Starfish

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CSMO of Visit Greater Palm Springs (VGPS), the official tourism marketing agency for the Coachella Valley, which comprises nine cities and unincorporated areas of Riverside County.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Starfish?

We asked for proposals to launch an updated brand campaign in 2024 to highlight the destination’s unique and diverse attributes, including partner hotels, vacation rentals, and attractions, including the brand pillars that support our “Find Your Oasis” brand. This campaign should raise awareness and inspire visitation to Greater Palm Springs by highlighting these pillars, including outdoor adventure, health & wellness, unique culinary experiences, arts & culture, signature events, and LGBTQ+.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Starfish provided campaign development, including a new campaign concept, tagline, messaging, copy, and headlines. They also recommended imagery and examples for digital, print, and social applications. The team handled brand video production, including concepting, storyboarding, and scripting new brand commercials. They also handled location and tech scouting, talent scouting and coordination, and all production functions, including schedules, equipment rental, and hiring crew. Starfish also provided an on-set producer and director, a production crew and equipment, and production insurance. The team also handled editorial, color correction, sound design, and mix. They also provided a graphic treatment package, including VFX and compositing, voiceover talent, and hard drive delivery of all assets.

Moreover, Starfish handled a lifestyle photoshoot to capture additional photography assets for VGPS ownership, VGPS DAM usage, and usage by participating/featured VGPS partners, with any applicable talent rights in perpetuity. The images featured all our leisure traveler segments, including families, couples, friends getaways, and LGBTQ+.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5-10 teammates from Starfish.

How did you come to work with Starfish?

We found them through a connection I made on LinkedIn. We chose them because our company values aligned, and they had a great proposal and pitch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2023–September 2024 and then again on a summer campaign in 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Starfish’s updated creative was used to increase awareness in key drive, fly, and international markets, driving visitation to Greater Palm Springs. Overall, the fall and winter campaign outperformed industry averages, generating a return on investment (ROI) that was nearly three times higher than the industry average and was nearly twice as efficient at reaching targeted consumers than average. The ROI was $1,004 compared to the industry average of $379.

How did Starfish perform from a project management standpoint?

Starfish’s project management was impressive. We communicated via virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creative proposal, pitch, and project management were impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Next time I would be more involved in selection of video production company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Director, Talent Acquisition of Atlas Air

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cargo and passenger aviation

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Starfish to accomplish?

• Attract qualified applicants to apply for relevant jobs via our careers website
• Develop compelling employer brand marketing materials
• Help us develop professional internal and external employee related digital campaigns and other materials

SOLUTION

How did you find Starfish?

Word of Mouth

Why did you select Starfish over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Starfish were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Starfish is our partner to develop a comprehensive employer branding, engagement and recruiting marketing platform. Starfish provides: 

• creative development
• messaging
• campaign development
• recruitment media strategy
• website development and maintenance 
• supports us with a variety of media from digital advertising to video creation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Number of career website visitors 
• Total number of applicants 
• Number of qualified applicants 
• Employee engagement metrics

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Starfish team is excellent at project management. They provide a weekly report, but remain engaged throughout to meet any needs that arise on a daily basis. They are always proactive and responsive to meet the needs of the brief.

What was your primary form of communication with Starfish?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Starfish is a full service agency that always strives to meet all our needs. They take the time to really understand our business and objectives, and are really an extension of our in-house team. They combine the ability to understand the big-picture brand strategy and translate that into effective campaigns that drive tangible and measurable results.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Starfish could have done differently?

Starfish is doing a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Brand Lead of a non-profit company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a leading independent safety science organization with global reach.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Starfish to accomplish?

• Graphic Design
• Branding compliance

SOLUTION

How did you find Starfish?

Referral

Why did you select Starfish over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Starfish were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Starfish has been strategically integrated into our operational framework to address design requisitions originating from internal teams. Additionally, they play a pivotal role in conducting comprehensive brand reviews on design submissions sourced from diverse contributors.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The measurable outcomes from the Starfish project include an accelerated design request fulfillment rate for internal teams, leading to a more streamlined workflow.

Furthermore, the implementation of brand reviews has significantly enhanced the overall quality and coherence of design submissions from various contributors, thereby demonstrating tangible progress and success in project objectives.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Starfish demonstrates exemplary organizational proficiency, engaging in regular, methodical project reviews to assess progress meticulously. Their commitment to timely and high-quality project delivery is noteworthy. Additionally, their responsiveness to our requirements is consistently swift and conducted with a high level of professionalism.

What was your primary form of communication with Starfish?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Starfish maintains a professional yet amicable demeanor, fostering a positive working relationship. Engaging in conversations with them is not only enjoyable but also conducive to productive collaboration. Their commendable organizational skills are evident in their ability to adeptly manage and address any tasks presented, leaving a lasting impression on their capability and versatility.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Starfish could have done differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Marketing Officer of a dental products company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a leading global manufacturer and distributor of innovative dental and medical product solutions for dentists, doctors, and consumers in 76 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Starfish to accomplish?

• Conduct consumer insights work to inform brand positioning for new, innovative direct to consumer business.
• Develop robust website, multi-channel ad campaign, and targeted creative to drive awareness, consideration, and purchase.
• Develop robust media strategy to scale the business.

SOLUTION

How did you find Starfish?

Referral

Why did you select Starfish over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Starfish were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Starfish served as a trusted strategic partner across the entire spectrum of a new direct to consumer product launch--from consumer insights to website development to conceiving a compelling creative campaign to an efficient and effective media strategy to drive awareness, consideration, and purchase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Starfish helped our team launch the new brand to achieve industry recognition for an outstanding product and product marketing launch, including the GOLD Transform Award for the 'Best Strategic & Creative Development of a New Brand,' recognition from Fast Company as one of most innovative new consumer healthcare products, and Men's Health 'Best Dental System' award. 

The brand positioning and creative assets leveraged the strong quantitative and qualitative consumer insights work Starfish partnered with us to complete and the dynamic and compelling website and brand messaging in creative assets resonated strongly with consumers to accelerate awareness, consideration, and purchase.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Starfish team was highly talented and capable. They delivered a solid scope of work that reflected strategic, analytical, and creative strength and helped us masterfully keep dozens of concurrent work streams related to our product launch critical path on track and on time. They genuinely listened to client needs and challenged us in a respectful way that resulted in a true partnership and outcomes that performed in the market.

What was your primary form of communication with Starfish?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Starfish has a terrific team of experts and partners, all of whom are outstanding and can pulse in and out as the project demands evolve. They were exceptionally agile and willing to go the extra mile when we faced time crunches and still deliver compelling solutions that resonated strongly with our consumers.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Starfish could have done differently?

Nothing material. The team was highly responsive throughout our engagement so anything that was sub-optimal was addressed in our regular conversations and quickly resolved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a department head at a real estate development company. We have offices in the US and Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Starfish?
We needed marketing and graphic design support for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Starfish has provided branding, advertising, and graphic design services for our company. Starfish has created the branding identity of a restaurant we work with, including the restaurant's logo, menus, and collateral marketing materials. Starfish supports our company in communication and graphic design projects since their team has the ability to create all necessary assets regarding communication and branding. 

What is the team composition?

We work consistently with three teammates from Starfish, including an executive, an account manager, and a creative director. These teammates work with a bigger creative team, although I don't engage with them directly.

How did you come to work with Starfish?
Our leasing agent recommended Starfish to us, and we liked their smart and talented team. We also liked the Starfish team's personality.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $500,000 with Starfish.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Starfish in January 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I’m satisfied with Starfish's work that meets our business objectives.

How did Starfish perform from a project management standpoint?

Starfish is very responsive to our requests and to urgent tasks. We've requested work for the next day, and Starfish has stayed up all night to deliver work. The team goes above and beyond to satisfy our requests. We communicate via weekly Zoom meetings, in-person meetings, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm mostly impressed with Starfish's dedicated team that understands our requirements. The team is smart and propositive, delivering top-notch solutions. We have a great relationship and enjoy working with Starfish.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Starfish to improve.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Starfish is able to work and satisfy any client, but clients have to be creative, too. I recommend potential clients have a clear idea of what they want to accomplish with their project, and Starfish will help any client regardless of their situation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former Sr. Director of Marketing of Optum Tri-State

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Healthcare services provider of care delivery organizations and pharmacy care services (including a pharmacy benefit manager).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Starfish to accomplish?

• Rebrand, Transform and redesign 3 separate and vastly different care delivery organizations (ProHealth, Riverside Medical Group, Caremount) static websites where information is hard to find and engagement with service providers into one (Optum Tri-State).
• Create a newly imaged website that is easy to navigate, find providers across the tri-state area, make an appointments, find information about health services and information across care continuum, and be able to log into Epic, the patient provider engagement health portal.
• Attract potential new providers to want to join our organization.
• The site needs to be relevant, engaging, informative and measureable in terms of visitors and conversion of those visitors.

SOLUTION

How did you find Starfish?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Starfish over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Prior Experience with them

How many teammates from Starfish were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project scope included the development of one website that rolled three care delivery organizations into one branded, engagement-oriented site to match the corporate entity's brand (Optum): 

1. Situational Assessment - Refine project goals, gather insight from key stakeholders to understand the landscape, the brand, the target, and the technical requirements as well as evaluate and select appropriate CMS and other technologies with an internal and external audit, CMS Exploration & Identification, Technology Selection Process , Technology Capabilities 
2. Website Development - Designed and built a new website and user experience including:
   • Messaging and Content Audit
   • New Site Mapping
   • Manuscript Development
   • SEO/SEM Audit
   • Wireframing
   • Template Creation
   • Copy Migration/Refinement
   • Programming
   • Production & Deployment
   • Website & CMS Environment Coding/Build
   • Content Migration
   • CMS Training for marketing staff
   • Testing & QA
   • Deployment of new site and launch & go-live ongoing support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Overall visits increased significantly along with specific Current and New Patient engagement as measured by webs tools, EMR usage, etc.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Starfish delivered on time and were highly responsive to the team especially given the changing needs of the assignment.

What was your primary form of communication with Starfish?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They understand the full marketing function and are masters at branding, know how to get it done and how to activate it all. All with a the smarts and great customer service!

Are there any areas for improvement or something Starfishbb could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing for CommScope, a consumer products group. We’re a manufacturer of electronic communication equipment. I oversee the marketing for all the retail segment, which is marketed under another brand name. We make a line of surfboard and cable modems and surfboard max mesh Wi-Fi systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Starfish?

We needed help with marketing and advertising. The work was aimed explicitly at messaging and positioning a new product for our mesh Wi-Fi system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had a briefing meeting with Starfish; they talked to one of our marketing people. We gave them the background on how we would position the product to customers, some of the key message points we wanted to highlight, the audience we were targeting, and the distribution channels. They went back and made changes. Then, we reviewed it with our product team.

They created content for us and put together a whole messaging and positioning strategy targeted at high-tech early adopters. Starfish developed all the creative elements for the advertising campaign.

What is the team composition?

David (Founder & CEO) was very involved. Additionally, there were two creative people on the project.

How did you come to work with Starfish?

I worked with Starfish at a previous company. They did similar work, and I’ve known David for years. We’ve worked together on several projects.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They understood the product and audience very well. They built our messaging strategy across different media, which was very effective. The sales for the product have been good, although they’ve been slower than what we’d like. However, I don’t think it had to do with the messaging; there were a lot of other factors involved.

Overall, we were 100% satisfied with their work, and they exceeded our expectations.

How did Starfish perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was excellent. We didn’t use any project management tool; we communicated via phone, Zoom calls, and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their key strength was their ability to understand our technical products and translate them into consumer language that is meaningful to consumers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We worked with them on a subsequent project, and they were a bit slower to respond on that one. They could improve on their time management.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Whether in-person or via video conference call, be thorough on your brief and fully engage them when you meet with them. When we got our first review back, we didn’t have to go through multiple rounds of edits.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the former sales director of a beverage manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Starfish?

We needed someone to help us market and advertise our new product in the US.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Starfish provided us with general branding and marketing services. Their deliverables included establishing the positioning of our brand, developing policy statements, creating a brand manifesto, and creating tag lines, as well as other creative initiatives associated with the core elements of the positioning statement.

Apart from that, they organized the customer journey strategy from a deliverable standpoint that we were able to leverage for OOH and local trade magazines. 

Lastly, they provided us with day-to-day services as an outsourced sales and marketing agency, as an extension of our brand. They gave us a full 360 program, which culminated in a launch party event where we were able to garner many of the key influencers within the industry and secure a number of key distributors in several markets, as well as some key retail distribution opportunities.

What is the team composition?

We communicated regularly with the CEO and about three other people from their creative team.

How did you come to work with Starfish?

We found them through my network of industry contacts. We hired them because we thought they would be a good fit, as they provided the talents of a large agency at the scale, budget, and attention of a smaller one.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spent about $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with them from January 2013–January 2015, as I left the organization in 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They helped us win the hottest new brand award at one of the industry’s largest trade shows thanks to the exhibition display they put together. That alone reinforced the value of their work, and it gave our brand credibility to have discussions with potential customers.

We were able to present our brand in a professional and strategic manner, which helped us gain distribution points with respect to our in-store tasting campaigns — because of that, we increased our conversion rates to higher levels than we expected.

How did Starfish perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project and implemented tools internally, so I wasn’t aware of how they did it. They had a more entrepreneurial style of working, and we mainly communicated through email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to scale their business for large and small clients is really impressive. They have the talents of a large-scale company, but they also provide a greater degree of attention and flexibility in working with startups or companies that are trying to enter the marketplace.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They accomplished all their deliverables, responded consistently, and were honest about some of our feedback, so there’s nothing they could’ve done better.

It was a good relationship and I was very happy with what they did.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise you to do your due diligence and speak to different agencies so you can understand what you really want out of the partnership.

Don’t limit your search, but also don’t discount Starfish just because they don’t have the global reach that some other larger agencies do — they will provide you with the same, if not, better service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the US Marketing VP. Firstsource is a business process management company, providing solutions to more than 100 global businesses in the Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Communications, Media and Technology, and diversified industries.

A publicly traded company on the Indian Stock Exchange, NSE: FSL, Firstsource employs over 28,000 people across the US, UK, India and Philippines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Starfish, and what were your goals?

We had not developed a messaging platform for our healthcare business units. We were bringing together our Provider and Health Plans/Health Services business units under one umbrella, so we needed a messaging platform that covered this new expanded area.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I worked with some of their team members when I was at a previous company, so I knew the quality of the work and the people.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The Starfish team interviewed key members of our HC business. across several levels. They then interviewed clients in both the provider and payer businesses. They also did extensive competitive research.

Once they had a solid understanding of the brand, they resented their findings and identified the gaps between how we currently communicate and what our desired state was. They then created a completed messaging approach: narratives, brand values, value proposition, messaging hierarchy and creative samples.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were multiple people on the team:

• Founder and CEO
• client engagement officer
• creative director
• writer
• project manager
• account supervisor

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We just finished the project and are rolling it out to our teams now. The internal reception has been very strong from our BU leaders - they were activity involved in providing input and they are thrilled with the outcome. More to come as we roll it out.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They had a person devoted to scheduling calls and follow up on action items. We had bi-weekly calls to talk about status and creative direction. We primarily used email and video calls to communicate. Part of each call was a tight agenda and reminder of where we were on the timeline.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The final product is wonderful. Their ability to synthesize what they hear from team members and turn that into conversational and impactful language was top notch. Our language was always technically accurate, but had no emotion. Starfish created messaging that blended the technical and emotional benefits in a high impact way.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The project could have moved a bit faster, but the schedule was communicated.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief marketing officer of a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Starfish?

A lot of our marketing content and communications were created with an out of date style guide, so we wanted a more consistent look and feel to our marketing communications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their graphics team reviewed our portfolio and made suggestions, which we then implemented. Afterward, they designed our communication style and messaging. We gave them an older version of our style guide at the outset, as well as our goals, objectives, and visions moving forward.

What is the team composition?

We worked with less than 10 people.

How did you come to work with Starfish?

I worked with Starfish at my previous job and met David (Chairman). We issued an RFP when we selected a vendor for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $77,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2021–February 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The quality of their service was very high. The final product was very well done. We were very pleased.

How did Starfish perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well in project management. They were accessible and responsive. Communication happened over Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Telephone calls and email also supported the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a deep understanding of our mission. David and their project leader asked a lot of questions, showing a true understanding of our business and our goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could have done better on this particular project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clarify your vision and goals and what you’re trying to accomplish.