We’re proud promoters of St. Louis, Missouri, and for good reason. 

Not only is there a lot of rich history, but also growth opportunities in sectors such as Bioscience, Advanced Manufacturing, Agriculture, Fintech, Geospatial, and Health Innovation, to name but a few. 

Plus, it would be hard to not mention the strong creative scene that’s always been part of the St. Louis branding and marketing community. This city has been a hub for great ideas and design work — both online and offline — for generations of marketing creatives. 

When given the opportunity, St. Louis companies have been known to rise to the occasion and provide exceptional products and services, often with attractive pricing models that make St. Louis’ offerings more viable, especially when compared to the east or west coast. 

Over our long history, we’ve seen marketing trends come and go, industries born, and major corporations decide to move headquarters elsewhere, leaving those that remain in St. Louis just a tad bit nervous, while trying to keep in mind that growth possible. Change, in fact, is inevitable. 

At Dovetail, we often think about what we want to be known for, and one common purpose that rises to the top is being thought of as “St. Louis’s creative agency”. It’s important to us, this is home. 

2024 is well underway, yet if you feel a step behind, it’s never too late to update your planning and pivot into a few must-dos to improve your marketing programming. 

Below are our Top 7 Must-Dos in 2024 for St. Louis Companies to Maximize and Modernize their Marketing Efforts: 

A company’s brand is its most valuable asset, it’s almost like the beating heart of an organization. It’s not just a logo or a catchy tagline; it’s the essence that resonates with customers on a deeper level. Building and implementing a brand platform isn’t just a choice; it’s one of the key ways to stand out amongst competitors. 

Consider this: in a sea of endless choices, consumers don’t just buy products or services; they buy stories, beliefs, and values. 

A brand platform provides the foundation upon which these narratives can be built and shared. It’s the guiding light that ensures every interaction, every piece of content, every touchpoint is infused with the company’s unique personality and purpose. 

In a world where attention spans are diminishing and distractions rule the day, a strong brand platform cuts through the noise and becomes a communication platform that can provide a unifying voice, reinforce the company’s identity and even foster trust with consumers. 

While these all feel like qualitative metrics, the quantitative side of developing a brand platform should result in more flexibility to offer products and services at a higher price, eventually lower customer acquisition cost, and improve utilization of marketing dollars spent. All big wins for 2024! 

If you don’t have a clear value proposition and unifying message, put developing a brand platform at the top of your list. It will make EVERYTHING come together. 

In 2024, St. Louis companies need to think beyond simply how time/effort need to equate to the greatest reward. While this cause/effect approach might have worked well in the past, to adopt it now would simply be checking a box. But would it be the best approach for the world we are in today? 

There is a content movement happening with conversations largely centered around “usefulness and helpful” versus the “broadcasting” approach. 

Personalization is at the top of this movement, with consumers expecting tailored experiences. Marketers must deliver content that resonates with individual preferences, interest, and needs. 

Authenticity and transparency remain as important as ever in an era characterized by misinformation, skepticism, and information overload. “Authenticity” is such a buzzword, but too important to miss. Think about authenticity as a way to humanize your marketing messages, share real-life stories, and address consumer concerns openly. Some companies struggle with the idea of transparency, but remember, transparency doesn’t have to mean sharing everything. It’s more about sharing what’s important. 

Interactive content formats such as augmented reality experiences, quizzes, and polls, all can encourage participation. One way to think about these formats is to look at them as “unit types” designed to increase dwell time, and boost brand recall and advocacy. 

Content delivery needs to have an omnichannel approach. If you’ve been a marketing professional for a while, this probably isn’t a new concept for you, but what has changed is the method of distribution leveraging automation and analytic tools. A common entry point into this world would be a scheduling tool like Hootsuite. 

We are big believers in “human generated content”, such as this post — with the value and perspective from a real person at Dovetail. 

However, AI has its place to expedite certain types of content creation that can perhaps give you something to start with, saving you time and money. You’ll most likely have to spend time editing and adding some magic, but it’s something to consider for work that has a lower ROI and perceived less value. 

Just remember to keep in mind the idea of authenticity, and do your best to connect the dots, as content marketing is about providing something helpful and useful, not robotic. 

This is probably the least “modernizing”, but one of the most important must-dos that made our list. Relationships matter. Let your clients know that, especially if you’re a St. Louis-based company with relationships throughout the country. 

Showing gratitude is important for several reasons. Not only does it express appreciation for the relationship, but it also encourages ongoing collaboration and loyalty. 

So, maybe on this one, consider breaking the trend to do everything digital. Send a handwritten note, a favorite treat from St. Louis to their corporate office in another state, or, if that’s not your style, a simple text expressing gratefulness for the relationship. 

If you’re like most companies, you may have launched a new site a few years ago, and although it still looks “fine” on the surface, deep down, you’re aware of underlying issues. However, addressing them sounds as enjoyable as cleaning out the basement on a Saturday morning. 

Content may not be optimized for search engines where you once ranked high for certain keywords, and are now on the third page of search results. 

Maybe there are user-experience issues, and the navigation structure can’t accommodate changes to your service or product offerings. 

Perhaps your site’s content has become overwhelming and it’s competing with itself for clicks. Your value proposition is being overlooked. 

Remember the old expression, “Image Is Everything”? 

A huge piece of the brand experience is supported by your website, so if you’re unsure, schedule an audit to make sure everything is setup properly to help you move forward versus hold you back. 

As privacy concerns reshape digital advertising, and rules change around ad retargeting utilizing third-party cookies, marketers are now embracing alternative solutions to reach their target audiences. 

For many on marketing and sales teams, the evolution will focus on the use of first-party data to reach their niche audiences. 

The word “data” is thrown around a lot these days, so a quick way to think about first-party data is any information collected directly from consumers, often obtained through interactions with a company’s website, mobile apps, email subscriptions, and loyalty programs. When you opt into a service agreement on a “free” digital social platform, you most likely agreed that the provider could repackage and sell your information for advertising. 

If you partner with data providers, there is a good chance you will be able to see names of who is visiting your website, their phone number, place of employment, email address, and even job title. You may find ethical considerations at play, but this is the current answer to traditional ad retargeting. 

As creative tools like Canva have become more commonplace, so has the creative that comes along with it. So much of everything has become template-based to expedite production processes. 

While this can be good from a speed standpoint, when your brand is being expressed in a way that is too common, odds are it’s getting lost and could be performing better. 

Creativity is the spark that sets brands apart, capturing attention, and emotional connections with audiences. Creativity has the power to transform brands from mere products or services into vibrant stories, resonating with consumers on a deeper level. 

Make time for creativity in 2024. 

---

At Dovetail, a St. Louis branding and marketing agency, we work with brands to build engagement, rethink what’s possible, and accelerate success in today’s ever-changing market landscape. 

We’d love to talk more about your brand, your story, and how, with a little reimagining, we can work together to build your storytelling blueprint. Let’s engage — contact us today at reimagine@dovetail-stl.com