STARMEN is excited to announce we’ve received a pair of Summit Creative Awards for two unique client endeavors. Our website work garnered both a Bronze and a Silver from SCA's recent cycle. Both of these respective projects encompassed elements of both brand strategy and web design and development, and we’re proud of what we were able to accomplish on behalf of these clients.

STARMEN is excited to announce we’ve received a pair of Summit Creative Awards for two unique client endeavors. Our website work garnered both a Bronze and a Silver from SCA's recent cycle. Both of these respective projects encompassed elements of both brand strategy and web design and development, and we’re proud of what we were able to accomplish on behalf of these clients.

Fueled by a tenacious creative energy, our work as an agency is appraised first and foremost by our clients’ satisfaction. That being said, it is always an added bonus to have our projects well-received by judging panels as this kind of recognition not only validates our clients’ visions, but helps hold our team to a higher standard of design and branding excellence set by the world’s leading industry experts. 

Since 1994, the SCAs have sought “to laud the creative work of less-than-huge SCA Logo agencies, making competition affordable and accessible.” Many other organizations seemingly lean in favor of bigger agencies with bigger allowances, and this sometimes presents insurmountable opposition for smaller ventures competing in the same categories. However, the SCAs seek to honor great work regardless of budget. The SCAs are the first and most prestigious competition of its kind, and submissions hail from all corners of the globe.

One thing’s for certain, though. The Summit Creative Awards serve as proof that sometimes the most captivating work is roused from the most stringent of finances, when lack of fiscal freedom forces creative and development teams to think outside of the box to find solutions that are both groundbreaking and financially conservative. There is indeed something very noble about an agency’s ability to create something spectacular from something very small. As an agency, we’re proud to give our clients the vocal and visual brand presence needed to be heard in today’s cluttered marketplace.

Author and creative director Paul Arden articulated: “Do not try to win awards. Be true to your subject, and you will be far more likely to create something that is timeless. That's where the true art lies.” Our team at STARMEN agrees fervently with this sentiment from the famed Saatchi and Saatchi alum.

Author and creative director Paul Arden articulated: “Do not try to win awards. Be true to your subject, and you will be far more likely to create something that is timeless. That's where the true art lies.” Our team at STARMEN agrees fervently with this sentiment from the famed Saatchi and Saatchi alum.

Still, while the winning of awards never serves as our primary motivator, we make it a point to pay proper acknowledgement to every single accolade that comes through our firm. We’d be remiss if we did not maintain a sense of gratitude, and we believe this helps us remain firmly rooted in our craft, as well as consistently accountable to each new client endeavor we embark upon.

The W³ Awards is one awards program we particularly appreciate. Judged each year by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, the W³ is comprised of the industry’s top-tier professionals, assembled on an invitation-only basis. Judges come from companies and creative firms from all over the world, including Big Spaceship, Condé Nast, Disney, MTV, Wired, and more! Additionally, the W³ is the first awards program of its caliber wherein small agencies and international firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies. By removing team size as a mitigating factor, the judging process is able to focus solely on the work itself, allowing recognition to be fairly attributed to the creative and marketing professionals behind the best videos, sites, and marketing campaigns of the year regardless of where they’re based.

This past year, we received two Silver accolades from the W³ Awards for our work with nonprofit LA2DC (www.la2dc.org) in the category of Activism, and for fashion label, KAYAT Design, in the category of Fashion.

Submissions in the Website category are judged based on the following components: creativity, usability, navigation, functionality, visual design, and ease of use.

Through its rigorous evaluation process, the W³ honors its commitment to recognizing the best of the Web, and we are truly humbled by our inclusion in this year’s cycle.  These awards are a true testament to not only the solidity of our team, but the strength of our client partnerships as well. Such recognition is rarely achievable without all components working synchronistically toward their common goal.

It is with great pleasure that we announce we’ve received honorable distinctions from the American Web Design Awards for some of our recent client work. This competition serves as an annual showcasing of the top 100 leading digital design and communications endeavors. Each year, more than 1,000 submissions are received, spanning a variety of platforms including websites, microsites, apps, social media campaigns, and more, and we’re truly honored to have not one, but two, of our initiatives recognized in this most recent awards cycle.

It is with great pleasure that we announce we’ve received honorable distinctions from the American Web Design Awards for some of our recent client work. This competition serves as an annual showcasing of the top 100 leading digital design and communications endeavors. Each year, more than 1,000 submissions are received, spanning a variety of platforms including websites, microsites, apps, social media campaigns, and more, and we’re truly honored to have not one, but two, of our initiatives recognized in this most recent awards cycle.

The first of these plaques was earned for our work with fashion label, KAYAT Design. From designer Laila Aziz, KAYAT Design is an international, forward-thinking yet feminine fashion label that draws its inspiration from all corners of the globe. 

The second AWDA plaque was for our work with L.A. Banquets, a premier special events company with over three decades of servitude in the Greater Los Angeles area. Our work with this client has been the subject of many awards, and we’re so pleased we’re able to continue the accolades on behalf of this very valued client.

We suppose it goes without saying that the receipt of awards is only as significant as the client relationships that collaborated to earn them. We’re proud of our team’s work alongside and on behalf of each one of our clients, and look forward to maintaining such standards of excellence with each new partnership we build. We welcome you to get in touch!

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.

We’re innovators at heart, and our craft is one we’re consistently cultivating. As such, there are few awards more meritorious in our eyes than those that commend work that goes above and beyond the status quo in exploration of new technologies, as well as new ways of communicating with audiences the world over. 

We’re innovators at heart, and our craft is one we’re consistently cultivating. As such, there are few awards more meritorious in our eyes than those that commend work that goes above and beyond the status quo in exploration of new technologies, as well as new ways of communicating with audiences the world over.

The New Media Awards held annually by the New Media Institute is one such awards program that honors such a commitment to honoring those industry pioneers. There are five primary categories into which applicants can submit. They are: websites, mobile applications, online videos, social media profiles, and advertising campaigns. It is with pleasure that we’re able to share we’ve received the Outstanding Website Award in the category of Advocacy and Activism for our work with national nonprofit LA2DC (www.la2dc.org).

There is a uniqueness to this particular award that we believe sets it apart from others of its kind. You see, when it comes to the New Media Awards, finalists are not chosen solely on design aesthetic. Instead, they’re scrutinized more comprehensively on how design, usability, and technology unite to serve and communicate to the work’s target audience. Additionally, an agency’s size or budget is not a factor in whether or not a project is awarded, which allows for projects of all shapes and sizes to be evaluated fairly and indiscriminately. Our web design and development initiative for LA2DC has been a frequent award winner, and we’re proud to attribute yet another accolade to such a worthy organization.

It is with great gratitude that we share with you that STARMEN has received recognition from the Interactive Media Awards for two of our recent client initiatives. We were given the highest honor in the category of Advocacy -- the Best in Class -- as well as an Outstanding Achievement award in the category of Bridal and Weddings.

It is with great gratitude that we share with you that STARMEN has received recognition from the Interactive Media Awards for two of our recent client initiatives. We were given the highest honor in the category of Advocacy -- the Best in Class -- as well as an Outstanding Achievement award in the category of Bridal and Weddings.

About the IMAs

The Interactive Media Awards is a program created by the Interactive Media Council (IMC), a nonprofit assembly of industry leaders, including designers, developers, programmers, and marketers. Through its awards program, the organization seeks to recognize the highest standards of merit in the field of website design and development. 

The IMC maintains total autonomy over its extensive and rigorous judging process, which means that those who ultimately win did not do so lightly or without truly presenting a comprehensively excellent campaign. In fact, the act of honoring those agencies and individuals who each year continue to push the envelope serves to further uphold these standards of excellence, keeping the bar set high as the industry continues to pave its way into the digital unknown.

At STARMEN, we believe that striving for excellence is a futile endeavor, indeed, if the work is not motivated by a concise pairing of goals. For us, above all else, we work to drive action and results, which allows our ideas and end products to live longer, thereby facilitating measurable brand growth.

About LA2DC

The client ventures honored in this year’s IMAs are two we’re quite proud of. National nonprofit LA2DC (www.la2dc.org) is organized and supported by a community of interfaith and interracial Americans all across the country. United in the belief that genocide only serves to beget more genocide, this group is pivotal in promoting heightened sensitivity to these types of war-related atrocities. Additionally, the group tirelessly lobbies world leaders to take the necessary actions in the resolution and prevention of genocides across the world. Our work for this client was both impassioned by its admirable agenda, and motivated with a fiery tenacity to produce the most effective work possible in order to further advance this noble cause. It is our hope that this our recognition as Best in Class will allow new audiences to learn about this truly incredible organization.

About L.A. Banquets

For over 30 years, L.A. Banquets has provided for the special events needs of the Greater Los Angeles area. Their unwavering commitment to servicing each event as if it was their own celebration has allowed them to remain at the forefront of their industry, and a staple in the lives of their oftentimes repeat customers. We knew our digital work for L.A. Banquets had to not only speak to the company’s longstanding prominence, but also carve a significant presence for the company to use the Internet more efficiently as a tool to connect with customers old and new. Our receipt of the Outstanding Achievement award in the category of Bridal and Weddings validates our belief that we have truly come full circle with our goals for this initiative.

Any opportunity to furnish a campaign with our strategic and creative faculties is motivated first and foremost by the utmost in client satisfaction. However, while it goes without saying that the receipt of awards is an entirely subsidiary form of gratification, we also appreciate the opportunity that competition provides for us to truly fine tune our craft. 

Any opportunity to furnish a campaign with our strategic and creative faculties is motivated first and foremost by the utmost in client satisfaction. However, while it goes without saying that the receipt of awards is an entirely subsidiary form of gratification, we also appreciate the opportunity that competition provides for us to truly fine tune our craft. 

We are pleased to announce that we were awarded a series of accolades in the latest cycle of the Communicator Awards. Honoring excellence in marketing and communication, this organization is one of the largest of its kind, receiving over 6,000 entries each year from all over the world. The prestige associated with the Communicator Awards offers recipients “proof and validation that their work is highly regarded by their peers within the industry.” This recognition speaks deeply to our insatiable creative energy, and relentless pursuit of excellence as a team.

The Awards

The Communicator Awards are sanctioned by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, and the panel of judges is derived from an invitation-only “who’s who” assembly of over 600 of the world’s most esteemed professionals from the media, communications, marketing, and creative fields. Judges represent an array of the top media firms, including: Disney, Condé Nast, MTV, Time, Yahoo!, and more! Beyond innovation and craft, the Communicator Awards seeks the ability of a project to truly move its audience — to emotion, to action. 

Our agency was fortunate to receive nods in last year’s cycle, and in 2014, the Communicator Awards has again honored our agency with a series of Silver Awards of Distinction. 

"The key is to greet each new client endeavor with a fresh reverence for its unique challenges. No branding project should ever be approached formulaically because what makes a brand different from another of its kind what should be isolated, cultivated, and celebrated to create growth for that brand."
— Armen David, Executive Director

Our work with Linda May Properties has been a frequent award-winner, and from this year’s Communicator Awards, we’ve been recognized for a commercial campaign showcasing our client’s exemplary standing in its field of international real estate, an online video campaign, as well as website development in both the Real Estate and Specialty categories.  Additionally, our work with LA2DC (www.la2dc.org) — a nonprofit dedicated to awareness of world genocide — received an award for website development in the Activism category.

The meaning behind these awards is two-fold: not only do they serve to commemorate our valued client relationships, but they affirm our core abilities as a team.

Looking Onward

Above all else, we know that to be successful in our field is to remain suspended in a state of constant effervescence, with our ingenuity as vibrant as our work ethic. The industry authority held by the members of the Communicator Awards is unmatched in terms of its collective experience, and subjecting our work to such expert scrutiny is but one of the many avenues through which we seek to grow. Moving forward, we are excited about new opportunities to serve as proprietors of creative and strategic excellence for all we work with.

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. 

We're honored to have received an Innovator Award from Summit International's Emerging Media Awards (EMA) in the Real Estate/Neighborhood/Community Website category for our re-brand of Linda May Properties. But the reason why we're proud to have received 'Innovator' might surprise you.

We're honored to have received an Innovator Award from Summit International's Emerging Media Awards (EMA) in the Real Estate/Neighborhood/Community Website category for our re-brand of Linda May Properties. But the reason why we're proud to have received 'Innovator' might surprise you.

The Real Value of Receiving 'Innovator'

We enter these meritorious international competitions frequently; We want our work reviewed by some of the world's best design, marketing, interactive media, and branding professionals because we know that each of the major competitions has high standards of excellence. Holding our work up to these high standards helps us to grow. This latest award is tangible proof that we're at the top of the best brand development firms out there. Our participation helps hold us accountable to our own high standards, and to our clients, and that is extremely gratifying.

The other aspect of gaining endorsements from the major competitions is that it provides us with the opportunity to celebrate our client relationships and our clients' own excellence. For example, our web branding of Linda May Properties — a luxury real estate company in Beverly Hills that has been in the top 1% for the last 12 years — has not only earned the Summit EMA Innovator Award, but also a MarCom Awards Platinum, the Davey Awards Silver for Visual Appeal, a W3 Awards Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web, and Interactive Media Awards Best In Class in the Real Estate category. Our clients are at the forefront of every win. When STARMEN wins these awards, our clients gain accolades, and increased exposure as well.

Pushing the Bounds of Creative Excellence

Summit's Emerging Media Awards are threefold: Visionary, Innovator, and Leader. Winning Innovator is even more precious given the fact that Summit's 2014 Emerging Media Awards cycle included over 1,200 entries from numerous countries, with only a mere 7% of entrants earning recognition.

"The Summit Emerging Media Awards (Summit EMA) evolved through a need to recognize and celebrate creativity, innovation and those pushing the bounds of creative excellence in all forms of emerging media," states the Summit International Awards website.

The EMA is open to marketers, coders, designers, developers, innovators, visionaries, and leaders in the exciting realm of digital media. The EMA recognizes entries that introduce new methods, as well as entrants who are thought leaders in emerging media, and demonstrate excellence on the web via apps, videos, mobile sites, and social media.

Summit provides the theatre for boutique firms to compete on a global stage with its international panel of judges, and entries from all over the world. Judges (representing small, medium, and large firms) and universities, all recognized in their fields, hail from institutions and specialties the world over.

All said, this year we're planning to continue to submit our work to the major award entities for invaluable feedback and validation. As a solution-oriented agency, we love helping clients transform challenges into opportunities. And who knows? Maybe the work we do for you will earn prestigious recognition too!

Contact us today to kick-start a future campaign win.

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/

We are deeply honored to have won MarCom’s Platinum and Gold in the website category. Our web branding of Linda May Properties — a consistent award-winner — took the Platinum, while our website for Anoush Catering —another frequent award winner — earned the Gold.

We are deeply honored to have won MarCom’s Platinum and Gold in the website category. Our web branding of Linda May Properties — a consistent award-winner — took the Platinum, while our website for Anoush Catering —another frequent award winner — earned the Gold.

Accuracy, Fairness and Credibility

From individuals to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies, the MarCom Awards is the largest of its kind in the world with over 6,000 entries each year. The Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) provides the judges, who are known for their accuracy, fairness, and credibility. Even professional organizations that run their own competitions enter their work in the MarCom Awards which is a true testament to MarCom’s reputation.

One notable difference between the MarCom Awards and other competitions is that the application process does not require any written description of the project’s value by the entrants, because the judges want to base their perception of the creative excellence and value of the entry on the entry itself, rather than on the entrant’s imaginative description of the project’s value.

Judging Criteria: Quality, Creativity and Resourcefulness

With MarCom, the size and reputation of the entrants don’t matter, as the work is judged on its merit alone. The entry’s perceived budget is also taken into consideration by the judges. There’s something really thrilling about accomplishing a lot with less, as well as the innovative use of resources at hand.

Judging takes place over an intense, two-month period in ‘judging rooms’ in Washington, D.C. and Dallas, Texas. The judges are senior-level, experienced marketing professionals who are either freelancers or have their own company.

It’s All About Brand Strategy

Linda May Properties’ branding challenge was that they’ve been Coldwell Banker’s top luxury real estate seller for years, which made them the primary target of their competition (and the competition’s increasing digital agility). Linda May Properties needed to refresh their brand in the minds and hearts of their existing and potential clienteles, and increase engagement with their audience. We were compelled to create the extraordinary “Live Your Luxury” experience for visitors to the website — the web videos we produced were of primary importance to this end.

Anoush Catering had a different sort of branding challenge, in that its sister company, LA Banquets, an event venue company, was well-known, but people didn’t realize that Anoush catered offsite events, too. Anoush needed to make sure their target audience understood the robust catering side of their business. Our approach included a visual focus on Anoush’s fusion fare, most of which is based on Mediterranean cuisine, and on their offsite venues.

Transforming Challenges to Golden Opportunities

We say, “Bring it on!” No matter what your branding challenge may be, there is a powerful solution. We’ll take that challenge head on, and turn it into an opportunity for your brand identity to convey you clearly and engagingly. That positions you to be as good as you truly are, which compels your targets to take action. We’d be honored to help you meet your branding challenges for a stronger brand position.

Winning the Davey Awards’ Silver for Visual Appeal is thrilling, but the visual appeal of our “Live Your Luxury” campaign for Linda May Properties — a top 1% international luxury real estate team in Beverly Hills — is only the tip of the branding-berg. Nine-tenths of the campaign lies in its cohesive strategy, designed to compel people to feel Linda May Properties' expertise within the luxury real estate industry, along with their personalized care, and their “always on” mentality.

Winning the Davey Awards’ Silver for Visual Appeal is thrilling, but the visual appeal of our “Live Your Luxury” campaign for Linda May Properties — a top 1% international luxury real estate team in Beverly Hills — is only the tip of the branding-berg. Nine-tenths of the campaign lies in its cohesive strategy, designed to compel people to feelLinda May Properties' expertise within the luxury real estate industry, along with their personalized care, and their “always on” mentality.

The Largest and Most Prestigious Awards Competition for the “Davids” of Creativity

In its 10th year, the Davey Awards honors the best web, design, video, advertising, and mobile from small firms worldwide. The advertising and interactive agencies that entered their creative in the Davey Awards cannot exceed $25 million in annual billings.

The Judges and the Judging

The Davey is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations such as Condé Nast, Disney, GE, Keller Crescent, Microsoft, Monster.com, MTV, Push, Publicis, Sesame Workshops, The Marketing Store, Worktank, Yahoo!, and many more.

The judges evaluate the distinctiveness of each entrants’ creative, and award both gold and silver in each the different categories.

One Big Idea and a Little Rock

The Davey Awards statuette — approximately one foot tall and 5 pounds — is custom-designed and handcrafted to represent a modern interpretation of the David and Goliath story icons, a fitting tribute to the accomplishment of all of the Davey winners. As Davey Awards states, “one big idea and a little rock” can fearlessly slay a giant brand identity challenge.

In the case of our campaign for Linda May Properties, the informiddable giant was its own sustained success, which had ‘inspired’ its competition to step up its game. Our client needed to remain visible and audible to its existing clients, while attaining and holding onto potential clients in the digital realm. If you’re facing a giant (or three), let us know how we can help.

We’re exceptionally proud to have earned W3 Awards’ Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web for the videos we produced as part of our integrated branding campaign for Coldwell Bankers Realtors® Linda May Properties, a top 1% international luxury real estate team located in Beverly Hills.

We’re exceptionally proud to have earned W3 Awards’ Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web for the videos we produced as part of our integrated branding campaign for Coldwell Bankers Realtors® Linda May Properties, a top 1% international luxury real estate team located in Beverly Hills.

The W3 judged the videos on content, technical execution, implementation, and overall experience.

W3 Levels the Playing Field

When it comes to the W3 Awards, size doesn’t matter. The W3 is the first major web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies.

Sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), the W3 panel of judges is amassed from an elite group of professionals from the acclaimed media, interactive, advertising and marketing worlds. AIVA members include executives from AgencyNet, AvatarLabs, Big Spaceship, Block Media, Condé Nast, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Fry Hammond Barr, Microsoft, MTV Networks, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Wired, Yahoo! and many others. Simply put, the judges are highly qualified, which makes winning all the more significant.

The Challenge

The big challenge with branding Linda May Properties was that their success inspires the competition. They’ve been in the top 1% of Coldwell Bankers Realtors® internationally for the last 28 years. With the rise of social networkingand increasing industry shift toward the web, competing teams were beginning to implement a variety of technologies to enhance their brand exposure locally and internationally. Thus, our client needed an integrated, well-defined campaign — one that superseded those of the competition, in order to establish new clientele, and cultivate long-term relationships with existing clients.

The Key to Our Client’s Success Led Us to the Solution

Linda May Properties’ team, with each member playing a strategic role in ensuring a smooth process from client inquiry to beyond the close of escrow, is its key differentiator. People buy from people, and if there is an entire team of experts working on the client’s behalf as is the case at Linda May, all the better.

To position their brand, we created videos that introduced their core team of experts with complete transparency. It was this opacity that painted an instantly embraceable portrait of their unwavering customer care, personalized attention to detail, highest ethics, legal understanding, and unparalleled strategic marketing expertise in the field of luxury real estate.

This transparency personalizes the real estate experience, imprinting Linda May Properties’ brand in the hearts and minds of their target market, and winning us W3’s Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web.

All successful marketing initiatives begin with a comprehensive brand strategy focused on customer experience, which is why Linda May Properties’ brand identity has been so successful. In addition to earning W3’s Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web, our “Live Your Luxury” campaign for Linda May Properties won the 2014 Interactive Media Award’s™ Best In Class in the Real Estate category.

What are your big branding challenges, and how may we help you? We welcome you to let us know!

We’re deeply honored to have won Summit International Awards’ Platinum for Marketing Effectiveness in the website category for our branding of Anoush Catering, Southern California’s premier Mediterranean caterer.

We’re deeply honored to have won Summit International Awards’ Platinum for Marketing Effectiveness in the website category for our branding of Anoush Catering, Southern California’s premier Mediterranean caterer.

Beyond the Ordinary to the Extraordinary

Summit International Awards (SIA) was created to honor agencies that have exceeded the usual fare to create something truly impactful. SIA is one of the oldest and most prestigious organizations to administer marketing awards, using stringent evaluation criteria with blind judging processes.

The Judging Criteria

The judges evaluate whether the creative successfully influences, changes or reinforces the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of the target audience. The Marketing Effectiveness Award judges weighed the strength of both the big idea and the creative approach. They also took into account the strategic planning used to overcome barriers, as well as how the creative execution of the website moved the audience closer to action.

The Challenge

For the past 27 years, Anoush Catering has been well-known as the place to fulfill your catering and venue needs but remained unrecognized for its international, Mediterranean-inspired food. This challenge limited the Anoush business model from flourishing as a catering company outside of its sister company, LA Banquets (previously known as 'Anoush Banquet Halls'). With the rise of LA Banquets, Anoush needed a well-defined catering brand positioning to establish a new clientele outside of its venue business.

The Opportunity

With the introduction of its sister company, Anoush discovered an opportunity to maximize its catering business by repositioning itself as a qualified catering company that can serve alongside its available wedding venues and banquet halls, as well as partner exclusively with off-site venues.

The Solution

Our focus was on establishing the Anoush brand as a premier, full-service catering company for large-scale events, and to highlight their exceptional partnerships with notable venues across Southern California.

The strategy was to present Anoush’s credibility and recognition as a leader in providing quality food and event services. We also needed to highlight the Mediterranean culture without alienating a mainstream audience. We embraced Anoush’s values as a family-owned business, and their family-centered culture brand. Lastly, we needed to convey Anoush’s vibrant personality and enhance employee, chef, and partner engagement.

Anoush Catering’s website had to satisfy two criteria. First, it had to function as an online lead generation tool. To do this, we had to simplify the user’s experience in order to get them to contact Anoush as quickly as possible. The second, was to illustrate the Anoush story, and reinforce the brand's culture.

Well-Earned Platinum

We’re grateful for organizations like Summit International Awards. Their rigorous standards elevate our industry, as well as promote innovation.

The importance of brand development and strategy is so often overlooked, but in the case of Anoush Catering, strategic rebranding with business objectives overcame an enormous obstacle to expanding their business.

We feel extremely honored to have won the 2014 Interactive Media Awards™ Best In Class Real Estate category for the website and video we created for Linda May Properties. Entries were judged by an impressive lineup of IMC members, and submissions were scored for their usability, feature functionality, content, aesthetics, and cross-browser compatibility. The Best In Class title is only awarded to contenders that receive a close to perfect score on every scale.

We feel extremely honored to have won the 2014 Interactive Media Awards™ Best In Class Real Estate category for the website and video we created for Linda May Properties. Entries were judged by an impressive lineup of  IMC members, and submissions were scored for their usability, feature functionality, content, aesthetics, and cross-browser compatibility. The Best In Class title is only awarded to contenders that receive a close to perfect score on every scale.

IMC is a nonprofit organization founded by leading web professionals in New York City. Their mission is to promote the best practices, and push the leading edge in website design, application development, usability engineering, privacy protection, e-commerce security, accessibility, standards, advertising, publishing, and corporate communications.

Recognition Begins With Our Clients

Consistently ranked in the top 1% of Coldwell Banker Realtors® internationally, Linda May Properties needed to distinguish and exude their luxury brand of pristine standards, well-earned credentials, extraordinary experience, and unparalleled customer care. Linda May and her business partner, Guy Levy, asked us to develop a rebranding campaign that showcases their reputation as preeminent luxury real estate specialists. From understanding their target market to storyboards to messaging, we developed the "Live Your Luxury" campaign, which was adapted to their digital and traditional media touchpoints.

Every effort you make to communicate with your market either enhances or dulls their perception of your brand. In order for your company’s identity to stand out across all media platforms, an intentional and cohesive campaign is needed.

For Linda May Properties, we saw the website as “home base” for the "Live Your Luxury" campaign. This platform would best convey their team’s distinction, prominent name in real estate, and encourage interaction with its growing global audience. Utilizing a clean, media-centric layout, our team strategized to develop and produce a branded video series that communicated the team’s unique client-broker process, or, as Linda May herself refers to it – its philosophy.

Recognition Valued

The Best In Class Interactive Media Award™ is living proof that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Linda May Properties and our team of professionals converged to create something truly impactful.

To learn more about STARMEN’S award-winning work, click here.

Client satisfaction is our gold standard, but being recognized by the prestigious Hermes Creative Awards for our digital advertising work for One Dress A Day feels pretty wonderful, too. While client satisfaction is our real reward, we’re deeply appreciative that our work won a Hermes’ Gold. 

Client satisfaction is our gold standard, but being recognized by the prestigious Hermes Creative Awards for our digital advertising work for One Dress A Day feels pretty wonderful, too. While client satisfaction is our real reward, we’re deeply appreciative that our work won a Hermes’ Gold.

“Honoring the messengers and creators of traditional and emerging media,” the Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals. Hermes judges, members of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), examine each entry from the standpoint of concept, writing, design, and media. The judges viewed and assessed over 5,500 entries in the 2014 competition. 

One Dress A Day is an online clothing retailer that aims to help foster better fashion decisions at a faster pace by releasing one new, unique dress each day of the year on its website. The award recognizes our work to create a digital campaign for the company's launch in 2013. We created the concept and design for the advertisement with the client's goals in mind to successfully launch the brand, stand out to viewers on websites, and drive traffic to the new site. As the featured advertisement on People.com, our campaign exceeded traffic expectations and sign-ups on the teaser site. These web leads created the initial user-base, and equipped One Dress A Day with the opportunity to further "win" the loyalty needed for their brand's growth.

Want to know how STARMEN helps brands earn awards? Contact us today to learn more. 

The start of 2014 brought a wave of accomplishments at STARMEN. We’re pleased to share that our video for "Discover Your Path" won two Telly Award Bronzes for Best Promotional Branding and Cause Marketing.

The start of 2014 brought a wave of accomplishments at STARMEN. We’re pleased to share that our video for "Discover Your Path" won two Telly Award Bronzes for Best Promotional Branding and Cause Marketing.

The Telly Award is the premier award honoring the finest film and video productions, groundbreaking web videos, commercials and films, as well as outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs. Now in its 35th year, the Tellys are embracing an atypical judging process. Rather than competing against other work, entries are now being judged solely based on their creative merit as individual submissions. The judging panel consists of members from the Silver Telly Council, a distinguished group of media professionals dedicated to upholding the fundamentals upon which the competition was established. Another intriguing detail about the Telly Awards is that its trophy statuettes are designed by the same firm that does the Oscars and Emmys.

Our video for "Discover Your Path" was also awarded Best In Class at the 2013 Interactive Media Awards. Check out the case study, here.

Creating award-winning work is always our goal here at STARMEN, but when two of our clients, Hampton Inn and Discover Your Path, each earned a distinguished accolade in the Interactive Media Awards we were particularly excited. Both organizations launched a revitalized website to highlight their refreshed brand identity, and we’re so glad to have been involved in each of these respective endeavors.

Creating award-winning work is always our goal here at STARMEN, but when two of our clients, Hampton Inn and Discover Your Path, each earned a distinguished accolade in the Interactive Media Awards we were particularly excited. Both organizations launched a revitalized website to highlight their refreshed brand identity, and we’re so glad to have been involved in each of these respective endeavors.

Check in at Hampton Inn

When Hampton Inn approached us about redesigning their website, we wanted to assess their objectives for consideration during the design process. The goal was to create a microsite linking to Hilton’s booking system that would increase online bookings, and further enhance their digital presence. The new site specifically aimed to distinguish the Sherman Oaks location as a unique destination by highlighting local attractions, and using bold hotel imagery.

We utilized a clean layout with easy navigation to let potential guests easily find the information they were looking for. To help people get a feel for the Hampton experience, we added photo galleries for all room types and amenities. We then took it a step further, and incorporated interactive tours for every room so users can enjoy a virtual 360 before even checking in. We’re thrilled that the new site earned the Outstanding Achievement Award for Travel/ Tourism by the IMAs!

Discovering yourself with DYP

When faced with adversity, what’s the best thing to do? According to former Olympian contender, Heather Hennessy Howell, and Dodgers pitcher, JP Howell, you should stay positive, and exercise your strength to overcome life’s obstacles. This dynamic duo have triumphed over some incredibly difficult personal challenges, the culmination of which inspired them to co-found Discover Your Path (DYP). DYP encourages youth to achieve their goals by making good decisions, and staying focused.

Heather and JP wanted to share their journeys in a highly visual way, so we produced a branded video that lets users “Discover DYP.” Along with the video, we rolled out ‘PathPacks’ — a kit with t-shirts, journals, and other swag, including daily reminders to remain on a positive path. The website also features tools to help kids get involved, and connect with each other’s stories. DYP’s rebranded website earned IMA’s Best in Class title in the IMA Charity category!

Congratulations to Hampton Inn and Discover Your Path on these prestigious achievements!

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!

STARMEN is excited to announce that our work with charitable organization Discover Your Path has recently been awarded the Gold award in the latest cycle of the International Competition for Marketing & Communications Professionals (also known as the MarCom Awards). While this isn’t the first award this endeavor has received, the receipt of a Gold MarCom brings with it a very special, very gratifying sort of satisfaction.

STARMEN is excited to announce that our work with charitable organization Discover Your Path has recently been awarded the Gold award in the latest cycle of the International Competition for Marketing & Communications Professionals (also known as the MarCom Awards). While this isn’t the first award this endeavor has received, the receipt of a Gold MarCom brings with it a very special, very gratifying sort of satisfaction.

For over two decades, the MarCom statuette has endured as a very esteemed symbol of distinction within the marketing and communications industries. The MarCom Awards is the largest competition of its kind with over 6,000 entry submissions received and evaluated each year, and its trophy graces the shelves and cases of some of the most prominent firms in the world. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t clarify that this award’s lofty prestige isn’t the only reason we’re celebrating!

First and foremost, we’re pleased at the opportunity to honor our clients at Discover Your Path with yet another esteemed distinction. Having also received the Best in Class title from the 2013 Interactive Media Awards, Discover Your Path is the brainchild of former Olympic contender Heather Hennessy Howell and Dodgers pitcher JP Howell. The nonprofit organization aims to inspire youth to set and attain goals through sound decision-making. The Howells tasked our team with reappropriating their online presence with a fresh design that would lend itself further in the encouragement of the children they work with. The components we produced included a new brand identity, an intuitive, user-friendly site design, a branded video inviting users to “Discover DYP”, as well as PathPacks, bundles of promotional material featuring daily reminders that were given out at Dodger games to further encourage choosing a positive path. These components combined created a truly powerful directive, and we’re extremely proud that the work continues to receive such prestigious recognition.

We feel very grateful that as our team here at STARMEN grows, so does our awards list! We recently received 2 Summit awards for our work with Minus Zero and DirecTV.

We feel very grateful that as our team here at STARMEN grows, so does our awards list! We recently received 2 Summit awards for our work with Minus Zero and DirecTV.

Since 1994, the Summit Creative Awards has enabled creative firms to receive the recognition they deserve. This international advertising competition offers participants a unique opportunity to showcase their talents alongside similarly positioned agencies, and to have their work judged by experts in the advertising field. This year, the Summit Awards received entries from over 50 countries across 5 continents. The competition is geared toward smaller and mid-size agencies that produce great work, but are normally overshadowed by large companies with significant budgets. The Summit Awards gives smaller agencies a chance to earn some deserved recognition among their industry peers.

Submissions were judged on concept and execution in design, broadcast, and interactive media by judging panels comprised of industry professionals from across the globe. Judges included entities like Wieden & Kennedy, Tribal DDB, Grey Advertising, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Y&R, The Art Institute, New York University, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy & Mather, and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Gold Award: Minus Zero, Product/Service Promotion Video

Minus Zero recently approached us to redesign and rebrand their online presence. In addition to refreshing their identity, we developed, filmed, and edited a video to be featured on their new website homepage. The video introduces users to the company’s CEO, Sabastian Hunyh, and gives a brief overview about Minus Zero.

Our objective for the video was to create a story-driven piece that would help define the brand, and engage users on the new website. We steered clear of the dry “corporate” video feel, and instead captured the essence of their new identity: passionate, exuberant, and results oriented. The executives we were targeting don’t merely sit behind desks — they embrace a sports-like mentality, love taking risks, and are design-oriented.

To showcase these attributes, we incorporated a few key points from their “Leaving Nothing to Chance” brand platform, and combined them with bold images, clips, and audio. The result was a visually-rich portrait of Minus Zero that we’re proud of, and it marks our first award for video production!

Silver Award: DirecTV, Entertainment website (Roguemedia.tv microsite)

When DirecTV launched their first television series, Rogue, they wanted a digital press kit that would give users a behind-the-scenes look at photos, cast/crew bios, and full episodes. We created a microsite to match the dark and ominous tone of the show using a “skeuomorphic” approach with textures like paperclips, manila folders, and wood. DirecTV also wanted the site to be viewable from mobile devices, so we implemented an adaptive design with a custom content management system. See the work, here.

We are grateful to have such an amazing roster of clients, as well as the talented team to support them. Creating award-winning work is always our goal, so we are grateful for these two recent awards from the Summit International Awards!

Just as everyone figured out the mechanics of SEO, everything changed. Here's what you need to know:

Google and other search engines have recently been updating their search algorithms. As the biggest name in the game, Google has pioneered the way with two major algorithm updates: Panda and Penguin.

Just as everyone figured out the mechanics of SEO, everything changed. Here's what you need to know:

Google and other search engines have recently been updating their search algorithms. As the biggest name in the game, Google has pioneered the way with two major algorithm updates: Panda and Penguin.

What was once acceptable can now impair a company’s ability to be found online. Under these new algorithms, websites that are found to be catering to the search engines rather than producing fresh, relevant content will be relegated to the bottom of search results. Overall, Panda and Penguin target websites that churn out thin content, spam backlinks, practice keyword stuffing or hidden text, include plagiarized content, and enact a number of other outdated, frowned-upon SEO techniques. 

The Panda and Penguin updates give the illusion that Google is making big changes in the digital realm, but in reality these updates are just part of a larger trend. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and the increasing popularity of handheld devices have changed the way people find, share, and discuss information. To stay relevant, businesses need to publish interesting content regularly, and share it through social media. By doing so, the same businesses will also find that Google’s new rules for SEO will be met naturally, and that is entirely the goal.

“We want people doing white-hat search engine optimization (or even no search engine optimization at all) to be free to focus on creating amazing compelling web sites,” stated Matt Cutts, Distinguished Engineer on Google’s Webmaster Blog.  “Another step is to reward high-quality sites,” stated Mr. Cutts.

Does this mean everyone should stop all SEO practices? 

Not necessarily. SEO should be used as a way to promote quality, authoritative content. Keyword research and analytics will still improve the quality of a site if used naturally and efficiently. Backlinks must occur naturally, however. The thought process is this: if a website caters to its audience, relevant keywords and backlinks will manifest naturally, and webmasters don’t have to do a thing. People will share useful or interesting content with their friends and followers. With Google’s new updates, this organic interaction trumps even the best laid-out marketing plans. One of the best ways for a business to regularly release shareable content is through a blog. When done right, blogging is a great way to create content, and encourage engagement. Share each new article on relevant social media platforms for maximum impact.

To address social media’s obvious impact on the world, Google’s updates look for likes, shares, and engagement —especially on Google+ because, well, it belongs to Google. Regardless of the platform, branding should be consistent throughout a company’s online presence to give the target audience a reliable image with which to associate. As with traditional websites, social media pages should be geared at providing the target audience with a memorable experience. This goes beyond branding, and delves into the murky terrain of engagement. Social media has lowered the barriers between businesses and their target audience. Engagement is important to building brand trust. A successful brand embraces this shift by giving followers not just great content but the ability to communicate directly with the company.

Are the Panda and Penguin updates perfect? Unfortunately, no. There has been some collateral damage to legitimate sites, and negative SEO practices have in some ways become easier. 

Competitors can more easily employ shady backlinking schemes for your website, effectively decreasing its value. Your original content is also at risk of being copied, and having the time stamp changed, making your site look like the copy cat. The best way to minimize the impact is to be proactive. Set up a Google alert for your website, and develop your authority through Google Authorship. If you find foul play, there are legitimate ways to deal with it. Google encourages anyone affected by backlinking sabotage to use their disavow tool.  

Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS

Above all else, human engagement is the new SEO. Businesses should ask themselves what interests their audience. Answering that question through blogging, engaging in social media, and creating an easy-to navigate website are key. Hire a writer, hire a designer, hire a social media coordinator, and make sure each knows your industry's ins and outs. Once upon a time, customer service and interaction were reserved for in-person, phone, and even email conversations. Today, these conversations can happen anywhere in the digital sphere. Google’s Panda and Penguin updates support these modern trends.

It’s been a warm summer, and things are hot over here at STARMEN. Right on the heels of the Horizon Awards, STARMEN was awarded 7 trophies from the 19th annual Communicator Awards! The competition receives entries from both small and large agencies from all over the globe. Self-touted as “the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence among communications professionals,” the Communicator Awards received over 6,000 entries this year. Winners were chosen based on quality of the entry, regardless of company or agency size or project budget.

It’s been a warm summer, and things are hot over here at STARMEN. Right on the heels of the Horizon Awards, STARMEN was awarded 7 trophies from the 19th annual Communicator Awards! The competition receives entries from both small and large agencies from all over the globe. Self-touted as “the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence among communications professionals,” the Communicator Awards received over 6,000 entries this year. Winners were chosen based on quality of the entry, regardless of company or agency size or project budget.

The competition is overseen and judged by the International Academy of Visual Arts, an exclusive organization comprised of 600+ executives from marketing, advertising, and media firms. IAVA members include professionals from Condé Nast, Coach, Disney, MTV Networks, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Time, Inc, Victoria's Secret, Wired, and Yahoo. Another cool detail about this particular competition is the fact that the trophies are made by RS Owens, the company that produces the Oscar and Emmy awards!

We were also psyched to see our integrated design efforts score some recognition. We won silver trophies for corporate identity in the logo and package design categories, as well as brochure design. Creatively-designed packaging and brochures help make brands more memorable, and we’re proud that both our interactive and traditional branding efforts earned a spot on our growing list of award-winning achievements:

Check out the winners!

• Chadburry - Gold Winner, Fashion Websites Category

Chadburry is a European-based fashion designer and manufacturer of handcrafted menswear, and won in the Fashion Websites category. (click to view website)

• 1999 Avenue of the Stars - Silver Winner, Real Estate Websites Category

1999 boasts an exclusive real estate hotspot in Century City, and took home a win for Real Estate Websites. (click to view website)

• Esmond Natural - Silver Winner, Corporate Identity Print Category

Esmond Natural embraces an “East meets West” approach to their nutritional supplements, and won for Package Design in the Corporate Identity Print category. (click to view website)

• J/P Haitian Relief Organization - Silver Winner, Charitable Organization/Non-Profit Websites Category

• Juel Park - Silver Winner, Visual Appeal Websites Category

Juel Park is a renowned designer of haute couture lingerie, catering to A-list celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, and won for Visual Appeal Websites. (click to view website)

• LA Banquets - Silver Winner, Corporate Identity Print Category

LA Banquets is a premiere banqueting destination in Los Angeles, and won for Brochure Design in the Corporate Identity Print category. (click to view website)

• Minus Zero - Silver Winner, Corporate Identity Print Category

Minus Zero offers corporate leadership and training to senior executives, and won for Logo Design in the Corporate Identity Print category. (click to view website)

Contact STARMEN today to start your own award-winning campaign.

After winding down an exciting 2012 with 12 trophies from the W3 Awards and Davey Awards, STARMEN is gearing up for summer on an equally bright note. We recently took home 4 wins from the 11th annual Horizon Interactive Awards! The international competition was created to recognize excellence in the interactive media field. This year, there was some tough competition, as the Horizon Awards received thousands of submissions from nearly all 50 states and 25 countries across the globe. 

We’re particularly thrilled about this recognition, not just because the statuettes are shiny and handsome, but because this competition embraces a unique approach to judging. The panelists aren’t just design experts — they’re our industry peers — other digital media professionals with varying skillsets and capabilities. In addition to an end-user panel, the judging crew included Creative Directors, Chris Nation of Hitcents and Flavio Masson, of 10012.com. That meant the designs couldn’t just look nice, they had to function well, and with purpose. Here at STARMEN, we always keep functionality at the forefront of our creative process. Aesthetics are meaningless unless they offer a creative and strategic solution. We are honored for the awards bestowed on us for our work on the following campaigns:

After winding down an exciting 2012 with 12 trophies from the W3 Awards and Davey Awards, STARMEN is gearing up for summer on an equally bright note. We recently took home 4 wins from the 11th annual Horizon Interactive Awards! The international competition was created to recognize excellence in the interactive media field. This year, there was some tough competition, as the Horizon Awards received thousands of submissions from nearly all 50 states and 25 countries. 

We’re particularly thrilled about this recognition, not just because the statuettes are shiny and handsome, but because this competition embraces a unique approach to judging. The panelists aren’t just design experts — they’re our industry peers — other digital media professionals with varying skillsets and capabilities. In addition to an end-user panel, the judging crew included Creative Directors, Chris Nation of Hitcents and Flavio Masson, of 10012.com. That meant the designs couldn’t just look nice, they had to function well, and with purpose. Here at STARMEN, we always keep functionality at the forefront of our creative process. Aesthetics are meaningless unless they offer a creative and strategic solution. We are honored for the awards bestowed on us for our work on the following campaigns:

And the awards go to...

J/P Haitian Relief Organization provides relief and emergency services in Haiti. Following the catastrophic earthquake in 2010, J/P HRO immediately stepped in with rescue efforts. In anticipation of their 2 year anniversary, J/P HRO partnered with us to launch a completely redesigned website. We focused on a new design and strategy for a web experience that would visually communicate the mission of the organization through film and video.

John Foley provides individual and corporate leadership training. Best known for their inspirational keynotes, the company has worked with some of the biggest brands worldwide. We are grateful to be a part of John's 'Glad To Be Here' team, and the experience challenged us to maximize our performance. The website gives readers a taste of what John’s incredible presentations can offer executive and management teams across industries.

Our Creative Director, Anthony Wiktor, designed an alternative movie poster for Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln." Wiktor also designed a campaign around his creative concept, which was quite a contrast from the film's actual marketing campaign. "I wanted to use a darker tone to create a more dramatic visual that matched the feel of the film," says Anthony. The poster is now featured on the Lincoln movie website.

Win #4 is a Gold Award for our own website in the Self Promotional Website category.

Click here to read the full press release about the awards from the Horizon Interactive Awards.

STARMEN's award-winning Creative Director, Anthony Wiktor, is featured as an 'industry expert' in Web Designer Magazine’s Hot 100 issue (#205), which is currently on newsstands this month. Anthony is featured alongside web design industry giants such as Eric Meyer, Andy Budd, and Patrick Van Kann. The article features experts chiming in on 2013′s hottest web trends, tools, and talent.

STARMEN's award-winning Creative Director, Anthony Wiktor, is featured as an 'industry expert' in Web Designer Magazine’s Hot 100 issue (#205), which is currently on newsstands this month. Anthony is featured alongside industry giants such as Eric Meyer, Andy Budd, and Patrick Van Kann. The article features experts chiming in on 2013′s hottest web trends, tools, and talent.

Anthony shared his thoughts and insights on which web design tools and trends to look for in 2013, including an awesome boilerplate for responsive, a mobile-friendly framework called ‘Skeleton,’ and the emerging popularity of 'parallax' design.

About Web Designer Magazine

“Web Designer” is the flagship publication for international web creatives, offering expert project-based tutorials across modern disciplines such as HTML, CSS, jQuery, Flash, Photoshop, WordPress blogging, and mobile apps. Accessible to hobbyists and professionals of all skill levels, the content is constantly informed by agency profiles, breaking stories, and cutting-edge trends. Each issue features a CD packed with invaluable design resources, and project files for the tutorials in the magazine. Read more from Web Designer Magazine, here.

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.

STARMEN’s site was recently featured on WebDesignLedger.com, one of the most popular blogs for web designers and Internet creatives. You can read more about it in 21 Examples of Big Photography in Web Design. We're so proud that starmenusa.com was considered "an excellent example" of web design, among many other beautiful examples.

STARMEN’s site was recently featured on WebDesignLedger.com, one of the most popular blogs for web designers and Internet creatives. You can read more about it in 21 Examples of Big Photography in Web Design. We're so proud that starmenusa.com was considered "an excellent example" of web design, among many other beautiful examples.

Our approach to web design, which you'll see in our work, has always included the extensive use of photography, as it is a good way to get your viewers’ attention, making your site memorable, as well as visually interesting.

Special thanks to the amazing Giselle Muller for submitting our site to the WebDesignLedger!

What an honor! We're excited to share that we've taken home 2 Gold Awards and 4 Silver Awards from the 7th Annual W3 Award Competition!

Check out the winners inside!

What an honor! We're excited to share that we've taken home 2 Gold Awards and 4 Silver Awards from the 7th Annual W3 Award Competition!

We're thrilled to share that we've been awarded with 2 Gold and 4 Silver Awards at the 7th Annual W3 Awards! The W3 is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, interactive, advertising, and marketing firms.

This year the W3 received over 3,000 entries from top companies and agencies worldwide. The W3 AWARDS honors outstanding websites, web marketing, web video, and mobile apps created by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators worldwide. Being selected a W3 Winner is a tremendous achievement, and we are honored to receive these wins! 

These accolades follow STARMEN being named “#1 Rated Web-Design Agency in Los Angeles” by Web Designer Magazine earlier this summer.

Visit www.w3award.com for a complete list of W3 AWARD winners, and check out our award-winning websites below.

Chadburry.com: Gold for 'Best Fashion Website' and 'Best Visual Appeal'

Chadburry makes finely crafted, interesting, and unique menswear. The Swedish brand has a strong connection with the classical ideologies of precision tailoring, while also adopting a very modern view on texture, colour, and character. The fabrics are hand selected, and are manufactured in Europe.

JPHRO.org: Silver for ‘Best Charitable/Non-Profit Website’ and ‘Best Homepage Design’

J/P Haitian Relief Organization is dedicated to saving lives, and bringing sustainable programs to the Haitian people quickly and effectively. Following the devastating earthquake of 2010, J/P HRO began working immediately on the ground to make an impact in Haiti. J/P HRO works with both governmental and non-governmental agencies to deliver immediate results where the need is greatest.

Continue below to read the full article!

We are proud that UK-based ‘Web Designer’ Magazine just named STARMEN the #1 Web Design Agency in Los Angeles, selecting our agency over larger, more established agencies throughout this great city.

Published in the magazine's June issue #196, the ranking notes that Starmen "uses the many facets of digital communication and technology to facilitate measurable brand growth and produce results. It strives to produce high-impact digital campaigns and create brand experiences that engage, inspire and entertain."

As our Executive Director, Armen David, states, "We're totally thrilled by this recognition, especially considering the amazing competition in L.A." Creative Director Anthony Wiktor added, "Credit goes to our clients who make it easy to do great work."

View and download STARMEN's article on WebDesignMag.co.uk, here.

‘Web Designer’ magazine is the industry's best publication and news source for the latest in web design. Filled with tons of articles and tips including: CSS3 effects, Adobe CS6, and more! Learn more at WebDesignMag.co.uk.

8 Criterion For Facebook Page Marketing Success

Social media marketing has become a hot topic amongst brand marketers and businesses who are looking to establish themselves within a social network. As a means to promote their products and services at low cost, a lot of marketers are turning to Facebook. But it's knowing how to use the platform, currently the most popular social network out there, that really makes all the difference to your bottomline.

8 Criterion For Facebook Page Marketing Success

Social media marketing has become a hot topic amongst brand marketers and businesses who are looking to establish themselves within a social network. As a means to promote their products and services at low cost, a lot of marketers are turning to Facebook. But it's knowing how to use the platform, currently the most popular social network out there, that really makes all the difference to your bottomline.

The proper use of Facebook goes beyond simply setting up an account. Rather, your focus must become more strategic in terms of interactivity with your audience, and this means taking the right steps to increase engagement, and promote peer-to-peer interactions. Simply stated, if a brand makes its community happy, then it has the option to start generating business revenue.

The Altimeter Group compiled data by analyzing companies' posts, comments and 'likes' on Facebook, and began to saw a clear pattern emerge. From this research, they've compiled the following 8 criterion for establishing a truly meaningful presence on the platform:

1. Set community expectations.
2. Provide cohesive branding.
3. Be up to date.
4. Live authentically.
5. Participate in dialogue.
6. Enable peer-to-peer interactions.
7. Foster advocacy.
8. Solicit a ‘call to action’.

So, now that you know the key elements of creating a stand-out social media presence on Facebook, how is your business going to execute a plan aligned with this paradigm? At STARMEN, we are social media experts, taking brands from content to commerce by using a unique approach that bridges people stories to product stories through social media and branded content. 

Google and Typekit both released some great news last week. First, Google announced that they are releasing high-quality open source fonts, deemed “Google Fonts,” in the Google Font Directory. They also went so far as to release Google Font API, an HTML-based tool that enables users to implement any of these fonts into a site with the level of ease to which we have been accustomed to from Google.

Google and Typekit both released some great news last week. First, Google announced that they are releasing high-quality open source fonts, deemed “Google Fonts,” in the Google Font Directory. They also went so far as to release Google Font API, an HTML-based tool that enables users to implement any of these fonts into a site with the level of ease to which we have been accustomed to from Google.

But, wait! It gets better! Typekit and Google announced the release of a Web Font Loader to smooth out any issues when putting Google Fonts to use.

The Web Font Loader puts the developer in control of how web fonts are handled by various browsers. The API fires JavaScript events at certain points, for example, when the web font completes downloading. With these events, developers can control how web fonts behave on a site so that they download consistently across all browsers. In addition, developers can set the fallback font's size to more closely match the web font, so content doesn't reflow after loading. Furthermore, the Web Font Loader is designed to make it easy to switch between different providers of web fonts, including Google, Typekit, and others. The code is modular, and we expect to see modules for other major web font providers in coming weeks.

To see an example of Google’s web fonts in the flesh, visit Smashing Magazine.

To download these open source fonts, visit the Google Font Directory.

The newly revamped, flash-based HBO.com features enhanced interactive and video features, personal dashboard.

Our good friends over at HBO have relaunched their website, HBO.com, adding interactive features and enhanced video support. The HBO Go web site itself is visually stunning, with lots of full-screen visuals for each of the featured TV shows, movies, and other bits of programming that scroll once a user is logged in. Browsing through the different featured sections — Movies, Series, Comedy, Sports, Documentaries, and Late Night — is quick and painless, with each offering up an easy-to-navigate interface for choosing between titles. Users can customize the viewing experience by choosing between cover, grid, and list modes of viewing available content.

The newly revamped, flash-based HBO.com features enhanced interactive and video features, personal dashboard.

Our good friends over at HBO have relaunched their website, HBO.com, adding interactive features and enhanced video support. The HBO Go web site itself is visually stunning, with lots of full-screen visuals for each of the featured TV shows, movies, and other bits of programming that scroll once a user is logged in. Browsing through the different featured sections — Movies, Series, Comedy, Sports, Documentaries, and Late Night — is quick and painless, with each offering up an easy-to-navigate interface for choosing between titles. Users can customize the viewing experience by choosing between cover, grid, and list modes of viewing available content.

Here's a quick list of the site's key expanded features:

• Streaming video – high quality videos of HBO shows in full-screen resolution — regardless of monitor size — that provide users with more of a TV-watching experience than a PC-viewing experience
• Enhanced schedule – easy to use accessibility from every page on the site
• Community – ability to upload your photo, create a personal identity, and establish a unique voice by posting comments and stories throughout the site
• Shareability – ability to share content with friends in and outside of the HBO community, with a robust set of share tools that includes e-mail, video embed, and post functionality
• Personal dashboard – ability to create a dashboard of favorites, plus bookmark discussions, clips, and even get recommendations for new content based on favored programs

Overall, we think this is a prime example of how entertainment companies can expand their online presence in today's digital age. HBO.com uses the best in web design techniques in conjuction with the latest technology to accomplish an optimal viewing and experience for its users. We believe that the HBO approach can set a standard of design for companies who stream video content online.

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.

As technology advances and the industry grows, so do we. STARMEN designers and tech enthusiasts are excited to bring you our new iPhone site!  We’ve always been believers in simplicity, and our new optimized mobile format is exactly that — simple and straightforward. Even on your iPhone, we’re here to make your brand work!

As technology advances and the industry grows, so do we. STARMEN designers and tech enthusiasts are excited to bring you our new iPhone site!  We’ve always been believers in simplicity, and our new optimized mobile format is exactly that — simple and straightforward. Even on your iPhone, we’re here to make your brand work!

Explore our new platform!  Read about our agency, map our location, or shoot us an e-mail. Let us know how we can help you — we’re here for you and your brand!