Red Letter Communications, Inc. was founded by James W. Riley, Jr. in 1981 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In these early days, Red Letter worked with local and regional medical and automotive clients, as well as other retail and commercial businesses. The agency specialized in the production of radio and TV commercials as well as industrial videos.

Over the next ten years, Red Letter developed into a truly full-service advertising agency; expanding to provide production of all advertising materials, plus media strategy and placement. The ever-growing client base included regional and national accounts in the medical and plastics industries, as well as one of the world’s largest distributors of STIHL outdoor power equipment.

By 2002, the Red Letter staff had grown to over 20 full-time employees and was working with companies such as Wilbert, Inc., Ameren UE, Southeast Missouri Hospital, DeWitt Company, Big River Telephone and others. In addition, an ever-deepening partnership with STIHL and its regional distributors was developing into Red Letter’s largest account. In pursuit of continuing the company’s growth at regional and national levels, Riley formed a partnership with Frank M. Kinder in 2002. Prior to Red Letter, Kinder spent his professional career with several major national corporations such as Verizon, Accenture and Nestle in various marketing, management and consulting positions. Kinder became the firm’s president and chief operating officer, while Riley remained the chief executive officer.  

Today, the company has grown to include five managing partners and over 40 employees. In addition to its strength as a traditional advertising agency, RLC has emerged as a web-development leader, providing rich content and design and proprietary brand management solutions for a variety of clients.

By combining original ideas with proven tactics, Red Letter has not only survived, it has thrived for over 30 years. And as the world continues to change, so will Red Letter – always remaining a viable, valuable resource for our clients.