The North Dakota unmanned aircraft industry gained a new communications partner this week when Grand Forks marketing agency Ad Monkeys, Inc. became a member of the North Dakota UAS Council. The move pairs a locally based creative firm with the state organization leading efforts to expand aerospace research, education and commercial activity.
Why the council picked a marketing partner
Council leaders said the addition is intended to strengthen how the organization explains technical work and economic impacts to broader audiences, including businesses, policymakers and residents who live near research and testing sites.
“Bringing Ad Monkeys into the North Dakota UAS Council fold is a significant step for our organizational messaging,” said Matt Dunlevy, CEO of the ND UAS Council.
Ad Monkeys co-owner and creative director Scott Telle said the firm has watched the sector grow in recent years and wants to help tell those stories. The agency’s background includes branding, digital design, video production and web development for sectors such as healthcare, higher education and agriculture.
What Ad Monkeys will do
The council said the agency will assist with outreach, translating technical advancements into materials that help stakeholders understand economic and workforce implications. That work can involve everything from campaign strategy and photography to website design and promotional video — tools that partner institutions can use to attract students, investors and employers.
- Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Organization joining: North Dakota UAS Council
- Agency experience: More than 30 years in branding and digital marketing
| Service | Examples |
|---|---|
| Creative services | Video, photography, logo and brand design |
| Digital | Websites, campaign management, social strategy |
| Industry focus | Healthcare, higher education, agriculture, corporate |
The council has been working with academic, government and commercial partners to cultivate North Dakota as a hub for autonomous systems. Adding a communications firm reflects a broader strategy: technical innovation often needs clear messaging to secure investment, regulatory support and workforce development.
For Grand Forks, the partnership keeps economic activity local. Agencies based in the city have supplied marketing and public-relations work to state initiatives in the past, and the UAS council’s decision underscores the role creative firms can play in translating lab and field work into community benefit.
Local businesses and schools watching the state’s aerospace efforts should expect more public-facing materials and outreach campaigns in the coming months as the council and partners promote training programs, research milestones and commercial opportunities.
— Astrid Halvorsen, News Block
