KDHX: What It Takes to Keep Independent Culture Alive (2013)

KDHX is gone now.

That still feels difficult to write because, for decades, the station was one of those rare St. Louis institutions that we thought would always be there: fiercely independent, deeply local, and built by people who believed music and community were not things to take for granted. I still feel this way.

This campaign captures what it took to keep something like KDHX alive in 2013.

At the time, KDHX was preparing to move into its first new home in 25 years. The final piece was a public Kickstarter campaign to fund The Stage, a new music venue and café inside the station’s Grand Center headquarters.

The challenge was not simply asking people for money. After years of fundraising, we needed to remind listeners why KDHX mattered and show them how a larger home could strengthen the station without changing the independent spirit they loved.

As director of marketing and communications, I developed the campaign voice and led creative across video, social media, email, public relations, direct outreach, and community engagement.

For the main campaign film, I wrote an animated script that framed the new building as more than an expansion. It was a larger platform for independent music, local artists, and voices that rarely found space anywhere else. The line “a beacon of artistic independence in the heart of Grand Center” became the campaign’s rallying cry.

I also developed and directed a series of short live-action videos inspired by ESPN’s SportsCenter spots, giving the campaign a steady stream of funny, shareable content without a traditional production budget.

The campaign raised $58,520 against a $50,000 goal, earned local media coverage, and became one of St. Louis’ most successful nongaming Kickstarter campaigns at the time.

Looking back, the campaign shows how much work it takes to keep an independent institution alive. Community support mattered, but so did giving people a clear reason to believe the station was worth investing in. Someday, I hope the city can find the spirit of radio again.

Client: KDHX
Role: Director of Marketing and Communications / Creative Lead
Date: 2013

Scrappy videos:

     • Help Build The Stage at KDHX Spot #2: Spoon Man

     • Help Build The Stage at KDHX Spot #6: If the KDHX van is a-rockin'...

     • Help Build The Stage at KDHX Spot #7: ANIMAL! ANIMAL! ANIMAL!
            

Results:
      •$58,520 of $50,000 goal reached ahead of deadline

      • Key earned media:
                --KDHX St. Louis Launches Kickstarter Campaign to Build Venue – Must See Video [TheTop22.com]
                --KDHX hopes new building will be a destination for the arts [KSDK]

                --KDHX does a Kickstarter slam dunk [Now THAT'S how you do crowd funding]