Case Study | MATI

Music at the intersection

Market Research/Competitive Analysis
Audience Modeling
Brand Strategy
Brand Development
Merchandising Design
Brand Guidelines
Video Animation
Media Planning
Marketing Strategy
Sponsorship Sales

Music at the Intersection (MATI) brings music, community, and culture together in a celebration of St. Louis’s past, present, and future. Rooted in diversity and inclusivity, the event mirrors the city’s identity as the crossroads of America—where North meets South and East meets West. Since its 2021 debut, MATI has earned both local devotion and national recognition for its mission-driven purpose, eclectic lineup, and authentic connection to the city’s musical heritage. In the heart of the Grand Center Arts District, three festival stages, a district-wide block party, and a dynamic industry conference converge into one experience that entertains, educates, and empowers.

Building on strong growth in attendance, community impact, and representation, MATI enlisted Quartermaster to refine its brand, marketing, and sponsorship strategy—aiming to expand national reach, strengthen local engagement, and ensure long-term success.

The Challenge

Previous Year Execution

While MATI had built a loyal following as a locally produced event, its brand and marketing approach needed refinement to reach the next stage of growth. The existing identity lacked cohesion between its festival, conference, and block party components, and the visual system was text-heavy, disjointed, and not fully ownable in a saturated festival landscape. Marketing and media spend were not yet strategically deployed to maximize reach, targeting, and ROI. On the sponsorship side, the program remained heavily localized, relying on smaller community partnerships rather than high-value regional and national deals. Without a clear sales process, competitive packages, or structured account management, the event was missing opportunities to secure larger, more impactful partners.

Meanwhile, a new competitor had entered the market, targeting a more general audience, making it essential for MATI to sharpen its positioning around its multicultural mission and unique heritage. To compete and continue growing, MATI needed a cohesive brand identity, more strategic marketing and paid media, and a scalable sponsorship program capable of attracting and retaining top-tier partners.

Research & Insights

Early Concepts:

Quartermaster’s competitive analysis revealed opportunities for MATI to own a more distinct, localized personality anchored in the city’s cultural and artistic legacy. The brand’s typography, iconography, and color palette needed modernization and simplification, while retaining its vibrant energy. Audience insights confirmed the importance of emphasizing MATI’s dual role as both a festival and a professional conference, elevating the industry component from an afterthought to a standalone draw. We identified ways to connect more authentically with multicultural audiences, attract younger creative professionals, and position MATI as a must-attend destination for music lovers, industry insiders, and cultural tourists alike. Merchandise emerged as an underutilized channel for organic brand growth, with room to improve wearability and appeal. Across all touchpoints, the opportunity lay in unifying the brand’s elements under a clearer mission-based message that celebrated St. Louis’s enduring contributions to music, arts, and culture.
 

The Solution

Quartermaster reimagined MATI’s visual identity to be bold, modern, and meaningful. The name was streamlined to a powerful “MATI” wordmark with a timeless, legible logotype that feels approachable yet confident. Drawing from the festival’s urban development mission, the brand integrates actual St. Louis street maps into illustrations of people and musical instruments, symbolizing infrastructure as the unseen force behind artistic expression. A refined iconographic system distinguishes each programming component—a speech bubble for the conference, a location pin for the block party, and a stereo speaker for the music festival. The existing color palette was retained for recognition but refined with stronger hierarchy and usage guidelines. New typography adds eclecticism and movement, while graphic symbols embed the city’s identity into the visual language. Conference materials were redesigned with a clean, professional look that still ties back to the main brand, ensuring consistency across all components.

Beyond the rebrand, Quartermaster built a research-driven marketing and paid media strategy covering audience segmentation, channel mix, budget allocation, and KPIs. The sponsorship program was overhauled from prospecting and pitching to negotiation, activation, and reporting. For the rollout, we produced key creative assets including the lineup poster, festival map, merchandise, stage banners, billboards, artist cards, and credentials.

Outcome and Conclusion

The reception to the rebrand has been overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing MATI’s position as both a local cultural anchor and a festival with national relevance. The refreshed identity resonates strongly with multicultural audiences, differentiates MATI from competitors, and unifies the event’s multiple components under one cohesive visual language.

Sponsorship revenue and quality have significantly increased, with higher-value partnerships secured from both local institutions and national brands. Combined with the strategic marketing and media roadmap, MATI’s 2025 sales and revenue have exponentially surpassed previous years, setting new benchmarks for growth and impact. Quartermaster continues to serve as MATI’s creative and strategic partner, ensuring the brand’s momentum builds year over year.

Case Study | Rock Fest

Rock Fest

Promotional Strategy & Materials
Environmental Design
Merchandising Design

For over 30 years, rock fans from all over the globe have ascended upon Cadott, Wisconsin for the legendary Rock Fest. Quartermaster was tasked with rebranding this beloved property, with the goal of creating a more ownable ID system and better positioning the event within a heavily saturated regional festival market. It was essential that this brand transition honored the festival’s impressive legacy and struck a chord with its fiercely loyal attendees, a community deeply protective of their annual event.

The Challenge

As the last standing independently run rock festival in the country, the branding solution demanded a fresh perspective on a genre of music defined by rebellion. While we knew certain visual tropes would universally resonate with the target audience, we were fueled by a desire to evoke the rock culture and ethos in a non-cliché approach and reposition these familiar expressions through a uniquely local lens in order to effectively distill the special spirit and longstanding traditions of Rock Fest.

Research & Insights

Early Concepts:

At their core, rock festivals embody the archetype of rebel brands. However, our research revealed that, ironically, many of their brand identities relied on the exact same overused visual cues to communicate their nonconformity, such as gritty textures, rugged fonts, guitar graphics, horror-inspired themes, and traditional counterculture imagery – a formulaic, visual shorthand that failed to capture the distinctive character of each event. Given this significant aesthetic saturation in the market, we knew we needed to take advantage of this white space opportunity.

With a loyal fanbase who we knew valued individualism, resilience,and community, transforming Rock Fest’s brand presented an opportunity to celebrate these ideals in a way that felt authentically inspired and specifically personal to their proud Midwestern roots. From native wildlife skulls to rural barbed wire fences, the natural and manmade elements of the Wisconsin heartland offered a rich design foundation that aligned with the festival’s unique setting and cultural heritage.
 

The Solution: A Bold Tribute to the Land and Legacy

The new logo draws inspiration from the rugged symmetry of wildlife skulls native to the region. Its sharp, jagged angles evoke the raw energy of rock while nodding to the tradition of mounting skulls on wooden plaques—a familiar sight in Midwestern homes, often paired with vintage rock records.

The brand mark, a barbed wire spike twisted into the classic ‘sign of the horns’ hand gesture, serves as a rebellious yet grounded emblem. Barbed wire, a symbol of resilience and community, mirrors the unbreakable bond of Rock Fest fans while tying back to the farmland setting. This modern reinterpretation blends rock’s raw energy with the festival’s down-to-earth roots. 

The color palette draws from the fiery hues of a golden-hour sunse—vivid oranges, deep reds, and warm yellows—capturing the intensity of rock music and the natural beauty of the festival’s rural grounds. Silhouettes of native, leafless trees entwined with barbed wire add texture and depth, connecting the brand to its landscape. Tree ring patterns symbolize growth and legacy, grounding the identity in its rich history. Native wild animal skulls further anchor the brand to its Midwestern roots, reinforcing a rugged yet modern character that feels deeply personal to the festival’s audience. 

Outcome and Conclusion

Rock Fest’s revitalized visual identity is a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of rock music and the resilience of its community. Much like barbed wire fences weathering the test of time, Rock Fest fans are united by an unbreakable spirit, and the new brand reflects their raw, untamed energy. The unique new brand, rooted in its Midwestern heritage, captures the essence of what makes Rock Fest a true home for rock enthusiasts, sets it apart from competitors, and appeals to a global audience.

This project underscores Quartermaster’s expertise in navigating brand transformations that honor tradition while embracing innovation. Rock Fest stands as a shining example of how thoughtful branding can empower established events to thrive in crowded markets.

Hoofbeat

Naming
Brand identity development
Promotional strategies and materials
Merchandising design

Originally known as “Country Fest,” this iconic music festival in Cadott, Wisconsin, has been a staple for country music lovers for over 35 years. As part of a strategic move to reposition and modernize the festival, Quartermaster was tasked with transforming its identity to stand out in a market increasingly crowded with competitors boasting similar names, branding, and talent lineups.

The Challenge

The challenge was multifaceted: to create a distinctive new name and brand identity that would resonate with younger audiences while maintaining the festival’s longstanding appeal. The rebranding needed to distinguish the festival from its competitors and refresh its image to capture the interest of both new and returning attendees.

Research & Insights

Early Concepts:

Our research indicated that attendees of country music festivals are increasingly looking for unique, engaging experiences that connect them to the community and the local culture. Insights from the festival’s history, specifically its longstanding location on local farmland, highlighted the potential to draw on this rich heritage. The farmland setting and familiar agricultural motifs provided a unique backdrop that could be woven into the festival’s new identity to resonate deeply with both locals and visitors.

The Solution: A Modern Twist on Tradition

Leveraging the festival’s agricultural roots, Quartermaster introduced “Hoofbeat” as the new festival name, evoking the rhythmic pulse of country music and the pastoral charm of its farmland setting. This name and the corresponding brand identity were designed to stand out in the cluttered landscape of country music festivals, offering a fresh and memorable brand experience.

The rebranding extended to a comprehensive redesign of the festival’s website, transforming it into a dynamic platform that reflects the new brand identity and improves user interaction. Our social media strategy was overhauled to engage a younger audience, utilizing vibrant visuals and interactive content that highlighted the festival’s unique setting and heritage.

Brand identity elements, including logos and color schemes, were redesigned to incorporate agricultural motifs and imagery that connected with the local farming culture. Promotional materials and merchandise were also revamped to align with the new branding, using modern aesthetics that appealed to a broad demographic spectrum.

Outcome and Conclusion

The transformation from Country Fest to Hoofbeat has successfully revitalized the festival’s image and appeal. Ticket sales increased, particularly among younger demographics, and social media engagement rates surged, indicating a strong approval of the new brand identity. The festival now stands out distinctly from its competitors, with a unique identity rooted in local culture yet appealing to a modern audience.

This project underscores Quartermaster’s expertise in conducting thoughtful brand transitions that respect historical significance while embracing contemporary trends. Hoofbeat exemplifies our ability to innovate within traditional frameworks, ensuring that established events continue to thrive in competitive environments.