ST. LOUIS — MarketPlace, a marketing firm driving growth for pet- and animal-focused product, food and beverage, and health and wellness companies, announced early December it will be expanding its staff and adding facilities, including its first satellite location in Orange County, California to better serve its clients on the west coast.

“The industries we serve are pursuing innovation and experiencing growth now more than ever,” said Tracy Landau, president of MarketPlace. “Well-established and new companies alike are turning to MarketPlace’s expertise to support their latest ideas. Our location in California represents our commitment to our industry partners and is an opportunity to grow our company in a hub of industry innovation.”

Aside from the satellite facility, the firm said it will add another floor of office space at its headquarters in St. Louis, which will include a studio for custom photography and videography. Inside the studio there will be a commercial-sized kitchen for food preparation with built-in equipment for professional podcasting and voiceover.

These additional features are expected to be completed in early 2020, according to MarketPlace.

“Almost every partner we work with is interested in custom photography and videography, and we’ve always had the goal of having an on-site location where we can execute these shoots,” said Elliott Krejci, video and photography director for MarketPlace. “Our clients know and understand the value of proprietary photo and video assets — especially in regard to digital and social marketing — so the time was right for us to invest in these capabilities.”

The strategy, design and management teams will also grow to enhance the firm’s capacity for research, digital strategy implementation, and user experience design. MarketPlace has not yet indicated any specific appointments.

Founded in 2002, MarketPlace is a full-service marketing firm for select consumer packaged goods brands, including pet food. The firm’s website states that it assists companies in making modern product development and marketing decisions, “from performing palatability research to positioning brands for Amazon sales to interacting with pet parents on social media.”

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