• Multiple conference rooms – We used to use the word “cozy” to justify cramming 12 people into our 8-person conference room. We can rationalize no longer! The new space gives us multiple areas to meet, including a primary showpiece enabling us or our clients to host large meetings (strategy and ideation sessions, sales meetings, etc.), hold food marketing seminars, and conduct workshops in an open, comfortable environment. Essentially, this means more space for our clients, whom we want to be as comfortable as possible and to have as much space as they need (whether for their materials or people) to make the best use of our resources and our time together.

• Photo studio – We’ve been producing tabletop product photography in-house for quite a while now, but we’ve been limited to small products. Now we’ll have the space to photograph people, animals, comprehensive food shots, and anything else that will fit in the room. This dedicated photo studio, adjacent to our culinary prep and demonstration kitchen, will be equipped with everything necessary to produce the highest quality custom imagery for ads, packaging, print materials, etc. and, most importantly, to give our clients full-service, studio-quality photography with incredible efficiency.

• Production space – A dedicated space for printing, mounting, and color-proofing will result in incredibly accurate artwork representation for our clients.

• Technology suite – A dedicated space for the production of all types of videos and web-based technology for our clients’ needs in the digital realm.

• Custom kitchen – On the second floor, we’ll congregate in our open, modern kitchen, where we’ll prepare endless culinary delights for advanced food photography, giving us complete control over styling, preparation, and execution. We also look forward to hosting clients who want to use our kitchen and resources for product demonstrations of their own.

In addition to these visible advantages, we’re investing in upgraded infrastructure for research, technology, and productivity.

• Upgraded workstations – New, geeked-out computers will mean more efficient output, and flexible, modular workstations will allow the designers to organize and personalize not only the functionality but also the feel of their spaces.

• Extensive resource library – An enhanced resource library will feature a dedicated research workstation and a much-improved selection of both physical and digital books and resources for inspiration, knowledge, and reference (a complete repository of industry publications and multiple invaluable food industry marketing and trend reports). From updated production spaces to computers and research tools, we’re making sure that we have instant, in-house access to everything we need and that our clients might need from us.

The vibe of the space will be as modern and historic as MarketPlace and its staff, though we won’t say who of us represents modern and who historic. Much of the character of the building will set the tone, as original, exposed brick, and wood beams merge with modern touches to offer a signature warmth and comfort that defines a MarketPlace space.

We can’t wait. If there’s one thing this group of food marketing experts looks forward to, it’s the opportunity to communicate our passion for food. Sure, we might use the new kitchen to make our favorite finger foods for company lunches. And true, we might be tempted to use our photography equipment to document appearances at local food trucks. And, frankly, we’re pretty excited to be within walking distance of some our favorite eateries. But we’re most excited that we’ll be able to do our jobs better with resources to better and more efficiently serve our clients. We hope to see you at the Open House at 3200 Locust St., St. Louis, MO 63103—details to follow!

No matter where you are on the website, you’re reminded that the beautiful faces that you see are beautiful because they have hope. And they have hope because people have been generous to give. It would have been easy to design the website with the goal of making people feel sad in the hopes of getting them to do something, but we believe that humans are moved to act generously and faithfully and consistently not out of a sense of guilt or sadness but from a sense of gratitude. Gratitude for what? Among other things, for organizations like Gateway180 that care enough to help; for the fact that with a different set of circumstances completely out of our control, that could just as easily be you or me needing help; for living in a city and community that values mercy and kindness.

There’s a lot more to say, of course, but nothing more important than that we genuinely consider it a gift to know the people at Gateway180 and to be involved with their efforts. And that’s why we donate our own time in the form of annual reports and e-blasts and websites—because we’re grateful.

It was with that spirit of gratitude that we attended Gateway180′s recent Open Your Heart for the Homeless gala, where we were thanked (unnecessarily and graciously) for our work. We were given a lovely framed photo set that included a note of thanks. In that note, Gateway180 thanked us for helping “tell the story of women and children experiencing homelessness in St. Louis.” We love telling stories. Whether we’re doing traditional food marketing or designing a website for a charitable organization, we believe that telling a story faithfully and beautifully is what will inspire people to act. That’s what the best stories do, and that’s what we always hope to do for every single one of our clients.

(Phil and Tracy receiving the award from Gateway180)

(The MarketPlace crew with Jenn Gauthier-Lyke from Gateway180)

We spent many hours asking questions, studying cultures and subcultures, collaborating, developing and revising content, and wandering the church grounds and surrounding environs. To borrow the language of the client, we practiced incarnational marketing—in other words, we entered into the world of the client in order to produce a website faithful to their beliefs and values.

Among the many decisions we made, perhaps the most important was to feature the physical church building itself as the cornerstone of the website. To that end, our Associate Creative Director Crystal spent time photographing the gorgeous (and cooperative) subject. Many of those edited photos populate the website, and many of the rest exist in a photo gallery we created for the website. The photos of that building say a lot, and that made my job as writer a lot easier.

We’re a food marketing agency, but occasionally we have the privilege of applying our marketing expertise to a client outside the food, beverage, and ingredient industries. When we do that, though many of the specifics are new, we’re still doing what we always do: learning the client and the client’s market so well that we can communicate their brand faithfully. We’re honored to have been entrusted with such a meaningful project, and we’re proud of the result: a rich, well-designed website that faithfully and beautifully articulates the worldview, the history, and the physical symbol of a large body of people.

As a food marketing agency, we love studying food industry trends, and it’s especially gratifying to see the natural/organic products industry experiencing tremendous growth. Among other reasons, that growth is propelled by an ever-increasing awareness among consumers of how food affects our bodies, our environment, and our local communities. No segment of the food industry is as passionate about growing responsibly as the natural products segment, and I’ve always loved being a part of that mission.

Having grown up in a family that owns health food stores, I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative products in this market. One of the products at NPEW that especially interested me is Coconut Water Probiotic Kefir, which you can learn more about here inner-eco.com. This company is taking a phenomenally nutrient-rich food and using the process of fermentation to create a unique profile. Inner Eco harvests green (less than six months old) coconuts at the peak of their nutritional life and then ferments the coconut water to create a kefir, which is full of probiotic cultures. This is a living food that is a strong ally in the quest for optimal health.

A company that caught my eye was Alter Eco. The statement on their “about” page completely sums up why I dig this company. “We are a team of fair trade visionaries and food-loving explorers on a mission to connect you to our farmers and their honest foods. When you taste the sweet justice of our mission you will understand our persistence, and our invitation to join us in finding your Alter Eco.“ Their mission and overall business transparency is inspirational. Not to mention that their products have wonderful flavor. For what it’s worth, I recommend the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Bar.

Between the inspiring companies, great new products, and fabulous people, it was hard to say goodbye. But I’m glad to be back at my space at MarketPlace, where I can use the momentum and energy from Natural Products Expo West to inspire my work, though I can’t promise that baby food DJ’s will show up in my design.

We’ve been given the privilege of working to communicate and market their value to their American market. Currently, we’re helping brand their state-of-the-art Customer Innovation Center in Geneva, IL, built specifically to be a flexible, creative, inspiring place for customers to collaborate with Roquette to develop products and get them to market quickly. With an advanced R&D and application lab, Roquette University courses, and a culinary demonstration kitchen, it’s a complete—and completely unique—product development center that their customers can call their own, and our job is to help make sure that that happens. It’s an exciting time for Roquette, and we’re excited to be a part of strengthening the Roquette brand.

Curious about gluten? Here’s a very basic primer on why you need to have gluten on your radar if not in your plans for 2012.

For marketers: Gluten sensitivity is not a trend, it’s a recognition. Stories like mine (developing an intolerance to gluten years before recognizing it) are increasingly common. That number of stories is going to grow dramatically in the coming years as consumers become increasingly aware of gluten as a significant issue. Gluten issues (from celiac disease to intolerance) seem trendy right now because they’re relatively new to the public. They absolutely will move from trend to staple in the coming years. Food, beverage, and ingredients marketers can’t afford to think of gluten-free products as merely a trend.

For consumers: Gluten-free products are not just a necessity, they’re also a choice. Those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance aren’t the only ones who benefit from gluten-free products. Many people, including high-profile athletes, have adopted gluten-free diets, mostly based, I imagine, on increased energy claims. Because the cost of living gluten-free is still relatively high, gf as a lifestyle choice probably won’t catch on in a big way any time soon, but the consumer segment who buys gf from necessity will more than make up for that.

For manufacturers: Producing gluten-free is not an easy move, but it’s a potentially profitable one. Industry regulations for making gluten-free claims are complex and changing, so making the move requires in-depth planning, potential facility alterations, and regulatory knowledge (which MarketPlace is happy to provide!). But those who live the gluten-free lifestyle are quick to show loyalty to brands committed to quality gluten-free products, and that kind of brand loyalty is most likely more than worth the commitment.

For retailers: Offering a good gluten-free selection doesn’t make you unique, but it widens the gap between you and your competition. I get food from two restaurants in St. Louis, not because I’m picky but because they’re the only places I trust with the gluten issue. I don’t go out for a beer anymore because no place that I know offers gluten-free beer (cider is not beer!). Grocer or casual food chain, if you invest in gluten-free, you’ll have almost no competition—I’m desperate for good gluten-free options, and there are hundreds of thousands out there like me.

If you manufacture or market food, beverages, or ingredients and you want to talk gluten (or if any of you wants to suggest a gluten-friendly eatery!) we’d love to hear from you.

We started with an up-close and personal tour of the farm as we snapped photos and took test footage. At one point, the cows, curious about the equipment in our hands and why we were pointing it at them, surrounded us. They were super friendly, but the sheer mass was a bit intimidating at that moment. I think one of them stepped on Elliott’s shoes.

Dairy farmer fact #1: dairy farmers play favorites. Dairy farmer fact #2: dairy farmers recognize their favorites not by face or marking or sound but by udder. In retrospect, that makes sense: the health of the cows’ udders is of supreme importance on a dairy farm: we make time to get to know what we care for most.

Meanwhile, as Elliott took test footage, one of the cows decided to make her thoughts known. At first, we thought she was saying, “Look at me; I’m gorgeous,” but it turned out that she was telling Elliott that he and his filthy shoes were standing in the way of the water trough.

Later, we were getting some footage in one of the feeding pens and wondered whether the cows would run away if Elliott walked through the hay. Turns out that when it comes to hay, a man with video equipment standing in hay is nothing more than a man with a hay connection. Elliott made some friends. Better yet, they didn’t judge him for his shoes.

We had a great time, and we will be coming back to the farm in a few weeks to produce a video tour that communicates the movements of a dairy farm from sun up to sun down. I enjoyed my time on the farm and appreciate connecting to the farm part of the farm-to-fork movement so prevalent in the food industry. And, as much as I worked hard on the set, I mostly just enjoyed hanging out with cows. Not sure how Elliott feels, but I think he enjoyed it, too.

Gateway180 :: Homelessness Reversed, located in downtown St. Louis, is a resource for women and children experiencing the unimaginable burden of homelessness. They provide a safe and nurturing emergency shelter along with services designed to get families into transitional or permanent homes within 30 days.

We were honored when they asked us to design and produce their annual report. Working closely with their employees and volunteers and getting the chance to meet many of the families living there was an uplifting and wonderful experience. Our goal was to translate that experience into the design, and in the end, that’s exactly what we did: the annual report reflects the love and hope that Gateway 180 gives to so many families in our area.

Both the visit and the design work were wonderful experiences, and MarketPlace looks forward to continuing our long and rewarding relationship with Gateway 180, a truly remarkable organization.

Imagine, then, my excitement when FURminator® asked us to produce their 2012 product catalog. The combination of shooting dog photography, marketing a great product line, and designing this piece was a pinnacle for me.

Dogs have distinct personalities, and part of the joy of photographing them is in figuring out what that personality is and how to capture it, so the morning that York, a golden retriever, was scheduled to arrive at our office, I wondered what his personality would be like. Would he be independent and aloof, insecure, confident and engaging, or some unique combination?

Fortunately, York ended up being sweet, affectionate, confident, and willing. York’s personality made things a lot easier, but all dogs, even the friendliest goldens, present photography challenges. York was so friendly that he wanted to bear hug one of our graphic designers, so my only hope was to catch York off guard with some random element of surprise. Luckily it worked.

I’ve never completely analyzed my method for photographing dogs. I’ve built up enough knowledge and experience of both dogs and photography over the years that I mostly rely on instinct, but even instinct relies on method. Here are a few elements of my method:

• Get on the dog’s level. This normally involves contorting into all different shapes. I always expect for my muscles to be sore the next day, but it’s worth it because it allows me to see into their world for a brief moment.

• Surprise. Creating moments of surprise allows me to capture those enduring looks that owners love. Capturing this moment in a photo stops time and allows us to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of our pets’ expressions.

• Exercise patience. That means being willing to wait for that moment when personality, surprise, and focus meet.

• Focus on the eyes. In dog photography, it’s all about the eyes.

• Work the angles and the depth of field. Though the larger part of dog photography is a matter of capturing a moment, the use of positioning and focus to nudge that moment into being is key.

As for the rest? I chalk that up to feel, to intuition, a result of owning five dogs. It’s being able to sense and react to subtle movements, to know when the dog is about to give me a great look or if she needs a chance to play for a moment or be walked around in a circle to reset the frame.

It’s hard to describe, but when I’m behind the camera, I experience quiet. No matter how chaotic or energetic the surroundings, my focus narrows and I lock in to angle, focus, and feel. People call it the “zone”; whatever it is, it’s addictive. The power of possibility takes over, and anticipation builds until the shoot ends, at which point I all but run to the computer, upload photos, and smile.