Focal Point and The Case of the Unrecognized Local Treasure

A Hub for Lovers of Folk Music

St. Louis, Missouri has long been a crossroads where several musical genres meet. Most music-lovers already know about the importance of the region in the development of early blues and jazz; fewer know that country and bluegrass music also found a home along the Mississippi river. The birthplace of performers like Chuck Berry and Ella Jenkins, St. Louis buzzes with roots, rock, and energy.

Over 40 years ago, Focal Point joined that musical conversation, providing a venue for local folk entertainers. They expanded their reach over the next 4 decades, booking national and international acts as well. Today, Focal Point has a home in a beautiful, 1920s era building in Maplewood, Missouri, and supports talented folk artists, hosting roughly 100 performances each year.

Services Provided

Website Design & Development
Social Media Strategy & Management
Content Marketing Strategy
Video Production

Channels

Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Onsite Content

Industry

Entertainment

The Challenge

A Community Gem That Needed to be Recognized

Focal Point came to us with this wonderfully rich history, but a vexing problem. While they had a die-hard audience, they knew they could achieve a wider reach if only more people knew about them. The owners at Focal Point knew a lot about music, but not a lot about marketing. Their website was adequate, but they just weren’t getting the word out in a compelling way. As they looked around at other music venues, like the Sheldon and the Stage at KDHX, they felt frustrated that they didn’t share the love that these venerated places enjoyed.

The Seafoam team boasts a number of music lovers, and we were thrilled when the managers at Focal Point walked down Sutton Blvd. and found our Maplewood location.

Ryan Koenig talks about Seafoam’s work with Focal Point

The Opportunity

Bringing Wider Appreciation to this St. Louis Treasure

When Focal Point came to work with Seafoam, we were able to identify several key aspects that would make our digital marketing efforts succeed.

1. The Talent was There, and Focal Point was Eager to Participate in Marketing Videos:

With musicians at the peak of their talent coming in and out regularly, there was an opportunity to create videos that would let audiences get a glimpse behind the curtain.

2. Focal Point Was Already Known as a Folk Legend, but They Offered So Much More:

Building this brand’s reputation was easy, since they were already well-known in the St. Louis folk and Americana music scene. Not everyone, however, knew that Focal Point booked international acts and hosted unique talent, as well as dance, poetry, and other unique events. They needed some eye-catching branding opportunities and a more robust social media presence to get the word out.

3. Focal Point Had a Beautiful Venue; it Needed Great-Looking Music Calendars and Concert Flyers to Go With It:

The creative team at Focal Point wanted both their print flyers and calendars and their online presence to look as stylishly vintage as their Maplewood location. They had plenty of ideas that we were happy to discuss with them.

Knowing that this creative team was hungry to introduce more of their top-level performers to St. Louis, the Seafoam team jumped in and got to work. When we realized that this beloved music venue just didn’t have the same reach as other arts organizations in the region, we decided to do a little tinkering with their site wording, their imagery, and their social media presence. Here’s how we tackled all of it:

The Strategy

Making the Website, Video Library, and Social Reach as Beautiful as the Music

Our strategy for Focal Point was to get to know the brand and update the website with language, imagery, and style that reflected its authentic vibe. We knew that warm, professional-quality videos were going to be key for this venue. We also knew that we needed to boost the quality of their concert calendar and their social media presence.

So many customers overlook the fact that everything your brand touches, whether it’s web content, press releases, video clips, or social media images, needs to be consistent. It needs to be imbued with the same spirit – the same purpose, values, and style – that drives your business.

We put our web designers, our social media gurus, our video geniuses, and our content creators to work as we strived to give Focal Point the fanatic audience they deserved.

Holly Wentworth talks social media.

Alyssa Shank discusses filming.

The Results

Since Focal Point is so close, our content creators and videographers pop in regularly to get updates on the calendar and behind-the-scenes videos, which we then share on social media.

Our efforts are paying off!

Boosted organic reach and video views have risen dramatically on Focal Point’s social media channels. Not to brag, but the videos we’ve created are gorgeous. The concert calendar and printed flyers are stylishly retro. Plus, the website is getting better and better.

It was a pleasure to work with this arts organization and Maplewood treasure. We look forward to many years of beautiful music – and beautiful marketing.