In 2002, Tracy and Phil Landau faced a big decision.
After the privately-held company for which they worked moved operations to Cincinnati and asked employees to follow, the Landaus realized they had two options: relocate or start their own endeavor in St. louis.
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“We took a risk because we wanted to stay here,” says Tracy, citing her love of the city’s unique neighborhoods, architecture, shops, and restaurants.
It all led Tracy and Phil to launch their company MarketPlace, a branding and marketing firm that serves clients in the food and supplement industries for both people and pets. For more than 20 years, as the Landaus’ business has grown in both the B2B and B2C sectors, the husband-and-wife duo have retained a singular focus. They want to support the St. Louis market and assist other local brands with finding their niche.
“We really want to help clients tell their story,” says Tracy, MarketPlace’s president.
MarketPlace works with clients on new product launches and market strategies by creating concept prototypes and leveraging consumer insights that can allow clients to develop new products that align with market needs. When the company launched in 2002, the pair combined Tracy’s marketing and product commercialization skills with Phil’s business and technology expertise to find their way.
Notable recent work includes a rebranding of local company 8th Avenue Food & Provisions’ Ronzoni pasta. They also helped develop and launch a luxury residential refrigeration brand for O’Fallon-based True Residential. On the B2B side, they’ve worked with St. Louis-area ingredient companies such as Bunge, Balchem and International Food Products Corporation, among others.
Initially, MarketPlace only worked in the food and beverage industry. Later, the Landaus expanded to the pet industry, where MarketPlace has worked with such brands as TropiClean and FURminator.
Although MarketPlace has won many requests for proposals in the industries it serves, the company also faces competition from larger, more prominent agencies. Many marketing agencies draw clients with creative and brand imagery. MarketPlace stresses developing a strong business strategy before a brand and marketing campaign. Without developing the right business strategy, brand and marketing strategies may not align with what customers want or their business needs.
“The focus needs to be on return of investment and tangible business success, not just good design,” said Phil, the company’s CEO.
Along those lines, MarketPlace has developed custom research services and futurecasting reports for its clients, and will showcase its new research service next month at SupplySide West 2024—an event for dietary supplement and food beverage professionals in Las Vegas.
The Landaus say they take pride in building a St. Louis-based business that helps clients across the country. For them, one of the best parts of the job is seeing their work in action. Recently, at a St. Louis Cardinals game, the couple spotted a few of their clients—FURminator, Prairie Farms, and Schnucks—highlighted on Busch Stadium’s digital scoreboard.
It was a reminder that their work—their passion—has reach.
“It was a great feeling,” Phil says.
