Cates

Cates are a key player in the grain and seed market, based in Mid-Canterbury. Established in 1973, Cates became a household name in their home region be forging international deals that took quality New Zealand grown cereals, pasture seeds and pulses to the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Europe and parts of Asia.

With ambitious plans to grow their reputation here and overseas, as well as expand their research programme, Cates knew their brand proposition needed to be a better fit for their plans – a strategic realignment that would be a better articulation of who they were and what they wanted to achieve. 

‘On the ground Cates were doing everything right’, says Jonathan, ‘They had built a robust reputation by being relationship-focussed and hell-bent on providing quality, best practise advice. More than anything this job was about articulating, packaging and amplifying their existing offering in a way that prospective customers could understand and connect with.’

Work started with a pointy brand strategy to get a fix on the Cates positioning within their offering/ competitive/ customer needs matrix – followed by an update to their logo, tagline and visual identity.

“Cates is an international business, yet it remains deeply connected to the farming communities in Mid-Canterbury. It is also one of the few seed companies with a research arm – we wanted the positioning to have that stretch built in from the outset.”

Jonathan Sagar, Voice Principal

The new logo included a new seeds symbol referencing the life cycle of a seed and the four key results the business looked to achieve for their customers: growth, multiplying returns, success and relationships.  A new tagline, ‘Best in your field’ was created to acknowledge the strong connection between Cates and their farming customers. The project with Voice completed in 2021 and ensures the business will continue to be an important business partner for their farmers and a strategic link to the global seed trade.