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February 28, 2025 | Nikki Bisel
Prepared for: Business Owners, CEOs, Presidents, and Marketing Directors in the St. Louis region
Prepared by: Seafoam Marketing – A St. Louis Marketing Agency
In 2025, the St. Louis marketing landscape has entered a new era defined by rapid digital growth and evolving local consumer behaviors. With deep roots and years of experience in St. Louis, we’ve witnessed firsthand the shift from an era of billboard campaigns and print ads to one dominated by social media, search engines, and data-driven strategy. The COVID-19 pandemic was a pivotal accelerant of this change – forcing businesses in every industry to adapt almost overnight. What follows is an in-depth exploration of how St. Louis businesses are navigating this “new normal” in marketing, balancing the city’s proud local culture with the vast opportunities of the digital world.
Each section of this report delves into a key theme shaping our region’s marketing environment in 2025. You’ll find data from reliable sources, local examples, and insights drawn from years of marketing expertise. Our aim is to provide clarity and guidance – in plain language – on what these trends mean for you as business leaders, and how you can leverage them. From permanent post-pandemic transformations to budget benchmarks, creative economy influences, and the rise of AI, this report serves as a roadmap to the digital horizons ahead for St. Louis marketing.
Let’s begin by looking at how local industries have permanently changed their marketing strategies in the wake of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic upended “business as usual” and, in many ways, permanently reshaped how St. Louis companies reach their customers. In the early months of 2020, storefronts went dark and in-person events were canceled, but consumer demand didn’t vanish – it moved online. St. Louis businesses, from retail and restaurants to B2B manufacturers, responded by accelerating their digital transformation at an unprecedented pace. Many of these changes have proven to be lasting. In this section, we examine what that transformation looks like across industries and how our local trends compare to national averages.
In the throes of the pandemic, going digital was not just an option; it became a lifeline. Nationally, e-commerce sales surged by 43% in 2020 alone. St. Louis companies felt this shift acutely and took action. For example, retailers and restaurants quickly stood up online ordering, curbside pickup, and delivery options. A payment technology report highlighted that many businesses rushed to move online in spring 2020 – Kansas City even ranked in the top 10 U.S. cities for the spike in new online sellers during that period. While St. Louis wasn’t at the very top of that list, local businesses experienced the same urgency to pivot. Square’s Head of E-Commerce noted that even as cities reopened, “many [consumers are] still preferring curbside pickup and delivery. Businesses must continue catering to these expectations.” In other words, the new digital conveniences and habits born in the pandemic have stuck around.
Consider the story of A.E. Schmidt Billiards, a fifth-generation St. Louis company. Before 2020, they primarily used their website as a showroom for custom pool tables. When in-person retail faltered, they rapidly transformed that site into a fully functioning e-commerce store. With the help of a local digital agency, A.E. Schmidt launched online sales just in time to meet a wave of homebound customers shopping for entertainment in quarantine. Their quick action paid off – they kept selling even while competitors without online sales were forced to pause operations. Stories like this played out across the metro area. For every heartbreaking closure in 2020, there were businesses that survived by embracing digital tools, from mom-and-pop eateries setting up online ordering to professional services firms adopting webinars and virtual consultations.
Industry-specific adoption of digital marketing also leapt forward in St. Louis, often mirroring national trends – with a few local nuances. In health care, for instance, telemedicine visits in Missouri exploded when in-person visits were limited. Many hospitals and clinics in the region now market hybrid care options (in-person or video appointments) as a permanent service offering. Education and events went virtual too: organizations like the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC), hosted by UMSL, shifted to online and hybrid formats. Marketers learned to promote virtual experiences and then, as in-person came back, how to blend the two. B2B industries (manufacturing, logistics, etc.) that traditionally relied on trade shows and sales reps had to generate leads digitally – via search engine marketing, LinkedIn outreach, and virtual demos. One panel of B2B marketing experts in St. Louis observed that the pandemic “accelerated the need for digital marketing” and made personalization and online relationship-building more critical to stand out in a crowded digital space. In short, every sector found itself pushed along the digital adoption curve.
How does St. Louis’s digital transformation stack up against national averages? Overall, our region kept pace in many areas, though certain legacy industries moved a bit slower. For example, by late 2021, roughly 70% of small businesses nationally had increased their use of digital tools (whether for marketing, e-commerce, or operations) due to the pandemic. St. Louis closely followed this trend. In fact, one survey found that 77% of U.S. local business decision-makers (a cohort that includes many St. Louis businesses) were optimistic about AI and new tech, and over half were already using software with AI capabilities by 2024 – a signal that even smaller firms here are not shy about adopting advanced digital tools. Where our region has lagged a bit is in the growth of the overall tech workforce. From 2021 to 2022, St. Louis’s tech employment grew only 0.3%, placing us 45th out of 51 major metros for tech job growth. That’s a reminder that while usage of digital marketing and e-commerce jumped forward, we still have a relatively smaller tech talent pool compared to some cities. In practical terms, a St. Louis manufacturing company might adopt an advanced digital marketing platform (same as a competitor in Chicago), but here they might outsource the management of it to a firm or a software vendor due to talent constraints, whereas the Chicago firm might hire in-house specialists.
Despite those challenges, St. Louis industries have shown they can adapt quickly when needed. The adoption rates by industry often reflect our local economic mix. Industries where St. Louis is strong – like financial services, health care, and education – saw digital marketing adoption on par with national peers because they could leverage established technology infrastructure. In more traditional sectors like agriculture or construction, digital marketing picked up a bit more slowly, consistent with national patterns for those fields. But even in those areas, the shift is undeniable. Many local real estate agencies, for example, now do virtual home tours and heavy social media advertising, things that were far less common pre-2020.
Looking at the big picture, the post-pandemic era in St. Louis is defined by hybrid marketing models. Businesses combine face-to-face and digital outreach seamlessly. An illustrative analogy: a St. Louis retail shop today might resemble a riverboat with twin engines – one engine is the local, in-person experience (now augmented by safety measures and personal touches to lure shoppers back), and the other engine is the online store and digital marketing funnel. Companies learned in 2020 that they need both engines running to navigate the waters. The data backs this up: nearly three-quarters of businesses report that the digital changes they made are now a permanent part of their strategy going forward, not just a temporary fix. St. Louis industries are no exception. The “fast forward” button that the pandemic hit on digital marketing is not reversing; it’s become the new baseline.
One unique challenge for St. Louis businesses is balancing our strong sense of local community with the vast reach of digital channels. St. Louis has a proud, hyper-local culture – think neighborhood loyalty, Cardinals baseball traditions, 314 Day celebrations – and historically, a lot of marketing here has been very community-centric (sponsoring the local little league, ads on the local radio, flyers at the corner cafe). At the same time, digital marketing lets even a small St. Louis company have a national or global audience at its fingertips. This creates a kind of “local-digital divide”: how do you stay authentic and connected to St. Louis roots while also capitalizing on online scale? In this section, we analyze how businesses are bridging that divide, blending traditional St. Louis marketing approaches with modern digital tactics.
St. Louis consumers appreciate when businesses speak their language – supporting the community, referencing local culture, and being present on the ground. At the same time, those consumers (like everyone) are spending more time online than ever. Successful marketing strategies now often combine local touchpoints with digital amplification. A great example is the Love Local campaign pictured above. Greater St. Louis, Inc. launched this initiative to encourage shopping at local small businesses. You see bright blue “Love Local” billboards around town carrying the slogan, “When you spend here, it stays here.” That’s a classic community-centric message, delivered via a traditional medium (outdoor billboard). But the campaign doesn’t stop there – it’s supported by paid social media ads, email blasts, and even a digital toolkit for small businesses to promote the message online. In effect, they bridged the divide: a hometown-focused message was amplified through digital channels to blanket the metro area. The result? High engagement and awareness across demographics. This kind of integrated approach is now a playbook for many local firms.
Many St. Louis businesses are finding that being “local” and being “digital” are not opposites; they’re complements. For instance, a local craft brewery might host neighborhood events (like a weekend patio music series) and promote them via Facebook and Instagram to get a bigger turnout. Neighborhood restaurants that used to rely purely on word-of-mouth now actively manage Google and Yelp listings to capture people searching “best toasted ravioli near me” from their phones. We’ve seen long-standing local brands, even very traditional ones, finally join social media in the past couple of years – and often to great effect. A family-owned hardware store in Kirkwood, for example, might post weekly DIY tip videos on YouTube or TikTok, leveraging its local personality to gain followers well outside Missouri.
The key is authenticity. St. Louis has a bit of a “show me” attitude (fitting for the Show-Me State) – residents can sniff out insincerity quickly. Companies that successfully bridge traditional and digital here do so by infusing genuine local flavor into their online presence. One strategy is storytelling that ties back to St. Louis culture or history. For example, a marketing director at a local apparel company might share a blog post about how the design of a new t-shirt was inspired by the 1904 World’s Fair or the architecture of the Gateway Arch, and then share that content via email newsletter and LinkedIn. This gives the digital content a local soul. Another strategy is engaging with local online communities. We see many businesses active in St. Louis-focused Facebook groups or hashtags on Twitter (now X). By participating in digital “town squares” devoted to local topics, brands stay plugged into community conversations even as they operate in the online sphere.
Bridging the local-digital divide often means updating traditional marketing tactics for the digital age. St. Louis has a lot of legacy marketing channels – local newspapers like the Post-Dispatch, community bulletin boards, direct mail coupon books, etc. Instead of abandoning these, smart businesses are connecting them to digital efforts. For instance, a local retailer might still send out a physical postcard mailer to residents in certain ZIP codes, but that postcard offers a QR code that, when scanned, leads to a personalized landing page or a special e-commerce discount for local customers. Or consider event marketing: The annual Soulard Mardi Gras celebrations are a huge local affair. In the past, bars and sponsors would put up posters and perhaps radio ads. Now, those events have official apps, Facebook event pages, and live streams. A company sponsoring a Mardi Gras tent might run an Instagram contest using a hashtag and geotags to draw both the live crowd and the at-home audience into the fun.
A tangible example of blending old and new is how some St. Louis real estate firms market themselves. Traditionally, agents relied on yard signs, bench ads, and networking at church or school events. They still do – but now those yard signs include the agent’s Instagram handle or a text code for more info, and that agent is likely posting video walkthroughs of homes on their social channels. They haven’t abandoned the face-to-face community aspect (St. Louis is a place where an agent’s reputation in the community still matters greatly), but they’ve extended it by building a personal brand online that reaches far beyond their immediate neighborhood.
We should also acknowledge the challenges in striking this balance. Not every digital trend will resonate with a local audience, and not every traditional method scales well online. Some St. Louis marketing initially struggled, for example, with the tone of social media – finding the line between being casually engaging and maintaining a professional image rooted in Midwestern friendliness. It’s a learning curve. But by and large, the trend is toward convergence: local marketing and digital marketing are becoming one and the same. The most effective strategies we see usually involve a hybrid approach. Think of it like the Eads Bridge, connecting Missouri and Illinois – two very different contexts joined by a strong, deliberate structure. In marketing terms, the two contexts are the “in-person local experience” and the “online digital presence,” and the structure connecting them is a cohesive strategy that keeps messaging consistent across both.
One illustrative success story is a local fitness studio chain that traditionally relied on referrals and local flyers. Post-pandemic, they started an online community group for members on Facebook, where they share nutrition tips, shout-outs, and neighborhood wellness events. This digital community complements the physical community in their gyms. New leads now often come from friends tagging friends on the studio’s Instagram posts or Facebook events. They’ve essentially digitized “word of mouth” while keeping it hyper-local. Another example: during the holiday season, the Cherokee Street district and other local merchant associations run campaigns encouraging people to shop local. They put out beautiful street banners and host in-person holiday markets (traditional marketing), but simultaneously blast the message via email campaigns and #ShopSTL hashtags on Twitter, reaching younger audiences who may not read the local paper.
In conclusion, the perceived divide between local marketing and digital marketing is shrinking fast in St. Louis. The most resonant campaigns are those that honor St. Louis’s community spirit – its neighborhoods, values, and quirks – while leveraging the reach and precision of digital media. Business owners who find that sweet spot enjoy the best of both worlds: a loyal local customer base that feels genuinely connected, and a broader audience accessible through online channels. In 2025, bridging the local-digital divide isn’t just possible; it’s practically the default mode for successful St. Louis marketing.
One of the most common questions we get from executives is: “How should we be allocating our marketing budget these days, and how do we compare with others in St. Louis?” This section tackles that question by looking at benchmarks for marketing spend. We’ll explore how businesses of different sizes and industries in the St. Louis area are divvying up their marketing dollars across channels, and how that aligns with what’s happening nationally. We’ll also compare the ROI (return on investment) of traditional channels versus digital channels, especially in the context of our local market. The goal is to give you a frame of reference – a check on whether you are under-investing or over-investing in certain areas, and which channels tend to deliver the best bang for the buck in St. Louis.
First, let’s talk overall budget. Marketing budgets as a percentage of company revenue took a hit in 2020 but have largely rebounded. Nationally, marketing spend dropped to about 6.4% of revenue during the worst of the pandemic, then climbed back to 9.5% of revenue in 2022. Pre-pandemic, around 11% was common. Many St. Louis companies follow a similar pattern. By 2024, a lot of firms here were back in that 8-10% of revenue range for marketing budgets, if not higher for growth-oriented sectors like tech or e-commerce. Three out of four CMOs nationally said their budgets increased in 2022 vs 2021, and we’ve observed the same locally – marketing spend has been on the upswing as businesses invest to capture post-pandemic demand.
However, there is variation by company size. Small businesses (say under $5 million in revenue) in St. Louis often can’t hit that 8-10% level and might be doing 5% or less of revenue in marketing, simply due to tight margins. But they are often very creative in stretching every dollar (leveraging organic social media, local partnerships, etc.). Mid-sized companies here (maybe $10M–$100M range) often earmark a healthy budget for marketing, closer to that 8-12%. In fact, some of the most aggressive digital ad adopters we see are mid-sized B2C companies that suddenly found a national customer base online and significantly ramped up spending to capitalize on it. Large enterprises in St. Louis (Fortune 1000 types) tend to follow broader corporate trends – for instance, if the CPG industry is spending 20% of marketing on digital, so will they, and so forth. These bigger players also typically have multi-channel budgets including sizeable traditional media buys (TV, radio, sponsorships) alongside digital, whereas a smaller local firm might be almost all-digital because they can’t afford a TV spot on KSDK.
A notable shift in recent years is where the dollars are going. The share of marketing budgets devoted to digital channels has climbed steadily. In 2019, a considerable portion was still in traditional channels; by 2025, businesses in St. Louis – like elsewhere – are allocating well over half of their marketing spend to digital avenues. BIA Advisory Services, which tracks advertising spend, forecasts that in 2025, 52% of all local advertising spend in the U.S. will be on digital channels, surpassing traditional media for the first time. We see this playing out in our region. Many companies have rebalanced their budgets: for example, a St. Louis retailer that used to split budget 50/50 between print ads and online might now be 80% online, 20% print. Another example: local auto dealerships, historically big radio and TV advertisers, are now directing more funds into digital ads on Facebook, Google, and even streaming TV platforms, because that’s where the eyeballs have moved.
Let’s break down some channel-specific spending benchmarks common in St. Louis marketing for 2025:
Of course, these numbers are generalized. Your specific mix should align with your industry and where your customers are. But the overarching theme is the dominance of digital in budget planning. Marketing leaders have realized that digital channels not only often cost less for the reach they provide, but they are also more measurable and can show direct ROI – a big selling point when justifying budgets to a CEO or board.
When allocating budgets, ROI is the north star. You want to put money where you get a return. So how do traditional and digital channels stack up in terms of ROI, especially in our local context? Generally, digital marketing delivers higher ROI on average, and this has driven the budget shifts we just discussed. But let’s get specific with some data and examples:
To succinctly compare traditional vs digital ROI in St. Louis: Traditional media like TV, print, and outdoor can still build brand awareness and trust – which should not be undervalued, as older demographics in particular may respond well there. However, the tracking and direct ROI of those channels is usually murkier. We often use proxy metrics (like foot traffic, anecdotal feedback) to gauge them. Digital channels, in contrast, shine in performance tracking. When Budget Blinds of St. Louis, for example, runs a Google ad campaign, they can see exactly how many leads and sales resulted, and calculate ROI to the dollar. If they send postcards to a neighborhood, they have to rely on a special offer code or ask “how did you hear about us?” to estimate impact.
From a benchmark perspective, many St. Louis companies now aim for at least a 5:1 to 10:1 ROI on digital ad spend (i.e., $5-$10 revenue per $1 spent) and are wary of any channel that can’t demonstrate that kind of efficiency. Some traditional channels can’t meet that bar directly but play a supporting role. For instance, a billboard might not generate a 10:1 ROI by itself, but it can increase the effectiveness of your digital efforts by boosting brand familiarity (the classic “halo effect”).
One local anecdote: a home services company found their online ads performed better (higher click-through and conversion) in areas where they also sponsored a local radio show – implying the radio built trust and the digital ad closed the deal. So, the lesson is that integrated strategies often yield the best overall ROI. Yet if one must choose due to limited budget, most are erring on the side of digital in 2025, because it’s more directly tied to results.
Let’s not forget ROI isn’t just immediate sales. It can be long-term brand equity, which is tougher to quantify. St. Louis businesses with a long history sometimes stick with traditional sponsorships and community events because it keeps their name respected in the community (and that eventually pays off in referrals and goodwill). The savvy ones, though, are enhancing that with digital storytelling to make sure the younger generation also connects with their brand, securing future ROI.
To sum up this section: Benchmark your budget by comparing percentages (are you near that 10% of revenue mark? Are you dedicating over half to digital? Many are.). And benchmark your channels by ROI (are you seeing the kind of returns others report? If your email or social isn’t performing, it might need strategy tweaks because as the data shows, those channels are powerhouse ROI drivers when done right). St. Louis companies are increasingly data-driven in these decisions, blending the art of marketing with the science of metrics. By following the numbers and learning from peers, you can allocate your marketing dollars in 2025 with confidence that they’re working as hard as possible for you.
St. Louis has always had a creative undercurrent – from our rich music history (hello, blues and jazz) to a vibrant arts scene and a tradition of scrappy advertising agencies punching above their weight. In 2025, this creative economy is both a source of marketing firepower and a factor influenced by broader trends like talent migration. In this section, we’ll explore how the local creative talent pool is evolving (e.g., are we experiencing a brain drain or a creative influx?), and how St. Louis’s unique cultural assets are influencing brand storytelling. Essentially, we want to understand the people and cultural context behind the marketing – the designers, writers, videographers, and storytellers in St. Louis – and what that means for businesses crafting their brand narratives.
One topic of conversation in recent years has been the “brain drain” – the concern that young creative and technical talent educated in St. Louis might leave for Chicago, Austin, or the coasts. There is some truth to this concern: surveys of students at Washington University and other local colleges found salary and career opportunities are major factors, and some grads do head out for higher-paying jobs elsewhere. However, St. Louis also retains a lot of its talent, and even sees some returnees as quality of life and cost of living here attract those who’ve done the coastal hustle. The net effect on marketing? The talent pool is changing, but not necessarily shrinking drastically. What we do see is a rise in remote work – a St. Louis marketing director might now manage a team that has a mix of in-office local creatives and remote specialists living in other cities. This can actually expand capabilities, as businesses aren’t limited to only local hires for certain cutting-edge skills (for example, a company here could contract a freelance motion graphics designer based in LA for a project, something that’s become common and acceptable).
That said, the creative community in St. Louis has shown resilience and growth in new ways. We have a burgeoning start-up scene and more freelancers/consultants who contribute to marketing projects. It’s not just agencies and in-house departments; it’s also independent creators, many of whom stayed or moved here for the affordable living and are doing national-caliber work from St. Louis. The Regional Arts Commission reported that the arts and culture sector in St. Louis City and County contributes about $868 million in economic impact and over 12,000 jobs. That’s a hefty creative workforce. In fact, statewide, the arts sector here contributes more to the economy than some traditionally big industries like agriculture. Many of those arts jobs overlap with marketing (graphic designers, videographers, PR folks working in nonprofit arts, etc.), which means there’s a solid base of creative professionals in the region.
However, talent migration does affect specific marketing capabilities. For example, if a cluster of experienced digital marketers or creative directors relocate elsewhere, local businesses might feel a gap in seasoned leadership. We’ve observed some St. Louis firms bringing in outside consultants or agencies to fill specialized roles (like high-end UX design or data analytics in marketing) when they can’t find the talent in-house. On the flip side, some local agencies have effectively imported talent by hiring remote or acquiring boutique firms in other cities. So, while the workforce geography has broadened, St. Louis companies still benefit from a collaborative creative network. People might physically be elsewhere, but they’re contributing to St. Louis campaigns.
One trend worth noting is the reverse brain drain – folks who left and came back. We’ve heard anecdotes of creative professionals returning to St. Louis in their 30s or 40s to raise families, bringing with them experiences from big agencies or tech companies on the coasts. These returnees often start new ventures or elevate the local marketing scene with fresh perspectives. The STL 2030 Jobs Plan and initiatives by Greater St. Louis, Inc. aim to foster precisely this: keep graduates here and draw back those who have left. For marketing, this means potentially more diverse and high-caliber talent calling St. Louis home, which can only help businesses seeking creative services.
Marketing isn’t just about tactics – it’s also about telling a story that resonates. St. Louis offers a rich tapestry of cultural assets that brands are increasingly weaving into their storytelling. Let’s consider what makes our city unique and how companies leverage that:
The image above captures a scene from 314 Day, a relatively new tradition where St. Louis celebrates itself every March 14th (3/14, our primary area code). This grassroots celebration has become a marketing opportunity for many local businesses to wave the STL flag. Last year’s 314 Day saw over a 100% increase in the use of the #314Day hashtag on social media – that’s huge engagement. Businesses join in by offering specials (e.g., $3.14 deals), sharing St. Louis facts, or simply expressing gratitude to the community. It’s a prime example of how a unique cultural asset (in this case, our area code and the pride attached to it) is used in brand storytelling. Companies that participate are effectively saying “we’re proud to be from here, and we’re part of this community.” The authenticity of that can strongly boost local customer affinity.
Another aspect of the creative economy is how local talent migration (as discussed earlier) intersects with cultural storytelling. Some marketing teams bring in outside creative perspectives (maybe a New York agency or a bicoastal creative director) – the challenge then is ensuring the story still feels local. Often, involving local artists or cultural experts as collaborators can bridge that gap. For instance, a national brand with a St. Louis market might commission a mural by a St. Louis graffiti artist and build a campaign around that artwork. This way, even if the core marketing strategy comes from outside, the execution has local creative DNA.
Furthermore, diversity in our creative voices is increasingly recognized. St. Louis has a significant African American population with deep cultural contributions (from Chuck Berry to modern visual artists), and a growing immigrant population adding new layers (the Bosnian community, for example, or the burgeoning Hispanic community celebrated in events like Hispanic Heritage Month showcases ). Brands that want to tell an inclusive story of St. Louis are starting to highlight these facets. A local ad campaign might feature a mix of faces and neighborhoods – a shot in North City, another on Cherokee Street, another in Chesterfield – consciously painting a picture of the whole community. This inclusive storytelling is not just socially conscious; it’s effective marketing to broaden appeal and show that the brand “gets” the city in all its variety.
In summary, the emerging creative economy in St. Louis provides both the talent and the inspiration that fuel modern marketing campaigns. While we must be mindful of talent flows (making sure we cultivate and retain creative skills here), St. Louis companies have a treasure trove of cultural material to draw from. Those that harness it – by employing local creatives, aligning with cultural events, and proudly wearing the St. Louis identity – often find their marketing resonates on a deeper level. It moves marketing from just selling a product to telling a story that people want to be a part of. And in an age where consumers (especially younger ones) value authenticity and community, that’s an invaluable advantage.
No 2025 marketing report would be complete without discussing artificial intelligence. AI has rapidly moved from a buzzword to a practical toolkit for marketers. In St. Louis, we’re seeing companies of all sizes dabble in AI – from using AI to automate routine tasks to leveraging data-driven insights that inform strategy. This section looks at how widely AI is being adopted in the local marketing scene, differences between big and small businesses in implementation, and some real-world applications tailored to St. Louis market challenges.
Artificial intelligence is no longer the domain of Silicon Valley alone; it’s firmly taking root in the Midwest as well. In fact, 31% of local business decision-makers across the U.S. said they are actively using AI in their companies, and another 29% are testing it, with 13% planning to start in 2024. That means over 70% of local businesses are at least experimenting with AI. St. Louis businesses mirror this national stat pretty closely. We’ve observed a strong curiosity and openness to AI tools among our clients and partners. Local marketing firms and departments have recognized that AI can save time and enhance capabilities – a big deal, especially for smaller teams trying to do more with less.
One striking comparison: AI’s adoption has been blisteringly fast. By August 2024, nearly 40% of working-age Americans reported using generative AI (tools like ChatGPT) either for work or personal use. Researchers point out that this adoption rate, less than two years since generative AI hit mass market, far outpaces how quickly the internet itself was adopted (it took the internet a few more years to hit similar usage). In St. Louis, this general comfort with AI technology is visible. People across industries – not just tech folk – have started to incorporate AI helpers into daily tasks. For instance, a real estate agent might use ChatGPT to help draft listing descriptions; a nonprofit director might use AI to analyze donor data for patterns. In marketing teams, at least one person is likely pushing the envelope, trying out AI-based tools for something.
That said, the implementation rates vary by business size and sector. Larger corporations in St. Louis (think Edward Jones, Purina, etc.) often have formal AI initiatives or vendor solutions integrated into their marketing tech stack. They might use AI for advanced analytics, programmatic ad buying optimization, or personalized content recommendations on their websites. These enterprises have the resources to invest and also the data scale to really benefit from AI insights. On the other hand, small businesses might be using AI in a more ad-hoc way – like using an AI copywriting assistant for their Facebook posts or relying on the AI built into their email marketing software that suggests the best time to send campaigns. Interestingly, surveys (including one by Local Dialog) indicate that small businesses have embraced AI tools quite eagerly – it’s touted as “the small-business world has never embraced a new technology as quickly or enthusiastically as AI.” This is partly because many AI-powered services are affordable or built into tools they already use (e.g., an email platform might introduce an AI subject line generator).
Marketing agencies and firms in St. Louis are definitely on board. Local marketing experts told the St. Louis Business Journal that one of the biggest trends in advertising is indeed the adoption of AI tools. Many agencies have set up internal task forces or committees to explore AI – ensuring they don’t fall behind. A data editor at the Business Journal compiled insights from these experts, underscoring that AI is permeating the industry quickly.
Talking about AI in abstract is one thing; seeing how it’s actually used on the ground in St. Louis marketing is another. Let’s dive into some practical applications and examples:
Even grocery shopping is getting an AI assist in St. Louis. Schnuck Markets Inc. piloted AI-powered “smart carts” (example shown above) that automatically detect items as customers shop, aiming to make checkout frictionless. Innovations like this show how local businesses are embracing AI not just in marketing communications, but in the customer experience itself. Image courtesy of Schnuck Markets Inc.
Of course, with all these opportunities, there are also some healthy concerns and limitations that St. Louis marketing professionals are navigating. One concern is maintaining authenticity and the human touch, something especially important to local audiences. Over-reliance on AI for customer-facing content can lead to bland or off-key messaging. So, many treat AI outputs as drafts, with humans editing to ensure the St. Louis voice or brand voice is correct. Data privacy is another consideration – using AI on customer data means ensuring compliance with privacy rules and ethical use of data. Larger firms have legal teams for this; smaller ones err on the side of caution and stick to using AI for non-sensitive tasks or anonymized data analysis.
In terms of current implementation rates: by now, in late 2024 into 2025, it’s safe to say that the majority of St. Louis marketing departments have at least one AI-driven feature or tool in regular use. It might be as simple as the automated email scheduling in Mailchimp or as advanced as an AI-based content optimization platform – but it’s there, quietly boosting productivity. The enthusiasm is there too; roughly 77% of local business leaders are positive about AI’s impact on their industries, which suggests adoption will keep rising. The practical, Midwest mindset of our region means we’re using AI not for hype, but where it truly adds value.
One might recall how previous tech waves took time to penetrate the Heartland – but AI’s value proposition of “do more with less” resonates strongly in a city known for its pragmatic innovation (after all, this is the city that built the Gateway Arch, a feat of engineering with Midwestern grit). So, St. Louis is quietly becoming an AI adopter in its own right. We’re not writing academic AI research papers here (leave that to the coasts), but we are applying the technology in meaningful ways. For businesses, the takeaway is clear: AI is here to stay in marketing, and those who embrace it thoughtfully will gain a competitive edge. Whether it’s through faster content creation, smarter ad spending, or better customer insights, AI can help even a local underdog compete with larger rivals. And in a market like St. Louis, where community and connection matter, freeing up human marketers to focus on strategy and relationships – while AI handles the tedious bits – is a winning formula.
The St. Louis marketing landscape of 2025 is a dynamic blend of old and new, local and global, human and AI. We’ve traversed through how the pandemic permanently altered marketing strategies, catapulting even the most traditional businesses into digital channels. We examined the art of balancing tight-knit community marketing with the boundless reach of online platforms – a balance many St. Louis businesses are mastering through integrated campaigns that feel personal yet scale broadly. We dissected where the marketing dollars are flowing, noting the decisive tilt toward digital spend and the superior ROI those channels tend to deliver, especially when leveraged with the creativity and authenticity that characterize successful St. Louis campaigns. We also celebrated the creative economy that underpins our marketing efforts – the people and cultural narratives that give St. Louis marketing its soul – while acknowledging the importance of nurturing and retaining talent to keep that engine running. And finally, we peered into the fast-emerging world of AI in marketing, seeing how local firms are using it pragmatically to work smarter and meet the evolving expectations of consumers.
A few key takeaways for business leaders emerge from this report:
As we navigate this landscape, one thing remains clear: the fundamentals of good marketing still apply. Know your audience, offer genuine value, tell a compelling story, and build relationships. The channels and tools have evolved – and will continue to evolve – but these principles are our north star. St. Louis companies that adhere to them, while adapting to change, are finding success. A local business that responds to an online customer inquiry with the same care as if that person walked into the store is going to win fans. A CEO who allocates budget not just to the trendiest tactic, but to what aligns with their strategy and customer behavior, is going to see results.
Seafoam Media has been privileged to ride the waves of change in marketing over the decades, from the rise of the internet to the mobile revolution to now AI and beyond. Through it all, our mission has been to guide businesses with expertise and empathy – cutting through hype, focusing on clarity and results. We hope this report has armed you with knowledge and insight that feels actionable and relevant. The 2025 horizon is bright with opportunity for those willing to innovate and stay true to their brand’s character.
In closing, remember that St. Louis’ marketing landscape is as rich and robust as the city itself. It’s a landscape shaped by resilience (forged in post-pandemic adaptation), by community spirit (the glue that binds local loyalty), by creativity (the spark that makes campaigns memorable), and by innovation (the engine propelling us forward). As you chart your course in this landscape, lean on those strengths. Embrace the digital future, but bring your St. Louis values with you. In doing so, you’ll not only achieve greater marketing success – you’ll strengthen the bond between your business and the community it serves. And that is a horizon worth aiming for.
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