City of Dyersville, Iowa

Dyersville, Iowa is best known as the location of the iconic Field of Dreams movie site. The small community in Eastern Iowa is safe, clean, predominately Catholic, and Caucasian. 

The City of Dyersville came to de Novo to help them solve these problems:

  • Retain current and attract new residents to increase workforce and increase diversity in age, ethnicity, and religious views
  • Increase community participation (full commission boards)
  • Increase tourism beyond Field of Dreams and MLB games
We implemented the Strategic Insights process and came up with the following insights and marketing strategy.

Audience Insight

(distinctly different so we had two insights for audience)
Residents: Pride drives progress
Visitors: Compelled by the prospect of magic

Competition Insight

Sea of sameness focusing on quality of life for residents

Brand Insight

Dyersville is a diamond in the rough field, with optimistic, realistic, and intentional growth

Strategic Insight

Dyersville is a rare mix of history, pride, and progress, drawing people from all four corners to find their idea of home

The Work

Marketing Strategy

Tell Dyersville’s story through refreshed branding, messaging, and videos to appeal to potential new residents and visitors and to reenergize current residents. Show the opportunities that are available if you live in or visit Dyersville.

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First Congregational

First Congregational United Church of Christ is a progressive, welcoming, LGBTQ+ accepting, non-denominational Christian church in Cedar Rapids.  Like many organized religions, church attendance is falling, and congregations are getting older.

First Congregational came to de Novo to help them solve these problems:

  • Increase attendance at services
  • Increase volunteers
We implemented the Strategic Insights process and came up with the following insights and marketing strategy.

Audience Insight

People want personal affirmation, spiritual structure, and genuine community without the judgment. They want “Religion that relates.”

Competition Insight

Other churches feign authenticity, acceptance, and community.

Brand Insight

First Congregational is religion fully realized, offering true affirmation and genuine community in an historic space that is anything but an ivory tower.

Strategic Insight

First Congregational meets you where you are in your spiritual journey.

The Work

Marketing Strategy

Create a video and digital campaign that authentically shows how welcoming FC is and connects to those who may be lost or looking for a spiritual home.

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Baird

Baird, a national wealth management firm, is made of up groups of advisors around the country. The Vander Leest & Wenzel Group, a Cedar Rapids-based group of Baird advisors, hired de Novo to help them solve these problems:

  • Increase awareness of the group in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor
  • Grow by 20 clients (good fit clients)
  • Expand knowledge of full-service offerings to gain larger share of each account
We implemented the Strategic Insights process and came up with the following insights and marketing strategy.

Audience Insight

Clients want to make money and maximize their wealth. They don’t need an advisor, but they want support. Conscientious investors know their money can do more.

They want human connection, expertise tailored to their goals, and empowerment to fulfill their personal legacy.

Competition Insight

All play it safe/guarded/sterile. Don’t highlight the emotions of these decisions. They say the “right” things, but not always the real things. Guarded, impersonal, and with only surface-level humanity, the competition simply lives in a world full of bulls and bears.

Brand Insight

Thoughtful vs. Transactional. Building their own legacy while building yours. 

Vander Leest & Wenzel Group has all the potential for personality but needs to show how they put people before portfolios.

Strategic Insight

Vander Leest & Wenzel Group sees your potential to give money meaning

The Work

Marketing Strategy

Cast away some of the conventions in the financial industry to make a difference in a sea of sameness. Develop a messaging strategy and videos that show how Baird is different.

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Messaging

Financial advising should always be personal and never feel transactional. And all advisors are NOT the same. But it can start to feel that way, can’t it? 

We care as much about people as we do portfolios. From different backgrounds, interests, and experiences, we bring ourselves to work each day, powered by the reason each of us got into this business in the first place: you. By understanding your goals, adapting to life’s changes, and partnering with you for the long-run, we offer the most valuable asset of all: peace of mind. That’s the human quality that gives money meaning. 

Leaving a legacy starts with defining your idea of success. That’s why we’re here.  

Campaign Theme - Baird and Beyond

  • Beyond the Blazer (Advisors)
  • Beyond the Balance Sheet (Services)
  • Beyond the Boardroom (Community, Nonprofit)
  • Beyond the Bull (Clients, Relationships)
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Fresh Ideas, Delivered

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