Top Misconceptions About the St. Louis Market and How to Profit Off of Them

While other cities are known for being home  to a few demographic groups, St. Louis is filled with a variety of different people that make it possible for your brand to find your target audience. Advertisers that are less familiar with the area often arrive with stereotypes about what our community is like and what residents want, but each of those  is surrounded by information that can help you strategically profit off those misconceptions. Those who live in St. Louis are loyalists to their sports teams and local businesses, which is why your business should be working towards debunking these thoughts so that you’re able to profit off of them. Here’s how you can disprove those misconceptions of the St. Louis market. 

The Boomer Generation Doesn't Have Much Spending Power

Although people can be quick to assume that millennials buy more than older demographic groups, people over the age of 50 have more spending power than younger generations. Because they have had more time to save money, they have a more expendable income and feel less pressure to save. They also have more time to partake in leisure activities, which often results in more experiential purchases for this generation.

No One Is Watching TV Anymore

A top misconception of the St. Louis market is that people aren’t watching much TV anymore, and that simply is not true. Overall viewership of TV shows is at an all-time high, but some audiences spread their viewing across a variety of platforms. Learning about the platforms your target audience uses most often can help you pinpoint the most effective places to run your ads. Working with a local media partner can help you to integrate your current TV advertisements into streaming services your target audience may be using to further expand your reach into the St. Louis market.

The Audience Is Too Large

Although the entire St. Louis population is quite large, there are ways to target specific groups of people in order to reach the right people at the right time. By identifying your ideal customers before beginning your campaign and taking the time to learn about their preferences, you are able to make sure that the most relevant people see your ads. With the help of a local media partner, you can effectively hyper-target within the larger population of the St. Louis market by advertising on the social media platforms and channels your potential customers are using.   

It's Too Expensive to See an ROI When Advertising  Alongside Sports Teams

While advertising during sporting events is often seen as one of the more expensive advertising options, it is a great way to reach a large target audience at once. Many local restaurants, health and fitness brands, and other businesses find success in investing in sports advertising because of the number of people watching.  Working with a local media partner is a great way to position your brand alongside the right sports teams that will best reach your audience and provide a significant return on investment. 

You Need An Advertising Agency

Although having an advertising agency can be helpful for some brands, it is not a requirement for running an effective advertising campaign. Working with a local media partner can be a more personal and cost-effective way to collaborate on your ads without relying on a large and expensive agency to do everything for you. The right media partner can help you identify the most effective ways to reach your local market.   

It's Too Expensive to Produce a Commercial

Commercials take time to plan and produce, but they are worth the investment for your business because of the reach they have.  While you may have heard that national Super Bowl commercials in 2020 ran as high as $5 million, it is definitely possible to create high-quality commercials with a much lower budget, especially when they are running locally and during regularly scheduled programming. Super Bowl commercials use top-of-the-line equipment, have massive reach beyond what you may need, and sometimes use well-known actors, all of which demand a higher cost.  These factors are typically not true for regular commercials, especially those created by local businesses, which keep costs much more manageable and still provide measurable results.  

Word of Mouth Is All You Need

Although word of mouth creates a great sense of loyalty, you need to do more than relying on your previous customers to give your business the level of exposure that it needs. You can't expect your customers to mention your brand to the same people multiple times each day, and most members of your target audience who have not tried your brand yet will need to hear multiple ads over a period of time to remember and build an interest in your business.  

Here's What Makes St. Louis Special

St. Louis' many sports teams and vast demographic groups make it a unique and diverse city that is an ideal market for a variety of brands. Our residents are die-hard loyalists to the area. Doing business with those who live and work in the St. Louis area, is a great way to build a large and loyal audience that will stick with your products and services for years.  Working with a local media partner that is familiar with the needs and interests of those in the area can help you position your advertisements to most effectively reach your target audience within the larger community.