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By Dave Kovalak
If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, does it make
a sound?
Put another way, if the St. Louis region undergoes a dramatic turnaround
after 50 years of decline, but nobody notices, is it really happening?
That’s what the St. Louis RCGA set out to discover…and change.
Last year, the RCGA fielded extensive research on how corporate
executives, venture capitalists and national site selectors view
the St. Louis region as a place for doing business. In-depth surveys
were conducted among 300 respondents from outside the region and
420 business decision-makers from inside the region.
What emerged in the out-of-region survey was a significant awareness
challenge. Sixty percent of national respondents had little to no
understanding of what it’s like to do business in the St. Louis
region (i.e. they’re “blank slates”). Many in-region respondents
remarked that by “not being on the radar,” St. Louis misses business
expansion investment, and location opportunities that might otherwise
come here.
The detailed results of the research are beyond the scope of this
article. However, the findings speak for themselves in the strategic
brand platform that evolved. To refine the broad range of messages
that could be communicated about St Louis, the RCGA, and their marketing
partner, Fleishman Hillard, looked for attributes that were both
credible for St. Louis and important to site selectors and investors.
From that exercise, the brand strategy evolved to include four communication
pillars: a remarkable and distinctive quality of life; a strategic,
central location; a highly and broadly skilled workforce; and a
favorable business climate.
Results from the in-region analysis also identified attributes that
were ultimately woven into the brand tagline. St. Louisans regularly
mentioned the region’s lifestyle as a “best of both worlds scenario”
because St. Louis offers “big city assets without big city hassle.”
They also mentioned a sense of connectedness. Said one respondent,
“People make a connection here. We’re a large small town.” This
dichotomy helped spark the tagline, “St.
Louis. Perfectly Centered. Remarkably Connected”—a play
on both the social and physical aspects of the area.
With collateral and print ads in hand, the RCGA launched the campaign
locally last October. The local campaign continues today and has
grown in exposure thanks to pending pro-bono time and space commitments
from the regional media. But that’s only one half of the equation.
National outreach is the other.
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
To get the message out, the RCGA is raising the bar. The 2006 national
marketing plan blends pro active media relations, paid advertising,
collateral, marketing missions, direct mail, and a new Website to
elevate awareness of the region on the national and international
stage.
Advertising and media relations (news story placements) have a “ying-yang
relationship.” Story placements Fleishman’s strong focus—are valuable
because they provide third-party credibility and detail that’s often
missing in advertising. The flip side is that it media relations
efforts-no matter how well executed—can’t provide the control over
messaging and timing that comes from paid advertising. Pairing the
two tactics offers the credibility, continuity, message control
and timing that are essential to the long decision-making cycle
that typifies economic development.
With advertising and media relations raising awareness, other marketing
tactics are helping close the deal. Direct mail and personal marketing
calls push messaging to specific individuals; the Website (www.gotostlouis.org)
provides details and proof points that are essential to site selectors;
and “feet on the street” marketing missions conducted by the RCGA
Economic Development team build relationships that get projects
in the door.
WAKE UP AMERICA, ST. LOUIS IS STEPPING UP!
For the 60 percent of national executives with a limited understanding
of St. Louis, the multi-faceted marketing effort is a wake-up call—St.
Louis has a lot to offer today and the “product” is worth consideration.
Here are specifics on how the word is getting out through advertising,
media relations and marketing missions…
Advertising
The advertising plan provides year-round, national exposure through
conventional and unconventional print and radio outlets.
Print advertising features the “From My Perspective” testimonial
ads that launched the campaign locally last fall. So far, national
ads have included testimonials from Andy Taylor (Enterprise Rent-A-Car),
Diane Sullivan (Brown Shoe), David Robertson (Saint Louis Symphony
Orchestra), Dr. Tim Eberlein (Siteman Cancer Center) and Ed Ehrenberger
(GENCO).
Site selectors and national real estate execs can see the campaign
in the well-known trade publications, Site Selection
and Area Development. Together, these publications
will deliver 402,000 impressions (individual ad views) over the
course of 2006.
Executive decision-makers and venture capitalists can see the campaign
in the pages of Chief Executive and Bloomberg
Markets magazines—two publications that rarely, if ever,
feature economic development advertising. In these publications,
St. Louis stands side-by-side with well known advertisers such as
IBM, Bank of America, and American Express. When it comes to influencing
the influentials, these are the places to be. Together, these
magazines will deliver 1.6 million impressions this year.
Radio advertising features one-minute commercials on the fast-emerging
XM and Sirius satellite radio networks.
Combined, XM and Sirius already have over 10 million
subscribers and could hit 15 million by year’s end. Contrary to
popular belief, there’s a lot more to the satellite radio audience
than rabid Howard Stern fans. Thanks to aggressive equipment offers
and a growing list of factory-installed satellite receivers (now
offered by almost every auto manufacturer), the format has attracted
a diverse and affluent audience—just the ticket for reaching senior
executives nationwide. The St. Louis campaign is running exclusively
on XM and Sirius’ news, talk and sports programming
from outlets such as Fox News, Bloomberg TV, CNN, CNN Headline News,
ABC News/Talk, MSNBC, CNBC and ESPN radio (sorry, Howard). The
satellite radio buy features a total of 1,200 airings with an estimated
exposure of 15.6 million impressions.
Finally, the campaign includes sponsorship recognition on National
Public Radio’s most revered programs—Morning Edition and
All Things Considered. The 10 sponsorship credits include
a brief brand message on St. Louis (this rotates over time), along
with the gotostlouis.org
web address and the campaign tagline. NPR was chosen for its combination
of terrific demographics (generally two to three times better than
average for income, education and corporate leadership) and unparalleled
exposure—over 70,000,000 NPR impressions over the six month flight.
Media Relations
Fleishman-Hillard's involvement in the overall marketing plan continues
to pay dividends. Following the brand platform FH helped launch
last year, the agency is focusing attention in 2006 on a media outreach
to over 150 of the country’s premier news organizations.
These efforts have already yielded positive coverage in news outlets
such as: Dow Jones News Service, Reuters, AP,
Knight Ridder, Industry Week, New York Times,
Chicago Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business and the
Detroit Free Press. Topping those, however, were feature stories
FH helped garner from USA Today (“More say ‘Meet me in St.
Louis’ as city shows signs of renewal”) and NPR’s All Things Considered
(“St. Louis Escapes Its Rust-Belt Past”). These third-party endorsements
are truly priceless for the region, see sidebar for more details
of the articles.
Media outreach will continue through the rest of the year, so keep
your eyes open. The next great story about St. Louis could be about
you.
Marketing Missions
In economic development, as with most business transactions, relationships
are the name of the game. A site consultant or corporate executive
with no expansion plans now could be the source of an expansion
or relocation project that yields billions in capital investment
and hundreds of new jobs down the line.
To sustain old relationships and build new ones, the RCGA Economic
Development team is constantly on the road—at one-on-one marketing
meetings, at conferences and trade shows, and at special events
designed to attract decision makers in key markets. At mid year,
outbound marketing meetings have already surpassed all of 2005.
The RCGA has already hosted special events in New York City (twice),
Chicago (twice) and Detroit. The RCGA is also rolling out a high-tech,
modular trade show booth to highlight the region. Look for more
on that in a future issue of Commerce magazine.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?
Recent history points to the dangers of declaring “mission accomplished.”
And in the case of marketing St. Louis to a national business audience,
work is far from over (if it ever could be).
However, one thing is becoming clear— marketing is pushing momentum
in St. Louis’ favor. And momentum counts for a lot.
The bottom line is to translate this “buzz about St. Louis” into
live prospects, and new investment jobs, and “closed deals.”
Read All About It
New York Times writer Larry Friedman penned an article on
St. Louis published in March 31st’s Escapes section of the
Times. St. Louis is the subject of the weekly “36 hours”
feature, where a reporter visits a city and spends a day-and-a-half
moving from location to location.
Friedman takes the reader on a fast-paced “tour” of St. Louis, noting
that it has “undergone a remarkable transformation since 1972, when
the spectacular demolition of its high-rise Pruitt-Igoe housing
project became an indelible symbol of urban decline. Young professionals
drawn to new biotech and medical research industries, as well as
a new wave of immigrants from places like Bosnia, are bringing new
life to neighborhoods that last thrived a century ago. New loft
districts, old civic jewels and revitalized night life are making
the old refrain of “Meet Me in St. Louis” a welcome phrase again.”
The same edition also featured a piece on Saint Louis Symphony Conductor
David Robertson, in advance of the Symphony’s playing Carnegie Hall
Dow Jones Newswire writer Greg Edwards wrote a piece that
was distributed nationally and internationally to thousands of media
outlets, journalists, financial houses, analysts, venture capitalists,
and others, focusing on the new Busch Stadium and center city revitalization
successes overall. The article, New St. Louis Ballpark Just Part
Of Downtown Revival examines the new Ballpark and downtown revitalization
efforts.
Edwards notes, “A sparkling new $365 million Busch Stadium will
be in the spotlight Monday when the St. Louis Cardinals play their
home opener.”
“But it’s only part of this downtown’s redevelopment story.”
“Blocks of historic buildings, mostly vacant except for pigeons,
are being turned into apartments, condominiums, office buildings,
restaurants and hotels. In all, $3.3 billion has been invested in
downtown St. Louis since 2000, with $1 billion more expected this
year.”
The article, More Say, ‘Meet Me In St. Louis’ As City Shows Signs
of Renewal was published in the May 11th edition of USA TODAY.
USA TODAY reporter Charisse Jones was particularly interested
in St. Louis’ center city revitalization story, meeting with a number
of key players in the effort—both downtown neighborhood developers
and investors.
Based on her interest in both downtown’s revival and in the vitality
of St. Louis’ quality of life as reflected in its close-in neighborhoods.
This story has run in other newspapers around the country, beyond
its original posting.
USA TODAY—Again
Charisse Jones, the reporter who wrote the original USA Today
story, conducted an interview with Enterprise Rent-A-Car Chairman
& CEO Andy Taylor, published on May 22nd.
In another piece on Biotech Cluster Brands, St. Louis was featured
by UK reporter Edwin Colyer of Brandchannel.com, the world's only
online exchange about branding. St. Louis was featured with Copenhagen,
San Francisco, Cambridge (UK), and Shanghai.
and More
Associated Press writer, Cheryl Wittenauer reports on the Saint
Louis Symphony in an article, Music director Robertson hits the
right notes in St. Louis that traveled over the AP wire to more
than 30 national publications.
Wittenauer explains,“Who can blame Saint Louis Symphony management
and musicians for being giddy these days?”
“After a painful period of near bankruptcy and extinction, the illness
and death of former music director Hans Vonk in 2004, and an ugly
labor dispute and work stoppage last year, things are stirring under
new music director David Robertson.”
“The nation’s second oldest and one of its most honored orchestras
is exploding with energy, verve and talent artistically stronger
than perhaps it’s ever been while regaining its fiscal footing.”
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