In his new post Kates manages all of the producer's online functions and multiple Web sites, focusing on strategies that will create a strong presence both for the Boyd name and for each of the company's product brands.
''More than 50 percent of consumers consult the internet before making a purchase,'' said Dennis Boyd, president of St. Louis-based Boyd Specialty Sleep, ''and our objective is to effectively reach them with our brand messaging before they begin the shopping process.''
Boyd's current domain portfolio involves as many as six Web sites, including boydlatexmattresses.com, boydairbeds.com, boydmemoryfoammattresses.com and boydaccentbedroomfurniturestore.com.
''In managing our entire IT initiative,'' Boyd added, ''Jeremy will refine our current platforms and develop new ways to leverage online technologies to drive our business.'' Before joining Boyd, Kates had worked since 2010 as a marketing director for Web2Carz.com, a Chicago-based automotive site dedicated to matching consumers with new and used cars, car insurance companies and auto financing firms.
Before that, he founded and headed jfknet Inc., a digital marketing consultancy, for 14 years. Kates, who reports to Boyd, recently relocated from the Chicago suburbs to the St. Louis area.
