You’ve started with a product and now you’re trying to attract investors, draw an audience, and most importantly, build a brand. But brands today aren’t about products; they’re about stories. They reflect our personal worlds. They become extensions of our identities and markers of where we belong and what we stand for. And like all great stories, the brands that strike deepest — and stick around longest — are the ones that are crafted to inspire.

Apple isn’t selling computers and smartphones; they’re inspiring simplicity and creative freedom. Adidas isn’t pushing athletic gear and apparel; they’re inspiring style, comfort, and competition.

Brands that inspire spark consumers to aspire — inviting them to invest not just in a product, but in a quality. A way of life. A story they can become part of. So when considering what story your brand should tell, consider the validations of an inspirational approach.

You’ve started with a product and now you’re trying to attract investors, draw an audience, and most importantly, build a brand. But brands today aren’t about products; they’re about stories. They reflect our personal worlds. They become extensions of our identities and markers of where we belong and what we stand for. And like all great stories, the brands that strike deepest — and stick around longest — are the ones that are crafted to inspire.

Apple isn’t selling computers and smartphones; they’re inspiring simplicity and creative freedom. Adidas isn’t pushing athletic gear and apparel; they’re inspiring style, comfort, and competition.

Brands that inspire spark consumers to aspire — inviting them to invest not just in a product, but in a quality. A way of life. A story they can become part of. So when considering what story your brand should tell, consider the validations of an inspirational approach.

According to Michelangelo, sculpting David was simple. All he did was chip away the bits that weren’t David.  

Brands can benefit from the same approach - stripping a brand back to its very essence can help articulate its core qualities in a way that’s real, honest and simple. It’s an approach known as ‘debranding’, and it’s a much-needed response to brand fatigue.

Our world is loud enough as it is. By dialing back the volume on our branding efforts we can craft identities that speak honestly and meaningfully - without having to shout. Because as it turns out, a little bit of branding can go a long way.

According to Michelangelo, sculpting David was simple. All he did was chip away the bits that weren’t David.  

Brands can benefit from the same approach - stripping a brand back to its very essence can help articulate its core qualities in a way that’s real, honest and simple. It’s an approach known as ‘debranding’, and it’s a much-needed response to brand fatigue.

Our world is loud enough as it is. By dialing back the volume on our branding efforts we can craft identities that speak honestly and meaningfully - without having to shout. Because as it turns out, a little bit of branding can go a long way.

Design is art with function: it’s elegantly purposeful. By applying design thinking to creativity, you can create things that make a meaningful difference in the world – and that are specifically crafted for an audience who truly wants them. When you apply that same kind of thinking to business, you get results that go beyond ideas and into the realm of the viable. 

Design is art with function: it’s elegantly purposeful. By applying design thinking to creativity, you can create things that make a meaningful difference in the world – and that are specifically crafted for an audience who truly wants them. When you apply that same kind of thinking to business, you get results that go beyond ideas and into the realm of the viable.

There’s nothing wrong with innovation for innovation’s sake. But the problem comes when you try to grow a business out of something that doesn’t really need to exist. Design thinking reduces this risk – it’s a kind of idea insurance. The fundamental benefit of design thinking is that it ensures that you’re creating things that people actually want. 

Are you making something people want?

Design thinking creates successful brands.

The great thing about frameworks is that they’re translatable, transferable and scalable. The same design thinking approach used to develop a marketable product can be used in developing your business. 

It makes sense, after all – your products arise from the environment that created them. They’re the result of your business, and your business is the result of your products. It’s a symbiotic kind of relationship. The two go hand in hand, building and growing each other. 

All organizations are unique entities with their own philosophies and identities. Some identify these organically over the years, while others efficiently and industriously craft theirs from the get-go. The latter type are the design thinkers. The ones who understand the purpose and function of what they’re putting out into the world – and who build a brand accordingly. And the outcome is a brand that builds back. 

Let’s take The James and Ace hotels. Their dramatic expansion into the boutique hospitality market isn’t just luck and happenstance. Their artfully chosen locations, thematically unified decor and signature amenities result in the provision of a very particular experience being sought after by their savvy guests. They’re offering an experience by design – and that experience gives back to the company through the reiteration of its brand. 

Design is used from concept through to execution to craft a set of consumer expectations – and to ensure that they’re not only met, but met consistently. Because once a brand promise has been broken, that trust is gone. 

But when you have the support of design, those brand promises will be so deeply embedded in your organization that it won’t even be possible to break them if you tried.

Design thinking lets you scale and adapt. 

Design as it relates to visual identity is easy enough to conceptualize. But for businesses that are built entirely upon a foundation of design, the result is far more than just looks – instead, we’re talking about the intersection of form, function and philosophy. 

And when your organization is artfully positioned in the middle of this Venn diagram, you can re-evaluate, refine or even redefine what you stand for, what you do, and how you present it. A business predicated on design thinking is always reflecting on the function and purpose of what it’s putting out into the market. It’s always asking whether it’s making what people actually want. And as the needs of the market change, the business changes, too.

Take peer-to-peer delivery service Postmates as an example. When it launched amidst a crowded field of competitors in 2011, naysayers were bearish about its longevity. But the company’s offering – efficient delivery at the lowest possible price – was designed precisely with the market’s needs in mind. And it has continued to evolve as the market has, offering the new “Plus” and “Unlimited” features as a way of meeting newly arising customer requirements.

The upshot was improved vendor relationships, a larger customer base – and a business that continues to build an ever more sophisticated and granular response to an identified need.

Every business deserves design thinking.

Design is an act of creativity – but an elevated one. It walks the line between want and need, and fills gaps in our lives rather than trying to invent them. 

And when businesses begin to expand their notion of design beyond visual identity and into their underpinning identity and ethos, they’re perfectly positioned to fill those gaps by engineering useful, purposeful solutions to identified needs. 

When intelligent, thoughtful design provides the foundation for what you do, you no longer have to try to convince people to care about what it is you make or offer. Because your entire business model is all about making the things that people actually want.

The most powerful expressions of creativity are the ones that effectively communicate to audiences outside ourselves, and our ability to collaborate and create with others is what sets us apart from other species in a world that’s constantly in a state of change. But what does that mean? And what is the root of the nature of creativity?

The most powerful expressions of creativity are the ones that effectively communicate to audiences outside ourselves, and our ability to collaborate and create with others is what sets us apart from other species in a world that’s constantly in a state of change. But what does that mean? And what is the root of the nature of creativity?

The origins, meanings and execution of creativity is something that’s been hotly debated since the dawn of time. The only thing that seems certain is the concept of creativity has evolved alongside humankind as we’ve continued to grow as beings. The ancient Greeks had their own exploration into what it means to be creative. Through the Renaissance, creativity even became something of a philosophical process. In today’s society, we temper creativity and creative expression with intellectual, physiological and sometimes spiritual properties.

Creativity wasn’t actually named and recognized as a concept until 1926, when English philosopher Alfred North Whitehead finally denominated it as such. Even so, questions still remained. Creativity was – and is – emotional and impassioned, yet deeply cerebral and impossible to compartmentalize. Is it inherited? Is it a state of mind, or is it a process? Perhaps, most likely, it’s a careful and precise combination of each of these traits.

Despite our constant and deepening relationship with creativity, the ability to effectively define it and discern its origins remains elusive. As is often the case when we encounter something that defies description, we’ve begun to define creativity as something akin to divine communication – a spiritual channeling from a source that drives the planet forward, and teaches us an expanded form of self-expression.

However, Dr. Charles Limb disagrees with this notion. An MD, professor and Chief of Otology/Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at the University of California in San Francisco, Dr. Limb is one of many researchers eagerly pursuing the definition behind the concept of creativity. His findings suggest creativity isn’t a whimsical notion – in fact, he believes that the more creativity is practiced, the more prolific each proceeding creative endeavor becomes. So it’s not so much that creativity is a mythical communication as it is a muscle you must exercise, or a habit meant to be cultivated.

Dr. Limb is both a musician and surgeon, so his insight into creativity comes from a balanced space of understanding the neurological aspect behind creativity, as well as the mystical mindset that seems to be a hallmark of one’s creative nature. If you’re so inclined, we recommend watching Dr. Limb’s TED Talk – called “Building the Musical Muscle” – for further information on his research and how it correlates with the nature of creativity.

But getting back to our point: there are very real parallels between outside-the-box creative ingenuity and the disciplined process needed to turn ideas and possibilities into something tangible. We believe there’s a formula for creative success – and the key ingredients are time, patience and hard work.

If you had the ability to ask any one of history’s notable creatives how they achieved and accomplished their most decorated accolades, they’d likely tell you that creativity is part beast, part journey. It can be rigorous and time consuming, gut-wrenchingly painful, and at times, insanity-inducing madness. But in the end, it produces results – and it’s the results that matter.

French chemist Louis Pasteur famously stated, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” To disseminate further, that means talent, honed skill and thoughtful research overlap and funnel directly into imaginative leaps and bounds, effectively separating creativity from any other discipline. Mozart also proclaimed that hard work was the most central component to his creative process. All inherent talent aside, the act of creation is an arduous and often lengthy endeavor. The one thing it decidedly is not? Magic.

There’s still so much we need to understand about creativity and how it works. But as we continue to research and gain knowledge of our creative minds, it’s important to remain focused on the ultimate goal of being a creative: translating creativity into ideas, ideas into actions, and actions into final products that are groundbreaking and game-changing. It’s this philosophy and approach that drives us at STARMEN, where we continue to learn from and work with our creative minds to their utmost capabilities, and consistently redefine what it means to us to be creative.

Creativity doesn’t sleep. Neither do we. Whether mystical or practical, grounded or ethereal, we’ll continue to explore creativity and its inherent nature in every aspect of what we do. After all, isn’t that what creativity is all about?

Long gone are the days when running a really great marketing campaign involved, in sum, brilliant graphic arts and catchy verbiage. Indeed, it used to be that a carefully crafted execution of these two elements could allow marketing executives to sit back, and enjoy the ride. This is no longer the case.

Today’s consumers want engagement, and with the emergence of social media, the Internet is an open canvas. Brands that fail to make their mark pay the price in terms of lost engagement with potential customers, and trends show that effectively doing so is increasingly a kinesthetic process -- not a static one. This means that in order to form authentic, long-term engagement with users — the kind that drives referrals, publicity, and sales — your  brand strategy must make the shift from storytelling to storydoing.

Long gone are the days when running a really great marketing campaign involved, in sum, brilliant graphic arts and catchy verbiage. Indeed, it used to be that a carefully crafted execution of these two elements could allow marketing executives to sit back, and enjoy the ride. This is no longer the case.

Today’s consumers want engagement, and with the emergence of social media, the Internet is an open canvas. Brands that fail to make their mark pay the price in terms of lost engagement with potential customers, and trends show that effectively doing so is increasingly a kinesthetic process -- not a static one. This means that in order to form authentic, long-term engagement with users — the kind that drives referrals, publicity, and sales — your  brand strategy must make the shift from storytelling to storydoing.

First, Define Your Story

Whether it’s actively acknowledged or not, your company has a story, and denying your marketplace of the insight into that can mean all the difference to your bottomline. As such, we encourage our clients to invest in a strategy that not only divulges what makes their brand unique, but what humanizes them in the minds of human consumers.

Beyond engagement, though, the fact of the matter is that you’d be hard pressed to find an industry that wasn’t inundating its consumers with storytelling messages, leaving the buyer to sort through the clutter of verbiage for him or herself. Sports brands tell tales of how their products help you find your inner greatness. Cosmetics brands speak of evoking the most beautiful you. Luxury good brands boast of quality and fine craftsmanship. 

In the especially gridlocked categories, the only way to truly bypass the noise is to transcend storytelling altogether, and opt for storydoing. In essence, the art of storytelling has become a more visceral, collaborative practice, and it’s up to you to build out a narrative that encompasses not only your objectives as a company, but the habits, behaviors, and social priorities of your market. 

Second, Bring That Story to Life

Building out the action around your brand — from telling to doing — allows for a shared human experience to be formed with your product at its epicenter. Collective experiences are the foundation of a strong interpersonal relationship, so it makes good sense that it would also be the best way to build a bond with a consumer too, which speaks to the core of human learning patterns. A hands on approach is nearly always preferable, and this extends to all corners of human life.

“The old way to market a business was storytelling. But in today's world, simply communicating your story in the hope that customers will listen is no longer enough. Instead, your story must be expressed through every action your organization takes. Today's most successful businesses are storydoers.”

— Ty Montague

And, in fact, these compelling moments of doing are robust opportunities for engagement not just with immediate audiences, but with consumers far and wide. Thanks to social media, these instances of storydoing are all the more potent as users’ experiences with your brand are projected onto observers at all ends of the earth through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Nike’s “Run the World” events, Shell’s Eco-marathons, and Coke’s Happiness Tour are all prime examples of how brands can transition their campaigning from a story being handed down to a tangible engagement with their respective consumers. From these interactions, Nike, Shell, and Coke are able to actually be a living, breathing part of their customers’ lives like never before. What’s more, because events like Nike’s and Shell’s involve an element of achievement — athletes often train for many months to partake in said events — the brands’ potential for assimilation into peoples’ lives is even more enhanced.

Most importantly, your company mustn't boast the marketing budgets of a Nike or a Coke in order to make storydoing an excellent avenue through which your strategic and creative campaigns are run. One method through which this can be achieved is by expanding your scope beyond the consumer. By striving to make a truly palpable difference in the world at large, you temper your brand in a way that intertwines elements of human emotion and solidarity. If there’s a cause your company supports, evolve your giving practices so that there is room for your market to give along with you. Buy one, give one programs such as those currently run by TOMS or Warby Parker are popular ways that companies marry charity with consumer activity, and both have proven that a sense of global responsibility speaks volumes in the minds of increasingly conscious consumers.

Finally, Let it Grow

Our key takeaway can be reduced to three words — experience trumps instruction — and this can be rightly applied to nearly any walk of life. Take musician Ed Sheeran who spent years playing small gigs at any venue that would host him before finally making it big, and compare his story of cold, hard do-ing to that of a contestant on American Idol who is simply told they’re a star. Ed Sheeran and other entrepreneurs, artists, and visionaries who’ve risen to prominence after paying their dues can all attest to one thing: building a successful enterprise is a marathon, not a track meet. Ultimately, in order to build that long-term connection with your consumers, you must be in it for the long haul. We promise you, though, that if you stay true to your branding mission, you’ll reap what you sow in terms of engagement and loyalty from consumers for generations to come.

It should come as no surprise that having an idea is one thing, and actualizing that idea is entirely another. Take it from us; many are the things that serve to stand in the way of an idea coming to fruition, and what's more, these obstacles can be the difference between a truly game changing idea that comes to fruition, and one that never sees light outside your office walls. 

Ideas are what drive us forward as a people. They are paramount to progress in art, in science, and in moral society, and that’s why our team at STARMEN is pleased to share its foolproof plan for getting those ideas off the ground!

It should come as no surprise that having an idea is one thing, and actualizing that idea is entirely another. Take it from us; many are the things that serve to stand in the way of an idea coming to fruition, and what's more, these obstacles can be the difference between a truly game changing idea that comes to fruition, and one that never sees light outside your office walls. 

Ideas drive society forward. They are paramount to progress in art, in science, and in moral society, and that’s why we are pleased to share our foolproof plan for getting those ideas off the ground!

First, stand firmly behind your concept

As a general rule of thumb, the best way to help your idea take flight is by standing squarely behind it, and going at it with gusto. Consider what makes this idea worth pursuing. What will it accomplish for the betterment of the team or client? What problems does this idea solve or current gaps does it fill? Only once you can truly advocate for your idea can you fully master the art of selling that vision to motivate others to stand with you behind the cause. 

Second, blueprint your plan of action

Once you have fully wrapped your mind around the idea, you’ll be in good shape to start mapping out the steps required, including the often underthought middle parts of materializing a new idea -- the part where creative exploration gives way to the meticulous, the tedious, and the nitty gritty. It is in this lengthy, drawn out period of tireless work that most great ideas tragically fizzle. Scott Belsky, author of Making Ideas Happen and founder of online portfolio platform Behance, dubs this part of an endeavor the “project plateau.” For artistically-driven individuals, this plateau can be particularly painstaking because it is the time when creativity is at a standstill, and laborious task management is at an all-time high. As Belsky adds, “To escape this pain, we generate a new idea (and abandon the one we were working on). This process can easily repeat itself ad infinitum, without us ever finishing anything meaningful.”

Team STARMEN ardently believes that careful planning and strategic delegating can help your project avoid such a fate. By mapping out the forecast of a project, you’re allowing those involved to have a clear picture of present status and next steps, which leaves little room for doubt or lingering notions of “how will this all come together?” What’s more, when everyone on the team is weighted only with tasks they are truly competent and capable of fulfilling, they’ll be more likely to come through, leaving the team as a whole running efficiently, and the project progressing on schedule.

“All great inventions emerge from a long sequence of small sparks; the first idea often isn’t all that good, but thanks to collaboration it later sparks another idea, or it’s reinterpreted in an unexpected way. Collaboration brings small sparks together to generate breakthrough innovation.”
— Scott Belsky

Now that your vision is clarified, and a plan of action’s in place, it's time to get going! 

Third, be patient

With all of the moving pieces required to materialize your idea, it’s imperative to constantly circle back to that all-important first step. Remember why you embarked on this journey to begin with, and you’ll be much less likely to make decisions in haste or try to rush tedious parts of the process. However, there are a few steps you can take to alleviate any doubts that your venture is moving toward its target. When holding meetings with team members, be sure to commence with each person reviewing next steps for his or her respective responsibilities, as well as a brief synopsis of what each person is taking away from the meeting. This recap should be no more than 20 or 30 seconds per person, and can save immeasurable time down the road because it will confirm not only the overall productivity of your meetings (whether or not goals, feedback, and notes are being clearly communicated, for instance), but it also will help hold individual team members accountable for what they are working on.

Fourth, remain focused

This idea, with you at its helm, is premised on a single, solitary concept. Reduce cluttering that vision by remediating new ideas to the backburner. There may come a time and a place for new endeavors to roll out, and when that time comes, those new ideas will deserve the same undivided attention as the one presently before you. 

Another excellent way to remain aligned with your objectives? “Avoid a reactionary workflow,” Belsky iterates. In a typical workday, we’re inundated with messages -- from our social apps, text messages, array of email accounts, and instant messengers -- and that’s not even considering phone calls and interpersonal conversations. As such, we, as professionals, are suspended in a constant state of reaction, responding to these various entities with little time leftover for proactivity -- which is essential to moving whatever we’re working on forward. To counter this, schedule yourself time each day where you’re totally unplugged to incoming communication, and can focus on outgoing productivity. There is a time and a place for conversation and connectivity, but progress is what truly moves ideas from ethereal into the ether of reality.

Innovation is perhaps the cornerstone of our modern society, and for good reason. Innovation helps us progress; it heals us, enriches us, and entertains us. It connects us as a people in ways prior generations could never have dreamed. But all too frequently, marketers with raw ambition aim to catapult their campaigns into fresh, new territories simply to be the newest or the most different, all without a clear motive in mind.

It’s no secret that the marketplace today is vastly different from yesterday’s, and the intensity at which that is true indicates that we’re in store for even greater change come tomorrow’s. 

As an agency, STARMEN creates brand experiences every day to appeal to a wide variety of audiences, and the strategies developed from each endeavor are carefully crafted so our clients and their products receive the maximum exposure necessary to create movement. Whether that translates into social action, amplified brand awareness, or product sales, there is considerable variance in the methodologies through which each demographic is best attained.

One such target market we’ve studied extensively is the millennials. Aged 18 to 33, these individuals are coming of age, and coming together in ways never thought possible.  Often referred to as the “me” generation, millennials are frequently beleaguered with claims of a poor work ethic, technological dependency, and overall arrogance. 

But ask Snapchat CEO, Evan Siegel, and he’ll tell you that sense of entitlement is truly just his generation’s way of carving their own way through the world they are ever so slowly inheriting. It is for this very reason that millennials are impossible to ignore, and essential to truly understand. 

Here, STARMEN has identified three key objectives that make marketing to and engaging with this demographic a most rewarding endeavor:

First and foremost, master mobile.

Without question, the gentlemen and women of Gen Y go for it in life with gusto, and they are unapologetic about their place in the world. Adventure-seeking, independent, and tech-savvy, this population is as diverse as they come, but one vital element unifies them all: mobility. 

However, it’s worth noting that these active creatures are not the movers and shakers of their parents’ generation. Steadfast in their ambitions, millennials are taking the world by storm, and they won’t let anyone or anything -- not societal norms, crushing student debt, or perhaps least of all, their parents’ expectations -- stand in their way. 

And with them at every step  -- or at least 88% of them! - is a mobile device that connects them to the rest of the world in increasingly new ways. It is precisely this camaraderie between man and mobile machine that makes marketing to millennials a uniquely challenging operation. 

Thus, we think the best medium for reaching your consumers is through their trusted mobile sidekicks. This could mean you have a well-designed mobile website presence or that you’ve strategically placed ads on other mobile entities. It could mean you’re active on social media, tapping into the daily lives of millennials through comments and likes. 

Or it could mean you craft a targeted campaign that integrates your product into mobile entertainment content. Whatever your methodology, mastering the mobile landscape is essential for reaching millennials. Plain and simple.

Focus on the long-term over the short.

If your brand is having trouble communicating with this generation, it may be time to rethink your approach. As a group, millennials will not take kindly to a hard sell, particularly one for a brand or product they can’t directly relate to. Additionally, they can smell phoniness from a mile away, so your best bet is to focus on building a real, long-term rapport with this generation. Connect with them on a human level. 

While this may mean the point of sale -- the coveted return on your investment -- comes at a later time, the extent to which your company builds an authentic relationship with millennial consumers will ultimately mean the implementation of a truer, longer-term loyalty to your brand.

In other words, why be the brand they haphazardly toss into their cart on an impulse when you can be the one they drive to three different shops trying to track down? Millennials are nothing if not impassioned creatures, and that commitment will come back to you tenfold.

Tackle content in ways that prioritize connectivity over persuasion.

As a generation pillared by authenticity, millennials respond more positively and more deeply to content they perceive as being both relatable and aspirational. This means that oversaturated, highly-Photoshopped celebrity endorsements no longer plant the seed. Instead, the millennial audience seeks the opinions of their peers, a circle of confidence growing ever larger thanks to the prevalence of mobile technology and the interconnectivity provided by the Internet.

This also means that there’s room for a more conversational approach when crafting your campaigns. Successful campaigns of late have involved a shift in emphasis from the livelihoods of consumers to their personalities. Don’t talk at them, but with them. Make them laugh. Make them fall in love. Leave them in awe. Expose their quirky, mundane habits. Throw it back, and let them reminisce, or let them pitch in. Or both. 

Our takeaway point is this: appealing to their broader senses of self will help propel your brand further in the minds and hearts of millennials, and that’s the ultimate key to driving a long-term relationship with this class of consumers.

In the business of branding, nothing speaks truer to the work that we do than industry legend, Al Ries’, immutable commandment: the Law of Focus. It is a pivotal point, one that allows the purpose of a brand to be actualized in a more tangible way. 

What makes your brand different from others of its kind? Is it more luxurious, or more at the cutting edge of technological innovation? Is it environmentally-friendly, or is it tightly aligned with a unique social purpose? 

In the business of branding, nothing speaks truer to the work that we do than industry legend, Al Ries’, immutable commandment: the Law of Focus. It is a pivotal point, one that allows the purpose of a brand to be actualized in a more tangible way. 

What makes your brand different from others of its kind? Is it more luxurious, or more at the cutting edge of technological innovation? Is it environmentally-friendly, or is it tightly aligned with a unique social purpose? 

Our point is that whatever distinguishes your brand from the rest of the pack is the driving point your branding endeavor should aim to build upon. And with the marketing industry in a state of perpetual evolution, it is a true testament to Ries’ authority that the Law of Focus remains a true cornerstone of branding excellence to this day.

As Ries writes: “If you want to build a brand, you must focus your branding efforts on owning a word in the prospect’s mind. A word that nobody else owns.”

So, step one involves getting to the core of what drives your brand -- what it ultimately aims to be synonymous with. Only then can your company and its products truly begin to transcend a likely oversaturated (and, really, what industry’s isn’t?) marketplace creating a uniquely authentic opportunity for consumers to connect with your brand.

Perhaps one of the hallmark case studies that highlights this very point is car manufacturer, Volvo. The marketplace is inundated with German automobiles, and the reason so many can maintain relevant chunks of the market is that what differentiates them, defines them in a way that renders the others obsolete to the right consumers. Mercedes Benz is synonymous with prestige, and BMW is for driving. Audis are intrinsically German, but only one thing comes to mind when one contemplates a Volvo: safety.

So while Volvo is also German, by all accounts a great car to drive, and is definitely luxurious, their conceptual namesake for consumers continues to be that they’re the ultimate in safety. For consumers placing inviolability above all else when shopping cars, Volvo is a leader that has stood the test of time, even as the auto industry as a whole continues a trend in revolutionizing vehicular safety.

Since Ries’ heyday, new media have vastly shaped and expanded how and where branded messaging can be unleashed, so expanding your brand’s word into a fully realized concept in the minds of prospective customers will help that concept stay relevant in a vastly visual marketing landscape.

Once you have successfully defined your brand’s verbiage, only then can you own it. And ownership lends itself unencumbered to leadership in its respective share of the market. In other words, once you are synonymous in consumers’ minds as being the safety (or prestige, or driving, or, well, you get the picture) brand, you inherit leadership of the safety sector of the automobile marketplace. 

Now, all of this is not to say that once a market leader, always a market leader. In fact, time as our witness, no-visibility David beats iconic Goliath every day in marketplaces in industries all across the globe. 

Case in point: A little San Francisco start-up called Method that introduced a new line of household cleaning products to a global landscape inching ever more closely towards environmental collapse. As a direct response to the competition’s notoriously filthy carbon footprint, Method is the brainchild of two childhood friends who built their company with one goal in mind: sustainability. Their rapid success is further testament to their focus on that commitment to remaining cruelty free and environmentally friendly. Since Method’s launch, nearly every company in the home cleaning goods industry has tried their hand at launching similarly sound products. Yet despite the massive surge of new products that have hit the market, Method continues to dominate broadly because its efforts are singularly focused.

Our team at STARMEN would love to help you finesse your focus to create a truly compelling brand experience. Get in touch!

We’re pleased to announce our work on the Linda May Properties “Live Your Luxury” campaign has received recognition from the AVA Digital Awards. This project has previously been the recipient of awards from other organizations, including the distinction of Best in Class from the IMA Awards. We are deeply honored by this most recent recognition: a Platinum Award for excellence in website design and development, as well as a Gold Award for our “Live Your Luxury” video marketing campaign.

We’re pleased to announce our work on the Linda May Properties “Live Your Luxury” campaign has received recognition from the AVA Digital Awards. This project has previously been the recipient of awards from other organizations, including the distinction of Best in Class from the IMA Awards. We are deeply honored by this most recent recognition: a Platinum Award for excellence in website design and development, as well as a Gold Award for our “Live Your Luxury” video marketing campaign.

While it is with great pride that we accept these accolades, we would be remiss if we did not pay proper tribute to the journey itself. You see, the AVA Digital Awards is a competition that focuses not just on the end-product, but on the planning, conceptualizing, creative direction, design, and overall production process of digital campaigns of all shapes and sizes. Honoring remarkable work at every stage of the process is the hallmark of these awards’ unique significance to our agency, and we - as a collective agency - owe this honor to each individual facet of our team.

The Significance

Renowned for their stringent standards and internationally-acclaimed credibility, the AVA Awards are judged annually by the Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals. 

Each piece is evaluated and judged on individual merit in contrast to other awards programs where entrants are judged in relation to other submissions in their categories. 

This practice only lends further credence to the overall significance of these awards because it is evidence our work is prolific in its own right, on its own terms, regardless of other projects taking place elsewhere.

The Journey

Our biggest challenge with Linda May Properties was that it faced an industry with a rapidly expanding digital presence. We created the “Live Your Luxury” campaign in an effort to not only enhance perceptions of the Client’s brand in the minds of existing and future clientele, but to allow the company to maintain its competitive edge in an increasingly web-based marketplace. 

We knew immediately that a successful campaign for Linda May would equate to one squarely rooted in the company’s long reign at the height of its industry. The firm has consistently been ranked within the top 1% of Coldwell Bankers Realtors® internationally, and so our work necessarily built on that momentum. Our Client’s quality of work speaks for itself, and so our aim was not to build a site and marketing campaign that spoke not more loudly or boastfully, but more wisely, about our Client’s stature in its field. The resulting “Live Your Luxury” is an elegant yet succinct expression of this merit.

As a successful web presence becomes increasingly paramount in today’s modern marketplace, so too does the need for a sharp, well-defined message. And from these needs, the “Live Your Luxury” campaign was born to not only provide our Client with an attractive, functional tool to facilitate business, but with a carefully crafted communication apparatus, one that would speak both to its values and relentless, “always on” ethic.

We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish on behalf of our Client, and incredibly appreciative of the opportunity to further sharpen our toolset in the process.

We find that our insatiable pursuit of excellence necessitates continued evolution, and such is the primary reason we enter our work into competitions like the AVA Awards. Relentless in this endeavor, we find that placing our proudest pieces in line for public scrutiny forces us to produce our best work, and we’re steadfastly aligned with the philosophy that excellence isn’t a stagnant milestone. Instead, it is a constantly advancing finish line requiring a tenacity of spirit, and a constantly evolving repository of skills and ideas. 

Innovation is perhaps the cornerstone of our modern society, and for good reason. Innovation helps us progress; it heals us, enriches us, and entertains us. It connects us as a people in ways prior generations could never have dreamed. But all too frequently, marketers with raw ambition aim to catapult their campaigns into fresh, new territories simply to be the newest or the most different, all without a clear motive in mind.

Innovation is perhaps the cornerstone of our modern society, and for good reason. Innovation helps us progress; it heals us, enriches us, and entertains us. It connects us as a people in ways prior generations could never have dreamed. But all too frequently, marketers with raw ambition aim to catapult their campaigns into fresh, new territories simply to be the newest or the most different, all without a clear motive in mind.

Perhaps one of the biggest buzzwords across industries today, innovation is the driving force of thousands of initiatives embarked upon each year by companies and their marketing teams, big and small. Yet for the thousands of new companies and products put forth into the marketplace, very few stick around long enough to make a huge impact in the way we as humans live our lives. That’s because most self-proclaimed innovators are eagerly in pursuit of the what without a truly impassioned why.

Simon Sinek outlines this point very poignantly with his concept of the Golden Circle. Perhaps the key takeaway from Sinek’s concept is this: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” 

As an agency, we work to develop strategies for our clients that expand on this very principle. We recommend our clients aim to answer the following before they embark on any new marketing or branding campaign. Not only does it allow them to get to the root of the why behind their innovational work, but it also saves them the hassle of needing to realign an already in-motion project later down the line:

1. Why is my company important or special to its industry?*
   
2. Why should a customer choose my product over others in the marketplace, and what benefits does my product have over the competition?
   
3. Why should existing and potential customers align themselves with my company?
   

*This is perhaps one of the most important questions your company could ever hope to answer because it is the single-most important factor in assessing your necessity and relevance to your industry.

Innovation is an intangible what, qualitative in nature, and therefore cannot be measured by the numerical data you’ll no doubt reference to assess your campaign’s success. Thus, innovation on its own will not suffice as a motivational tool for any initiative. 

Instead, consider the ultimate customer experience that could be had with your brand and the output from your innovational endeavor. Ultimately, you most likely want to enhance the user’s life in one way or another. But how, and again, why? 

For this reason, we believe that at every step of the brand development process, checking the pulse of a project’s decisions is crucial. The appropriate answer to any choice driving a creative or content process should never be “because that’s what everyone else is doing”. Riding the coattails of another shop’s innovation will always, without fail, lead you farther away from what’s truly authentic for your company, and lead you closer to the clutter.

In marketing, like in life, it’s often all too tempting to take the road of least resistance. At the end of the day, opting to ride the coattails of another organization means one essential thing for your brand: someone else is not only in the lead (leaving you in its shadow), but that leader is also in the driver’s seat, dictating the journey for yours, despite the inherent company to company idiosyncrasies.

And so, we believe that only by first identifying the why behind your company’s what can your organization truly experience authentic brand growth. When people can align themselves with your company’s values and innovational spirit, they will care about your company’s output.

We believe the key reason to buck the trends lies in that very point. The things that make your company unique to its industry are the very points that justify your company’s existence and relevance to its market. But in marketing, foregoing the tried and true in search of a new idea or way of communicating with consumers can mean the difference between a campaign that merely satisfies the status quo and one that is truly groundbreaking.

We believe that the only way to predict the future is to create it. And at our core, we are an agency dedicated to the creation of positive change through strategic brand development.

We believe that the only way to predict the future is to create it. And at our core, we are an agency dedicated to the creation of positive change through strategic brand development.

In 2015, we want to find even more ways to bring positivity and success to our clients, specifically in the way of branding. Our approach to business design and brand building will include more diverse and intensive marketing strategies, bolder brand stories, and more personal digital experiences. Whether you are a start-up, consumer product, B2B enterprise, or a non-profit, branding affects how customers perceive and relate to your brand.

Our 4 Guiding Principles to Making Brands Work in 2015:

Sharing Compelling Brand Stories

When it comes to branding, one thing hasn't changed in decades, if not centuries of advertising: compelling brand stories are crucial to success. Growth takes strategy, and every strategy needs a compelling story to heighten emotion that results in a desired preference. We continue to strive to create wonderful, entertaining, inspiring and unforgettable brand stories for our clients with the use of top-notch copywriting, design, research, and technology that evokes emotion. So, as 2015 brings even more innovative and memorable digital advancements to the forefront of our culture, we will embrace them wholeheartedly for the good of ourselves and those who trust us to build and grow their brands.

Humanizing the Digital Experience

Our narrative continues to support the idea that branding and design is all about getting personal. Getting hands-on is always a challenge in this exciting digital age, but we plan to accept the challenge and come out on top. In a crowded marketplace, companies should always be looking for ways to connect emotionally with customers, and to become irreplaceable. We will focus closely on collaboration this year so that we can discover and utilize the best ideas from listening to our partners - not just hearing them. Some of the best ideas for our strategies synchronize a personal connection between consumers and our work. At the height of every campaign, we want to feel the satisfaction of knowing that we've sparked a real, positive emotional response in the hearts of our audience.

Mobilizing Brand Experience

Creative genius can strike on variety of wavelengths or devices, anywhere - anytime. Yes, it is totally possible, and we offer ourselves as proof. When you work with great clients like we do, it's easy to come up with awesome ideas day-in and day-out - but without the ability to share content and brand stories, what good are they? This year, we want to work our existing creative process into new, mobile-based strategies. The more, the merrier!

Design Thinking Fuels Strategic Innovation

Design thinking is the search for the magical balance between business and art; structure and chaos; intuition and logic; concept and execution; playfulness and formality; and control and empowerment. It's all about creative ideas - and then knowing how to execute on them. We have the resources, the ideas and the knowledge. And this year we will continue to build powerful strategies that benefits both our clients and our team so that the question always remains, "That worked well! What's next?"

Looking Ahead

Has your company evaluated its 2015 branding goals? When you collaborate with us, you'll be at the forefront of your industry when it comes to understanding and deciding when branding is needed, and if a rebranding is the best option. We want to help you create the new standardization in the midst of a creative ever-changing culture.

What are your big branding challenges this year and how may we help you? Contact us here https://www.starmenusa.com/contact

Read more on our blog http://www.starmenusa.com/blog/

Brands are beginning to wrap around people in every which way. Much like a first introduction to another person, a consumer's relationship with your brand is launched from the first impression. So, what makes this initial interaction so memorable and impactful? When crafting a brand experience that people can identify with, it comes down to the integrated combination of business strategy and design. 

Brands are beginning to wrap around people in every which way. Much like a first introduction to another person, a consumer's relationship with your brand is launched from the first impression. So, what makes this initial interaction so memorable and impactful? When crafting a brand experience that people can identify with, it comes down to the integrated combination of business strategy and design. 

Take your street smarts — what you know about your customers, the market place, and everything else in between— and apply it to design. The world is cluttered with it (consumers can’t escape it). So, the challenge is to stand out from the noise. But how? With intelligent, well-thought out design concepts that leave the best first impression, as well as communicate properties in line with your business strategy.

The number of people who are embracing Instagram and Pinterest is exploding — even Twitter and Facebook are shifting to more dynamic, well-designed interfaces with a stronger emphasis on photos and videos — because visual content has the biggest impact.

However, design must marry business strategy in the art of visual communication. A brand might need to be adaptable, and appeal to a large range of clients, and that’s where the strategy might get a bit trickier. The goal then becomes to take the core of a brand, and communicate it in a way that appeals to a wide array of people. 

As the adage goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. People's immediate response to your brand design will influence them to either take action or walk away.  You can throw together a hip logo, but it’s only going to stick when it is communicating what is at the heart of your brand. Does your brand tell a visual story? Does it elicit a sentient response?

So, you know that expert design strategy is needed to create a powerful brand, but integrating your business strategy builds a strong foundation, from which you can launch all your marketing initiatives. We are a brand innovation factory, and possess the experience and knowledge required to merge your business strategy with design, so that you can reach your branding goals. Let’s talk.

The team here at STARMEN is always busy strategizing, and such was the case during our recent New Year kickoff meeting. What made this year's assembly particularly interesting is that we decided to take it a step further, going public with our resolutions. Some may call it a risk, but we like risks, and have a fabulous creative and technical team to help us reach these goals.

The team here at STARMEN is always busy strategizing, and such was the case during our recent New Year kickoff meeting. What made this year's assembly particularly interesting is that we decided to take it a step further, going public with our resolutions. Some may say that opening up about our goals for the year is a risk, but we think of it as a way to hold ourselves accountable for all we do in the year to come. What's more, we're proud of the fabulous creative and technical team to help us reach these goals.

#1 - Up The Talent

Of course, we're grateful to have such a diverse team, and last year's awards reinforced the savvy of our fine troupe. Our creative, strategic, and digital marketing expertise produced work that not only surpassed expectations, but more importantly, created a lasting impression on our agency. What we do is rewarding! To better serve your shifting needs, we’re expanding our network by hand-selecting talented team members with skill sets that will complement the growth we're after. This ultimately allows us to scale our team to fit your greater and longer-term goals. 

#2 - Pursue the "Why?" 

Say 'adios' to the days where an attractive design alone produces long-term results. It’s counterproductive to invest time (and money!) into producing creative work that looks great but lacks sustainability and substance. We want to build on our portfolio of success, and we'll therefore push ourselves to deliver work that not only looks great, but meets our clients’ pressing goals. The key is to keep the big picture continually visible before us. While continuing to launch expertly executed campaigns, we’re committing to repeatedly refer back to the 'why' behind our work to guide our decision-making, maintain focus, and ultimately produce meaningful results.

#3 - Be Selective

We don't want to simply "date" our clients. While our business once operated project-to-project (akin to the dating world), we now crave long-standing partnerships. Doing so enables us to grow with your team, become further invested in your brand, and tackle greater challenges in pursuit of sustained success for your brand and company. With this new outlook, we’re able to be selective with the clients that we take on. Let's face it… great relationships share a similar vision, and grow together with time, becoming stronger. It's a wonderful feeling when both teams are excited to enter a meeting knowing what it will lead to. If that isn't love, we're not sure what is. 

#4 - Go Broad

With multi-channel marketing, it's impossible to declare a ‘secret sauce’ solution that will work for your brand or company. Instead, it's imperative to respect the process, and determine which strategies will prove successful as part of your broader cohesive marketing effort. We'll take accountability for your success in every channel by analyzing the metrics, and implementing solutions based on performance. Love is in the details - and data! This year, we're focused even more on metrics in order to make the best recommendations for your brand.

Check out our newly remodeled offices featured on OfficeSnapshots.com, a popular blog that reaches more than 300,000 readers each month from around the globe. Office Snapshots showcases architecture and design firms who have recently completed office projects.

Enjoy!

Photography by our friend Vince Robbins

STARMEN realized they needed a space that reflected their vision for the company: a creative lab that would encourage forward-thinking creativity, while honoring their distinct location in a historic building on Hollywood Blvd. The transformation, over the course of four months, took their modest 1,000 square foot operation, and opened it up into a lofty 2,500 square foot space, complete with an immaculately modern conference room, a communal “creative laboratory,” and an open floor-plan for their entry lobby and reception area. Generally muted/neutral colors are complimented with well-chosen vibrant colors sparsely placed throughout; the decor reflects a sense of modern minimalism with a few artifacts and images that highlight the historic epicenter of Hollywood.

Sleek, clean design with exposed light bulbs, modern furniture, and defined straight lines throughout common area.

Hanging trophy shelf display containing dozens of various awards for design, communications and strategy.

Reclaimed wood reception desk.

Retro artifacts including antique typewriter, vintage radio, and cash register.

Oversized wall print of the Hollywood hills including vintage “Hollywoodland” sign of the 1920’s (to compliment the offices stunning view of the current Hollywood sign).

Large whiteboards and glass surfaces in every room to encourage creative brainstorming and idea sharing.

Lobby projection wall with rotating imagery and information that reflects up-to-date industry happenings.

Creative “laboratory” with communal workspace, reclaimed laboratory lamps, and a life- sized wall print of Thomas Edison’s former lab.

Original dark hardwood floors that contrast with the openness of the walls, windows, and art work.

View the full article, here, on OfficeSnapshots.com, a popular blog that reaches more than 300,000 readers each month from around the globe. Office Snapshots showcases architecture and design firms who have recently completed office projects.

Enjoy!

Photography by our friend Vince Robbins

We picked up 3 silver trophies recently at the 2013 W3 Awards and Davey Awards, demonstrating our versatility in creative brand marketing.

We picked up 3 silver trophies recently at the 2013 W3 Awards and Davey Awards, demonstrating our versatility in creative brand marketing.

The W3 Awards and the Davey Awards both received over 4,000 entries from dozens of countries. The W3s honor excellence in websites, web marketing, and web video, while the Daveys pay homage to the best small firms, agencies and companies around the globe. Both competitions are judged by the International Academy of Visual Arts, a members-only organization of leading creative professionals. The IAVA is a virtual ‘who’s who’ among the entertainment and advertising industry, including Condé Nast, Disney, GE, Keller Crescent, Microsoft, Monster.com, MTV, Publicis, and Yahoo.

Hampton Inn & Suites

W3 Awards: Silver Winner, Websites- Hotel and Lodging

As part of the renowned Hilton Hotels brand, Hampton Inn wanted a unique website that would help distinguish them from other hotels, and increase online visibility. We designed and developed a microsite that linked to Hilton’s booking system and highlighted the hotel’s local attractions, complete with new photo galleries, and interactive 360-degree virtual tours. 

Minus Zero "Results. Finally."

Davey Awards: Silver Winner, Online Film and Video - Videography/Cinematography

When Minus Zero set out to refresh their brand identity, one element we had to include on their new website homepage was a video to immediately inform users about the company's mission and vision. The video needed to support the brand ideology of “Leaving Nothing to Chance,” so we incorporated a few key clips of CEO Sabastian Huynh with poignant imagery and audio.

Tamrac.com

Davey Awards: Silver Winner, Websites - Consumer Products/Services

A leading manufacturer of camera bags, Tamrac approached us for a refreshed website, which would easily guide photographers through the purchasing decision. We built a customized platform with an interactive product catalog, dealer locator, and dealer login resource center. The result was a visually inspiring experience, and one we’re proud of. 

These wins come on the heels of a few noteworthy events here at STARMEN. We were recently featured in the LA Business Journal, and had a party at our newly renovated offices, celebrating our growth as an agency. As we close out 2013, a year that has brought us new challenging projects, we look forward to an exciting 2014.

We are so grateful for everyone on our team who made these award-winning projects come to life, and, of course, none of it would be possible without our amazing clients who continue to push us to do our best!

MARKETING: STARMEN ditches fixed-rate jobs for retainer relationships.

MARKETING: STARMEN ditches fixed-rate jobs for retainer relationships.

The way you learn it in marketing school, marketing is a science. How could it not be, with all that jargon that puts everything into neat compartments? Unique Selling Proposition. Positioning. Niches. The four Ps. The Marketing Mix. All those rules of advertising and copywriting. Close fast and early.

The way you learn it in marketing school, marketing is a science. How could it not be, with all that jargon that puts everything into neat compartments? Unique Selling Proposition. Positioning. Niches. The four Ps. The Marketing Mix. All those rules of advertising and copywriting. Close fast and early.

So if marketing is a science, how come some people do it better than others?

Scientific method says, in essence, that if two researchers do the same experiment in the same way, they should get the same result. When that happens a couple of times, then the first person who did it is said to be scientifically correct. Does that happen in marketing?

Of course not.

But we all have the same tools. Market research. Public relations. Publications, such as brochures and newsletters. Seminars and speeches. Advertising. Direct mail and telemarketing. Even networking.

We all know the same things to do. Publicity. Newsletters and brochures. Niche marketing. Client surveys. And so on.

Yet, all results are not equal. Some firms emerge as giants, and others, including those that started in business at the same time as the giants, either go out of business or are still two-professional firms.

Why? What are the variables that make a difference in the same thing?

Or then, too, maybe marketing isn't a science. Maybe it's an art.

Maybe one firm, in looking at its markets and its market research, understands better what it sees than does its competitors. Maybe one firm, more than others, is better able to relate the needs of the marketplace to what it does in its own practice.

Or the public relations director of one firm is more imaginative than his or her colleagues in other firms, or better understands what the media want and the process of supplying that want, or is more truly conversant in the language of the firm's profession -- and so gets more publicity for his firm than his or her counterparts get for theirs.

Or the marketing director or partner of one firm has a broader view of potential markets than can be defined in simplistic niche marketing. Or one firm understands better than others how to use seminars more effectively as business tools. Or the partners of a firm are more organized in pursuing contacts with bankers or lawyers or accountants who are in a position to recommend business, and are better trained and enabled in converting prospects into clients.

Ah, that's the art of it. Not the jargon. Not the words.

True, even art has formal structures, and basics that must be learned. But in the final analysis, it's the art that wins, not the formal structure and the jargon.

If you want to succeed in marketing, then, don't hire the scientist. Hire the artist.

This article was reposted with permission from Bruce W. Marcos, via the Marcus Letter.

Facebook? Perhaps. Twitter? Maybe. Blog? Absolutely!

Blogs began as basic, often tawdry online diaries fueled by caffeine and wine. Some launched writing careers, but most simply enabled their authors to vent views or scratch creative itches. As the blogging craze grew, however, many corporate marketers adopted blogs to provide regular company updates and insights, and, almost as quickly, many marketers abandoned them. The reason? Regularly writing articles turned out to be challenging and time consuming; writing articles that attracted readers proved to be even more difficult. After all, who wants to read a corporation’s diary? So when Twitter and other microblogging platforms came along, corporate communicators happily replaced their 500-words of weekly wisdom with concise 140-character tweets.

And that's when marketers discovered the real value of blogs.

For businesses, blogs serve multiple purposes that Twitter can’t come close to serving. In fact, many corporations are now discovering that it’s actually harder to create a worthwhile Twitter account. So now we’re seeing a blog revival. Below are 3 key reasons why blogging boosts business:

Facebook? Perhaps. Twitter? Maybe. Blog? Absolutely!

Blogs began as basic, often tawdry online diaries fueled by caffeine and wine. Some launched writing careers, but most simply enabled their authors to vent views or scratch creative itches. As the blogging craze grew, however, many corporate marketers adopted blogs to provide regular company updates and insights, and, almost as quickly, many marketers abandoned them. The reason? Regularly writing articles turned out to be challenging and time consuming; writing articles that attracted readers proved to be even more difficult. After all, who wants to read a corporation’s diary? So, when Twitter and other microblogging platforms came along, corporate communicators happily replaced their 500-words of weekly wisdom with concise 140-character tweets.

And that's when marketers discovered the real value of blogs.

For businesses, blogs serve multiple purposes that Twitter can’t come close to satisfying. In fact, many corporations are now discovering that it’s actually harder to create a worthwhile Twitter account, and we’re, in fact, seeing a blog revival. Below are 3 key reasons why blogging boosts business:

1. Blogs build better business brands.

It’s hard to provide much brand value in a tweet. As we have seen with some brands, with Twitter, it’s easier to make a brand-damaging mistake with an ‘accidental’ tweet than it is to build your image and reputation in 140 characters.

With blogs, you get all the words you need to communicate your business’ fully fleshed-out personality in a way that suits your brand, and appeals to your customers. And since full-length articles take more time and attention to create, you’re far less likely to “accidentally” publish a brand-damaging blogpost than a misbegotten tweet.

Blogging also enables you to demonstrate your expertise; you can show that you’re not just a product or service provider, you’re an actual expert in your field. And you can do so not by ‘flaunting’ your knowledge, but by providing valuable advice, and insights to your customers.

Blog posts should be delivered in a conversational tone (like this blogpost) — not in a stiff ‘corporate’ voice, and definitely not in the form of press releases — a conversational tone makes your business appear more personable.

It’s also critical to maintain professional standards when blogging. A hastily-assembled (not to mention ‘abandoned’) blog, or a blog post filled with empty hype or unimportant info can do more harm than good. And by all means, don’t be boring! As advertising legend, David Ogilvy, once said, “You can’t bore people into buying your product” — or into reading anything you ever write again.

2. Blogs give you the goods to get social.

One challenge that many marketers face with social media is simply finding something to say. Simply talking about yourself or your products every day turns you into a drone. (See the David Ogilvy quote above.) But using your social media to talk about irrelevant matters (the weather or holidays) is a waste of time and resources.

With regular blogs, you now have something of value to share on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Sharing a value-filled article with a relevant LinkedIn Group is a great way to drive potential customers to your website, which is exactly what you want to do with social media: drive all those fans, friends, and followers to your website (never the other way around).

Note that this sharing is critical for building a blog readership. The problem with the early business blogs is that marketers just built them, and assumed that readers would come. Now they realize that they have to get the articles out there. That’s why it’s important to have both social media and a blog operating side-by-side, working together to attract your customers.

3. Google loves blogs.

Google and other search engines will someday recognize photos and videos, but in the meantime, they want words, words, and more words. Blogs, of course, provide plenty of words — including keywords and phrases that your customers might be plugging into search engines. Indeed, many customers type in entire questions into search engines, so sometimes a great blog format is a Q&A.

What makes blog posts even more search-engine friendly is that they’re fresh. Google tends to favor websites that have been recently updated, therefore it is important to provide fresh content regularly.

Something else that Google loves is backlinks, which are the links from other sites to your site. If you have a blogpost that’s valuable and compelling, it may attract backlinks. In addition, it may get shared on social media, and that also helps boost search-engine results.

Finally, Google favors ‘high quality’ content. Google determines this by watching human behavior. Those backlinks and social shares are one sign that your content is valuable. Another sign is how long customers spend on your page, and whether they click on anything while they’re there. (Google can track all this when you install Google Analytics on your site.) A high quality blog post will guarantee that visitors will spend more than a few seconds on your site.

So, Let’s Get It Started…

Now that you see what blogs can do for your business, designate specific writers or an agency to create regular posts that are both relevant and valuable to your customers and your brand. In addition, consider inviting guest bloggers to provide fresh content while attracting their fans. These individuals often have significant followerships of their own, which means that fresh new eyes will be drawn to your site.

Don’t worry if your readership numbers don’t explode overnight. Blog posts are long-tail content, meaning that they might not get discovered until months or even years later. In the meantime, all those blog posts will provide a wealth of content that boosts your brand, gives you something to socialize about, and keeps Google well fed.

Happy blogging!

Whatever day you go to Vegas, you can generally expect to find a flurry of activity in two specific places: the business convention circuit and the roulette table. Unfortunately, too many visitors think the same strategy for success applies to both.

We were in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, hitting the Consumer Electronics Show and a few roulette tables. (Just a few.) In both cases, if you don't play, you can't win. That is pretty much the only similarity – well, that and the engaging hosts and dealers to get you to stay and play. 

The key difference is that, with a convention, it's not enough to be in the right place at the right time — which is the fundamental rule of roulette.

Whatever day you go to Vegas, you can generally expect to find a flurry of activity in two specific places: the business convention circuit and the roulette table. Unfortunately, too many visitors think the same strategy for success applies to both.

We were in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, hitting the Consumer Electronics Show and a few roulette tables. (Just a few.) In both cases, if you don't play, you can't win. That is pretty much the only similarity – well, that and the engaging hosts and dealers to get you to stay and play. 

The key difference is that, with a convention, it's not enough to be in the right place at the right time — which is the fundamental rule of roulette.

Walking around the Las Vegas Convention Center, it seems that a lot of exhibitors were employing nothing more than a roulette strategy. They had their booth, they had their people, and they stood there waiting for their numbers to come up. They seemed very lonely. 

Many exhibitors forget two critical convention strategies: creativity and communications.

At a roulette table, too much creativity and communications can get you kicked out. In a convention hall filled with hundreds of competitors, all vying for the attention of attendees, creativity and communications are critical. 

If you and your competitor have booths right next to each other (a common occurrence at a congested show like CES), whoever is more visually appealing will capture the attention and interest of passersby.

Two companies did an amazing job of capturing attention at CES: Audi, with its giant walk-in lightbox filled with hot cars, and the House of Marley, which departed from the techno-vibe of the rest of the show with its reggae vibe and generous use of natural materials, like wood, leather, and steel.

In addition, savvy exhibitors communicated with potential customers and the news media long before the show opened. They sent personalized invitations, teased exciting new products, or made special offers to get people to show up. Lenovo got a lot of people buzzing about their table-sized tablet before CES opened.

In other words, conventions are not like roulette tables. Not every number has an equal shot of turning up, so you you can't leave anything to chance. Here are three guidelines to enhance your odds — and avoid major mistakes.

The Three B's: Brand, Buzz, and Behavior.

Here at Starmen we use these 3B's to guide our work. They don't just apply to conventions: they also apply to websites, packaging, even a simple tweet.

Brand

Your reputation always comes first. If anything you do creatively can hurt your reputation — and Vegas presents a lot of opportunities to do that — then you're better off staying home. This means don't do anything that might offend anyone, such as sexist displays, even if they attract the attention of other attendees. It also means making sure everything at your booth functions correctly (especially your display products!), and that your booth staff are well trained and informed. In addition, use this opportunity to enhance your image. You don't need to build a giant lightbox to do that: some creative and well-designed signage, a compelling video running on a monitor, and a booth layout that doesn't look like a discount shop can make a big difference.

Buzz

Inspire your target customers and the news media before, during, and after the show. A lot of companies think their products alone are buzz-worthy, but at a giant convention like CES, they go up against a bewildering array of buzz-worthy products and exhibitions, such as the mind-controlled helicopters we saw. By the end of the first day (not to mention the whole week), attendees are so jaded about electronics, a great product alone doesn't stand a chance of creating a buzz. This is where creativity and communications work together. Before the convention, use smart, savvy communications — social, media press releases, direct mail, etc. — to build awareness and anticipation. At the convention, use your imagination (or, hint, our imagination) to create a booth that becomes a "must see." After the convention, reconnect with your booth's visitors to remind them about what they saw, and tell them where they can get even more info and a special offer (your website, a sales visit, or an invitation to your HQ).

Behavior

What do you want visitors to do when they visit your convention booth? Of course, to justify the large investment, all exhibitors want deals. At the same time, keep in mind that not every visitor is ready to buy, particularly if they've never heard of your brand or product before. If they're just learning about you, at most you will get their attention and awareness and perhaps their interest. With these tentative explorers, the behavior you should strive for is a simple exchange of information. At a business-to-business convention, ask for their business card and provide them with a compelling reason to sign up for your e-newsletter. At a consumer show, encourage them to like or follow your social media on the spot. Yes, those leads won't entirely satisfy the finance department, but they're a measurable result. And don't forget: follow-up is essential. In business, what happens in Vegas shouldn't stay in Vegas.

Now as you know, there are no guarantees in Vegas or in business. However, by adopting these strategies and guidelines, you will certainly increase your odds of success before you place that big convention bet.

Can you remember the last website you’ve visited? Unless it’s Facebook or another website you visit often, chances are you don’t remember much about it. 

There are 644 million active websites on the Internet, but most of these websites are so poorly designed that people don’t want to revisit them. Don’t be one of those websites! You want to create a memorable online experience for your visitors, and to have them keep coming back for more. 

Can you remember the last website you’ve visited? Unless it’s Facebook or another website you visit often, chances are you don’t remember much about it. 

There are 644 million active websites on the Internet, but most of these websites are so poorly designed that people don’t want to revisit them. Don’t be one of those websites! You want to create a memorable online experience for your visitors, and to have them keep coming back for more. 

Your website needs to be easy to navigate, as well as provide some value to your visitors. You can go the extra mile, and implement a few design tricks to make your visitors remember your website more than any other website with similar content. 

Here are 5 useful web design tips that can help you improve the overall customer experience on your website.

1. State your website's purpose in one or two sentences.

From Wholesalesuppliesplus.com

The average visitor spends 10-20 seconds on a website before leaving it. It’s your job to use that time to grab your visitors’ attention, and to make them stay on your site longer. What better way to do that than to tell them why they’re there? Use beautiful (but legible!) typography to clearly explain your website in a sentence or two, and place it near the top of the website. To increase the chances of it being read, you can bold, color, or italicize the text. Nothing makes a visitor leave faster than a website that forces them to scroll around to look for its purpose.

2. Create a catchy, memorable URL.

Okay, this one isn’t exactly a design element, but it’s such a good trick that we don’t want to exclude it from the list. People almost always remember a catchy URL. For example, if you’re selling snowboards, you could go with something like 'addictedtosnow.com.' Sure beats a dull URL like onlinestore.com/products/snowboards, doesn’t it? If you already have a URL, you could still create a catchy one, and redirect it to your original site. 

3. Add personality to your website.

From Zipcar.com

Your company or product's personality should be immediately and prominently communicated on your home page. Some of the best websites out there have some sort of personality or theme throughout the site. Even Google has one! If your website is purely informational, people won’t identify with it, and they’ll end up forgetting it. You want to engage your visitors, and let them know what kind of personality your brand has. You can incorporate some personality into your website with the colors, pictures, or even the overall design itself. 

4. Great photography.

From McDonalds.com

Using photos as a design element and central piece in web design is a great way to visually communicate your message to the viewers as well as adding more depth into the design. The two most popular ways of using photos in a web layout are using a large photo as your background, and using a "key" photo as the central focus on the page such as Apple.com. Remember, when using photos in your layout, they can really give your website an added visual element, as well as depth and space. On the other side of things, if the photo is of poor quality, clichè or unappealing, it can bring down the entire look of the web page.

Include captions for your images.

Did you know that people read image captions more than they read anything else? People often read image captions to judge whether or not the related content is worth reading. Make your captions witty and memorable!

5. Use bold, light colors.

From Babyclothes.com

A website with a light foreground on top of a light background often looks clean and simple. That makes the viewer feel at ease, and makes navigation easier. Typically, people prefer and stay longer on sites that use light colors and backgrounds as opposed to dark ones.

These are not inflexible rules, rather, they are insights based on our years of experience in designing websites. Ultimately, it’s your brand which will decide the best direction your website design should venture in.

Interested in learning more about how web design can improve your business?

Contact us, and see how we can improve it.

As an Illinois native and history buff since the 3rd grade, naturally I've had a fascination with one of the greatest political figures in American history, the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. 

When I found out Steven Spielberg was planning to make an epic film on the last days of his intense life, I knew it was going to be something big, iconic, something I wanted to be a part of, well... I got my chance. Entertainment Weekly released this first photo of Daniel Day-Lewis as 'Lincoln'. First, I was amazed at the resemblence of Day-Lewis' as the commander in chief and then excited because it was exactly the iconic image I knew would make for a great movie poster.

Click below... see the "one-sheet"! 

I'd long been planning to use my creative skills to interpret this legendary story of Lincoln to promote the film and I knew it would all start with an iconic image. Below you'll see the still from the film that was released, keep in mind at the time, a poster for the film had not been created. All I had was this image and a bunch of ideas to running through my mind. Below, you'll see how I created an iconic poster  or 'one-sheet' out of this single image to establish the branding campaign for the film.

The Poster (One-Sheet Concept)

Click here to view full-size version.

About the Design

This darker, more dramatic alternative to the final poster (which has now been released) uses a familiar profile image of Daniel Day-Lewis that is forward facing similar to the iconic profile of Lincoln seen on the "penny". My artistic approach to using a darker black background gives more contrast to Lincoln's stern, determined expression. Overall the viewer is left with a dramatic visual that aims to connect poster to the dramaticism of film.

Finally, after a closer look, you'll notice Lincoln's actual signature being used as the title or 'logo' for the film. I felt it was a fitting authentic touch, no typeface (like the predictable Trajan) can achieve.

Social Media - Facebook Fan Page

Outdoor Advertising Campaign

London's 2012 Summer Olympic logo has received quite a bit of backlash, but we, as a design agency, like the new logo, shown below:

London's 2012 Summer Olympic logo has received quite a bit of backlash, but we, as a design agency, like the new logo, shown below:

A recent New York Times article titled "There's Little to Love in 2012 Olympics logo" describes objections to the new logo. “The London 2012 logo caused such a storm at its launch in 2007, that it became an exception. Garish colors, aggressive shapes, and dodgy typography were just a few of its design crimes,” stated Alice Rawsthorn of the New York Times.

We at STARMEN disagree with the opposition to the new logo; as designers and branding experts ourselves, we understand that there is meaning behind all creative visual communication. If you watch the video below, and spend some time looking at the work the agency put behind creating the logo, you'll begin to see how it makes sense. Fast Company’s article “The Surprisingly Smart Strategy Behind London’s Infamous Olympic Branding” defends the "surprisingly smart strategy" the famed UK brand consultancy Wolff Olins used as it created London's 2012 Olympic branding campaign. But before you make your own judgments on what they did, keep in mind Wally Olins wrote the book on branding (literally). When it comes to branding, he's masterminded some of the most memorable creative campaigns in recent years. Mr. Olins is a true genius in our industry, having coined the phrase "making brands work".

What are your thoughts on this controversial logo? Decide for yourself. Click here to read the full story behind the Olympics branding on FastCoDesign.com.

If interested, check out some of these alternative logos sent to the BBC from those in the UK.

AIGA’s sold-out Professional Series talk, ‘The Importance of Studio Culture & Identity,’ was held at Continuum’s work-space in Venice Beach.  The discussion brought together STARMEN’s Executive Director, Armen David, as well as Braven Greenelsh, Candice Brokeshire, Michael Stinson, and moderator Eduardo Braniff (CEO of Imagination the Americas).

AIGA’s sold-out Professional Series talk, ‘The Importance of Studio Culture & Identity,’ was held at Continuum’s work-space in Venice Beach.  The discussion brought together STARMEN’s Executive Director, Armen David, as well as Braven Greenelsh, Candice Brokeshire, Michael Stinson, and moderator Eduardo Braniff (CEO of Imagination the Americas).

Armen defined his studio's culture as "a group of like-minded individuals that share unique qualities and purpose.” According to Armen, “Culture is not possible without thought leadership. It starts with a well-defined platform; Mission, vision, and values are essential to defining culture that produces long-term advantage and sustainability.” He also believes that culture is dynamic, and must be embraced, not managed.

The Professional Series comprises conversations about today's business of design. Professionals and entrepreneurs from a range of design enterprises gather to discuss how each are growing their businesses through financial modeling, business development, recruitment and retention, innovation practices and, above all, great design.

Photos by PaulDimalanta.com

We can think of so many ways to keep the right side of our brains active, but these 29 are a great starting off point!

Thanks to Anna @Dalziel+Pow for sharing.

We can think of so many ways to keep the right side of our brains active, but these 29 are a great starting off point!

Thanks to Anna @Dalziel+Pow for sharing.

The New Year always sparks a renewed interest in making changes! As a business, this should include taking a closer look at your brand – both from your perspective, and from your audience’s. Some questions to consider: How do your customers perceive your brand? Is it aligned with how you see yourself? Do people hear and understand exactly what your brand is saying?

There’s always room for improvement. Starting with these three strategies, you can help strengthen your brand in 2012!

The New Year always sparks a renewed interest in making changes! As a business, this should include taking a closer look at your brand – both from your perspective, and from your audience’s. Some questions to consider: How do your customers perceive your brand? Is it aligned with how you see yourself? Do people hear and understand exactly what your brand is saying?

There’s always room for improvement. Starting with these three strategies, you can help strengthen your brand in 2012!

Build a Consistent Brand

Consistency is the name of the game in brand identity. Do you think Coke and Apple became what they are by not showing the same ‘face’ to everyone, everywhere? The more consistent your brand is across all customer touch points, the more likely it can create a powerful impression, and be easily recognized by the target market.

One of the most important (yet often overlooked) aspects of branding is that it MUST remain consistent through all communication channels. From business cards and collateral pieces to your online marketing tools, there should always be a clear, consistent look and feel to everything you present.

Innovate Your Brand and Image

Keeping your brand up-to-date doesn’t mean changing it to stay current with every trend or fad. However, being attuned to what is happening in your industry, as well as what appeals to your target demographic, should play an important part in the evolution of your brand! 

With 2012 upon us, it might just be the right time to consider modernizing the visual image of your brand in terms of logo, tagline, typography, color palette, and design. Small changes, tweaks, and updates can re-energize an existing customer, and catch the eye of a new one! This is one step in the right direction towards staying ahead of your competition, and becoming a category leader.

Be Social, Diversify Your Online Presence

Being online today means much more than simply having a website. If you are not on Facebook and Twitter or don’t have a content rich blog, you might as well not exist in the eyes of the consumer. Your online presence speaks volumes to those who will buy from you. A successful social media engagement model is not about spitting out corporate messages, but instead focuses on developing a two-way dialog with your audience. Of course, you’ll want to make sure your brand’s ‘voice,’ through status updates, tweets, and blog posts, is aligned with your brand. Aim to be human in the social space.

It’s time to clear up a common misconception: the words "logo" and "brand" are not interchangeable terms. In fact, they are not the same thing at all! 

One of our industry's top mentors and brand gurus, Marty Neumeier, dispelled this myth in his book “The Brand Gap,” stating that "A brand is not a logo, an identity or a product.” A brand is a gut feeling, a consumer's emotions about a particular company or product. The logo is a visual representation of that company or product, one facet among many that culminate in the brand experience. However, it isn’t the brand itself. Your brand comprises everything that defines your company – who you are, what you do, where you want to be, and what you believe in. This is far more than a creative image, as an expertly designed logo is worthless if your brand is terrible.

It’s time to clear up a common misconception: the words "logo" and "brand" are not interchangeable terms. In fact, they are not the same thing at all!  

One of our industry's top mentors and brand gurus, Marty Neumeier, dispelled this myth in his book “The Brand Gap,” stating that "A brand is not a logo, an identity or a product.” A brand is a gut feeling, a consumer's emotions about a particular company or product. The logo is a visual representation of that company or product, one facet among many that culminate in the brand experience. However, it isn’t the brand itself. Your brand comprises everything that defines your company – who you are, what you do, where you want to be, and what you believe in. This is far more than a creative image, as an expertly designed logo is worthless if your brand is terrible.

Think of one of the world’s most recognized logo icons – the Apple apple. Would the logo be as powerful for its company if the products produced weren’t so spectacular? If the company didn’t continually push the technological envelope, bringing cutting edge products to market, the Apple logo would have little recognition. Apple is wildly popular with consumers, its products are easy to use and understand, and it has incredible marketing strategy, and the union of these factors has resulted in a very powerful brand. The Apple logo itself is just a visual representation of this message.

So, if you’re considering having a new logo developed, you may actually want to start with a review of your brand, including what your brand is truly saying about your business. From there, you can start looking at the elements that support what you’re trying to project beyond just a pretty image on your website!

If you're hungry for more on this topic check out one of our favorite books, “Your Brand Is Not Your Logo: It Is an Experience that Lives in Your Customer's Gut by Robert Brunner, Stewart Emery & Russ Hall.”

There is certainly a difference between ‘design thinking’ and ‘designing.’  We hail Helen Walters’ article in Fast Company “Design Thinking Isn’t a Miracle Cure, But Here’s How it Helps” as a must read, especially for anyone in our industry! According to Walters, “design thinking is not fairy dust; you do not get to skip steps to magically solve a challenge.”

There is certainly a difference between ‘design thinking’ and ‘designing.’  We hail Helen Walters’ article in Fast Company “Design Thinking Isn’t a Miracle Cure, But Here’s How it Helps” as a must read, especially for anyone in our industry! According to Walters, “design thinking is not fairy dust; you do not get to skip steps to magically solve a challenge.”

Design thinking is a strategic tool.

Design thinking is a way of applying rigor to the creative and business processes to arrive at the best possible outcome. Design thinking is never static, it is a multidiscipline approach that strategizes and structures ideas to deliver breakthrough experiences. 

STARMEN's Approach to Design Thinking

· Establish the what, how and who:
      - What are you getting to/answering?
      - How are you going to set the journey, and leverage everyone’s talents?
      - Who is the facilitator to manage on generative ideas, strategic business cases, and tactical deployment?

· Encourage the team to ‘think outside the box,’ looking at things a bit differently.

· Frame the journey through the consumer or customer’s eyes.

· Maintain focus, but be careful to avoid tunnel vision. Design thinking is about navigating the unknown with a candle – observing and moving forward on the best journey of discovery – not a flashlight that lights up the clearest, most direct path.

Mr. Rogers saw the value of cultivating his own brand. But he did so in a quiet and dignified way that made the tone and authenticity of his show, and his relationship with viewers, unmatched by any television property ever seen before or after. As we consider how many of today's marketers likely grew up with the words of Fred Rogers guiding their way as kids, we can't help but think that we've all too often strayed away from some of those first lessons we heard as children.

Relationship building trumps flashiness.

Mr. Rogers replaced the flashiness of other television entities with a strong effort at building an honest relationship with his viewers by addressing his their concerns (at least as best a television personality might do in the days of a one-way medium). Most of the time, he addressed his viewers directly, even taking them on trips to meet his friends, and introducing guests who stopped by, things that we would do when we are in a relationship with someone we care about.

Don't promise more intimacy than you can deliver. 

Mr. Rogers often looked into the camera, saying things like, "I've really enjoyed talking with you this week. I hope I have answered a few of the questions you've had. I really wish I could know each, and every one of you personally, but unfortunately this television show is the only way we have to talk. If you have other questions that I haven't answered, find someone you love, and who loves you in your own life, and ask them." Really, is there a more perfect mindset that brands should take, online or off?

For brands that appeal to a large customer base, the company cannot have personal relationships with everyone. Social media, however, does provide a way to be more conversational, as it provides a venue for customer contact when they have a problem, etc. The key is to take the appropriate tone with customers, and to demonstrate approachability, but also to be honest about your limits, lest customers be disappointed.

Be consistent in who you are, and what people should expect from you.

From Fred Rogers' first show in 1968 until his last in 2001, surprisingly little has notably changed. Mr. Rogers’ brand - well defined and constant - remained calm in the changing seas of culture. There were many subtle shifts in the nuances of his shows: the anxieties he addressed, and the topics he covered. But Fred always found a way to address them, and meet his audience’s expectations. Mr. Rogers was a trusted friend to whom we could always turn, a prime example of how brands should be responsive to culture, mindful of context, and remembrant of why audiences come to them in the first place. 

Customers' questions are worth answering.

Mr. Rogers took us seriously, asked us what our pain points were, and offered the best solutions he could. Brands might be well served to do this a little more often for their customers.

Brands can take a stand.

Despite his calm demeanor, Mr. Rogers was known for taking a stand for what he believes in, which was consistent with his public persona. Brands too often shy away from supporting something, or else, when they do take a stand, their ‘causes’ are disjointed from their brand and industry.

Mr. Rogers saw the value of cultivating his own brand, but he did so in a quiet and dignified way that made the tone and authenticity of his show, as well as his relationship with viewers, unmatched by any television property ever seen before or since. We can't help but think that we've all too often strayed away from some of those first lessons we heard as children.

Excerpts from Fast Company's expert blogger Sam Ford, 5 Marketing Lessons from Mr. Rogers, 2010.

We at STARMEN are not ones to jump on 'bandwagons', whether the subject matter is politics, celebrity gossip, sports, or business. However, we're all aboard the latest bandwagon traveling along Gap's tracks to logo disaster. Gap’s new logo and branding campaign have widely been referred to as the “Gapgate controversy,” a questionable attempt at designing a new logo, and an even more tasteless approach at trying to market it. There has been way too much recent attention around the new Gap logo, and as a result, we've decided to come up with our own visual ‘solution.’

We at STARMEN are not ones to jump on 'bandwagons', whether the subject matter is politics, celebrity gossip, sports, or business. However, we're all aboard the latest bandwagon traveling along Gap's tracks to logo disaster. Gap’s new logo and branding campaign have widely been referred to as the “Gapgate controversy,” a questionable attempt at designing a new logo, and an even more tasteless approach at trying to market it. There has been way too much recent attention around the new Gap logo, and as a result, we've decided to come up with our own visual ‘solution.’

Gap has been successful at engaging and sustaining a loyal audience by constantly staying fresh in all aspects of its brand (fashion, marketing, advertising, etc.). Unfortunately, Gap’s revenue and image have waned. Sales at GAP stores (including Old Navy and Banana Republic) have been declining (-8% in 2009), but blaming the economy would be missing the mark entirely.  Gap’s problem is not its logo; it is its brand.

A Brand Panic Move

One of our favorite mottos is “Your logo is not your brand.” This is a message that we communicate to our clients frequently. Gap did not follow this philosophy, rolling out its new logo last week, which appeared to be more of a panic-driven move than a strategized one, as no real design thinking was evident. Some chalk this sudden change up as a response to declining sales, but as Abe Sauer from Brandchannel states, “the Gap brand decided to change the one valuable element it has going for it.” Customers seeing this new change just don't appear to be feeling it. This is a typical mistake most high-profile brands make in an effort to create a valuable 'change.’ Just ask Pepsi how they feel about the whole Tropicana mess. With very notable brands, a complete brand identity redesign or even just a change to the logo can be the hardest task for any design firm. Laird + Partners has done some great work for Gap in past years, but not this time. 

Louise Callagy, a Gap spokeswoman, explained the new logo was intended to be the latest ‘evolution’ for the brand, and added that it had been for the last two years. Callagy explains her position, stating that "[The new logo] is more contemporary and current, and honors the heritage of the Gap brand, but takes the blue box forward." We don’t agree; there is absolutely nothing new about using the typeface Helvetica. (Just ask Eric Spiekermann.) 

Our Solution

The creative team at STARMEN came up with a realistic, achievable solution for Gap. In honor of the 'heritage' that Gap eagerly wants to embrace, we reflected on the first Gap logo and store back in 1969, and found a new way of embracing Gap's original essence in a contemporary marketplace — something with a similar mainstream flexibility as seen in MTV's logo redesign. Rather than being simply an 'add-on', this logo becomes more 'integrated' with the brand campaign, allowing Gap to align its brand initiatives with its loyal customers. Rather than placing the retro typeface proportionally in the center of the iconic square shape, we dramatically enlarged it to bleed over the edges. The clean, bold, organic lowercase font gives Gap a fresh new energy that's both friendly and inviting. We believe that our approach gives the logo opportunity to fuse the distinctive Gap imagery, and the square shape demonstrates the flexibility of the new branding. So, what do you think of our alternative? More importantly, what do you think of Gap's perspective? We want to hear your thoughts... and we'd love to hear from you, Gap!

By no means are we saying that the above solution is 'the solution.’ We understand that there is a deeper problem with Gap, and it's not just with their logo, but rather their overall brand. However, as creatives, we couldn't help but offer our recommendations for what their logo could be.

UPDATE: As many of you may be aware, Gap pulled the aforementioned new logo just as quickly as they put it up. There probably won't be much long-term damage to the brand, but our hope is that Gap will know how to approach the whole brand identity redesign more holistically by focusing on the brand itself and not just the logo.

During our daily industry readings, we came across a refreshing article titled “Our Biggest Brands Can No Longer Be Managed By Nerds,” by brand consultant Tom Hinkes. Companies have been scaling back recently on creatively-led brand solutions, and focusing more on the numbers approach. It was refreshing to hear from a well-respected and experienced brand marketer that great marketing requires a balance of both strategy and creative.

During our daily industry readings, we came across a refreshing article titled “Our Biggest Brands Can No Longer Be Managed By Nerds,” by brand consultant Tom Hinkes. Companies have been scaling back recently on creatively-led brand solutions, and focusing more on the numbers approach. It was refreshing to hear from a well-respected and experienced brand marketer that great marketing requires a balance of both strategy and creative.

More Data Is Not Better Data

“Marketing departments used to be the creative engines powering successful corporations. Now they're overrun by number-crunching nerds. As a direct consequence, despite all the conspicuous focus on "change management," the way brands respond to change in the marketplace has deteriorated. A McKinsey Quarterly article several years ago argued that the key to "better branding" is to build brands "more scientifically." If managers would combine "forward-looking market segmentation" with structural-equation modeling, they could "build a better brand more efficiently." In short: more data, more regressions and more conjoint analysis mean the "brand crisis" is solved. But fluency with buzz words and expertise with spreadsheets do not guarantee brand-marketing competence.”

-Tom Hinkes, AdAge.com

We agree that there is a need for consumer research, but brand marketing is not an exact science, and therefore cannot be driven solely by metrics or statistics. We approach brand marketing with the analysis, discipline and detail it requires, but also with the emotion, vision and creativity that feed a brand’s sustained success.

As an award-winning creative agency specializing in brand design, we are proud to announce the redesign of the STARMEN web site. But ‘redesign’ doesn't really cover it. We’ve made more than an aesthetic adjustment or surface-level change, we’ve ‘refreshed’ internally and externally. The new starmenusa.com reflects our new ideas, fresh thinking, and innovative approach to our clients’ brands, as well as our latest design work. 

As an award-winning creative agency specializing in brand design, we are proud to announce the redesign of the STARMEN website. But ‘redesign’ doesn't really cover it. More than an aesthetic adjustment or surface-level change, we’ve ‘refreshed’ both internally and externally. The new starmenusa.com reflects our new ideas, fresh thinking, and innovative approach to our clients’ brands, as well as our latest design work. 

Our LA headquarters are buzzing with excitement! This site has been a labor of love, created with synchronized hard work, absolute enthusiasm, and meticulous attention to effective design. What remains unchanged is our unwavering resolve: We are here to produce solid, valuable results for you! Now, we just look even better!

We warmly invite you to visit our new site, and enjoy our latest work.