growers pasta line is sold in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana, where in1999 alone some two million packages ended up in consumers' cupboards. The line contains 29 pasta products available in package sizes ranging from 12 ounces to five pounds. The popular farfalle (bowtie) pasta is the newest Dakota Growers addition. In addition to the recloseable seal that customers have requested, each carton features an exclusive recipe created by Antonio Cecconi, Dakota Growers' executive corporate chef.

"Antonio is our company's culinary genius," says Reinhiller. "He created original recipes for each different shape in our Dakota Growers line." A native of Sardinia, Cecconi heads a Minneapolis catering service called The Italian Gourmet, teaches cooking classes, and has authored two cookbooks for Betty Crocker; a third cookbook featuring regional Italian cuisine will be published this summer.

The updated package with Antonio's recipes is already showing up on supermarket shelves as new stock comes in. The new name and design are complemented by the familiar blue color that consumers often mention. The name and design have also been incorporated onto foodservice cases marketed to venues that buy in bulk, such as restaurants, hospitals, schools, and nursing homes.

"We've been aware that consumers have been calling our product Dakota Growers instead of Pasta Growers. It's also referred to as 'the pasta in the blue box,'" Reinhiller says. "We did some market research to confirm this perception, and develop a strategy that would strengthen our company's position in the marketplace."

A market research firm conducted a telephone survey. The survey among regional consumers discovered that most North Dakotans are enthusiastic in their commitment to buy products made in the state. It also confirmed the belief that consumers did not clearly recall the Pasta Growers brand name.

"The research told us we should capitalize on what makes us unique as the world's only grower-owned pasta company," Reinhiller explains. "We also were encouraged to zero in on North Dakota's renown for growing premium durum wheat." Based on the research, Dakota Growers decided to make changes, and went to work with Bismarck's Odney Advertising to create the new look.

Everyone agreed that keeping the distinctive blue box was important," Reinhiller says. "We also wanted to add the feeling of a quality North Dakota product in the design, which the harvest scene does so well. We're so excited to have this show up in people's cupboards and on kitchen tables."

Dakota Growers Pasta Company, owned by nearly 1,100 durum wheat farm families, is the third largest manufacturer of dry pasta in North America. It is the only pasta company in the world to grow its own No. 1 Hard Amber durum wheat, ensuring premium quality pasta from field to plate.

Contact: Liz Reinhiller, 701-652-2855, or Elizebeth Hoggarth, 701-652-4863

Special note to reporters and editors: Product images are available by e-mail from Odney Advertising Agency. Call 1-888-500-8721 or 222-8721 and ask for Susan Moser