A Region in Need of a Narrative

STLMADE
When a group of civic and business leaders came to Cannonball to help attract talent and investment to the St. Louis area, we knew we needed to create a narrative that was not only meaningful to outsiders, but ownable and authentic to St. Louisians. Utilizing extensive qualitative and quantitative research, we helped uncover St. Louis’s story and help define our strategy for communication.

We launched the #STLMade branded movement and outreach, which was brought to life through storytelling on theSTL.com, training of more than 300 ambassadors, and activation at more than 40 cultural events.

What it Means to be STLMade

We discovered that St. Louis could best be described as the perfect place to start up, to stand out, and to stay. Through the #STLMade social movement and outreach, storytelling on theSTL.com, training of more than 300 ambassadors, and activation at more than 40 cultural events in 2019, STLMade is transcending neighborhood, city and state lines to make an impact.

Telling Our Story Digitally

The #STLMade narrative came to life at theSTL.com, an online magazine that tells the stories of individual St. Louisans doing great things to improve their communities, create jobs, or celebrate the culture of our region.

Social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok) not only distributed this content across the region, but also helped curate positive stories from new sources, bringing an organic aspect to how we promote the growth and people of the St. Louis region.

An Ongoing Success Story

In addition to seeing a groundswell of excitement, support and adoption of the #STLMade movement, we are seeing very tangible digital results that reflect the campaign’s popularity. As of March 2023:

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Uses of the #STLMade hashtag

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