Why brands should consider creating an ideal customer profile (or two)

With lockdown restrictions now being lifted in the UK, we discuss whether the positivity adverts we have seen throughout the pandemic are here…

Burger King's decision to become the front-of-shirt sponsor for Stevenage FC has not only gained the club attention in the real world, but also…

It's time to think about the role of the brief and why it’s so important.

We Like: Glossier. A look into how Glossier became one of the most successful and recognisable beauty brands to date.

How Has Social Media Changed News Coverage? A look into Jackie Weaver and the Handforth Parish Council meeting that went viral.

Media planning vs. Media buying? It's the unfounded division.

Looking at the relationship between Hugh Laurie’s British accent and our media planner’s ability to suss out your target audience.

Media plans should reach the right people, the right amount of times. When that isn’t always possible, there’s one question to ask: Should your…

World exclusive interview with Santa Claus

Re-evaluating media plans has never been so important.

2020 continues to make headlines. And it is those headlines that Britain’s newspapers hope will bring back readers and in turn, revenue.

Consumers spend more time out and about today than they did 10 years ago which makes OOH a worthwhile investment

How vloggers are engaging millennials everywhere and beating marketers at their own game.

Simplicity and honesty.

Why measuring the right results is so important.

Looking at the relationship between Hugh Laurie’s British accent and our media planner’s ability to suss out your target audience.

Why we call radio the ‘friendly format’, and what that means for brands.

Is Black Friday becoming over-diluted?

World exclusive interview with Santa Claus

The changing grammar of Adland.

Some would say, at glance, yes. You put some money down, cross your fingers and dream of the cascade of coins. But the way they’re run and…

How NOT to get a job at Hello Starling

How to get a job at Hello Starling

Better than static images. Better than videos. Just better. Want your digital campaigns to engage better with your audience? Want to reach those…

Should charities care about branding? The purpose of branding for charities and for commercial organisations is the same: a personality and…

Should charities care about branding?

Several companies have made good use of weather-based marketing in recent years. As data becomes more active and tangible in delivering adverts…

When the heatwave hits, or the snow falls, marketing efforts can be affected, but can weather changes actually inform campaigns and deliver real…

The release of Nike’s ‘Nothing Beats a Londoner’ advert has been a big talking point this week, but what’s their strategy? Our first thought…

The release of Nike’s ‘Nothing Beats a Londoner’ advert has been a big talking point this week, but what’s their strategy?

Advertising is as much about storytelling as about selling, the two should go hand in hand.

People researching purchases online before buying has increased hugely in the last two years, so what does that mean to marketers?

People researching purchases online before buying has increased hugely in the last two years, so what does that mean to marketers?

Social media advertising is at an all-time high but, out of the two biggest social sites (not including Qzone, China’s social media giant),…

Make it clear, concise and compelling.

Taking a look into the mobile social media platform built around photo sharing and short form video

Mass media used to be a thing. The thing in fact. If you hit Saturday night TV with your brand, you were reaching a vast audience – and within…

How fragmented media has changed focus

We ask the question as a response to the recent ABC Consumer Magazine report highlighting women’s weeklies suffer double-digit readership…

Will we soon see Breaking Bad’s Walt sipping Java from a Kenco mug?

Should charities care about branding? The purpose of branding for charities and for commercial organisations is the same: a personality and…

Some of you believe you’re not creative. But we all are. We just need to, well, create. There’s not a single someone who isn’t creative. (That…

Value your audience and don’t just add to the grey, give them some colour.

Cinema adverts only add to the swinging around and taser webs.

Being realistic about the way our industry portrays women

I am pretty sure he was talking about bringing the world together in racial harmony and not brand design, but Michael Jackson is as good a place…

Let’s talk about black and white design

Presenting the case for positivity

How to plan for failure (and increase the chances of success)

Living in a Carpool Karaoke world.

There are two types of Christmas advert and even a Scrooge can’t avoid them.

Celebrating a night of great marketing as headline sponsors

Why white space matters

Bridget, Buster and You.

Ads on Facebook: helping to Make America Great Again!

Why the future is so bright for advertising on podcasts in the UK

Why and how brand designers use emotion in their work.

It’s that time of year again…

Why the paywall doesn’t pay (and what will replace it).

The Coalition for Better Ads vs. The Acceptable Ads Program vs. the internet

Logo design is becoming less complex over time. Why is this the case?

What does the future hold for the UK’s top newsbrands?

Looking at the evidence, does the burger symbol (ahem) stack up?

“We don’t know what’s around the corner” Katherine Viner Guardian Editor in Chief: Shift 2016

In this post we take a look at one element of the visual design behind the Hillary brand.

Giving Don Draper the boot

Google are bringing the digital and physical worlds a step closer.

Mobile continues to drive the market & print remains in demand.

We’re looking for bloggers, vloggers, infographic creators… whatever form of content you excel at, we want you!

Whether you are excited about the new football season or not, this rebrand is something to celebrate.

Pokémon is just the beginning: when physical meets virtual.

The nothing to lose method of launching a new title

Record highs amid a period of mixed overall results for UK consumer magazines.

Commercial radio reclaims top spot over BBC in Q2

Being realistic about the way our industry portrays women

Showcasing the best marketing campaigns across Wales

Ad avoidance and how it can be avoided.

Is realism always a good idea in design and branding?

Brexit boosts print circulation figures and traffic to news websites

How fragmented media has changed focus

Why visual hierarchy matters in brand design and how we create it.

In-app adverts: the future of mobile or a subordinate format?

Fighting talk, winning colours and unbeatable creatures

We take a look at an older piece of brand design that is still going strong.

The votes have been cast but what comes next?

Guidelines for creating effective print advertising

Getting to grips with the future of advertising on TV

A primer on visual brand language and how it is used in brand design

An overview of the latest NRS PADD release

Making a brand look like another brand is a tactic that serves several purposes.

What brands need to know about earned, owned and paid media

With the Leading Wales Awards approaching, we’re reflecting on our own experiences of being led and being leaders

Why both sides of the argument have a point, and why they both, ultimately, want the same thing.

We welcome Craig, our newest member, to the Hello Starling family

Number of digital listeners at home moves past half way mark

After a positive start to 2016, national newsbrands enjoy another strong period

360 degree videos as an advertising format.

We confirm our place at Wales’ biggest business expo

Providing the rationale for new branding and package design

How mobile is finally coming good on its promise

The creation of a trustworthy brand

We’ve completed 30 days of exercise for Active April with Llamau

UK ad spend reaches five year high according to new report.

The art of writing by hand and its benefits in brand design

Taking a look at a medium that delivers for brands and consumers alike.

3 reasons to reconsider your next minimal design project.

Giving and receiving evaluation of design is an artform in itself. Here is our take on how to do it.

Mobile adverts used to be (whisper it) a bit rubbish. What changed?

Hello Starling get active for Active April and Llamau

The differences between crowdsourced design and professional design.

Does ‘big data’ have a future?

Revolution or evolution? When a refresh makes more sense than a rebrand.

Why being impartial matters so much to a media planner

The need to move on from extreme flat design

Countdown to the Guardian Changing Media Summit 2016

Fill out this super quick website survey for the chance of winning a £50 Amazon voucher!

Why and when best to use verbal and visual design

Countdown to the Guardian Changing Media Summit 2016

We run down the latest National Readership Survey for Print and Digital Data results for January – December 2015.

How do brands keep up with a smartphone society?

Independent in print closes & Trinity Mirror to launch new tabloid

Countdown to the Guardian Changing Media Summit 2016

The print Independent is being shut down. Does it matter, should we care?

60 titles see an increase in circulation in the latest ABC figures for magazines

Countdown to the Guardian Changing Media Summit 2016

A brief introduction to an increasingly important method of audience targeting.

We take a look over the RAJAR listening data for the final quarter of 2015

Countdown to the Guardian Changing Media Summit 2016

Text needs to be designed, not just written.

Why the indie magazine scene has exploded and what it means for brands.

Countdown to the Guardian Changing Media Summit 2016

Print figures hold strong while online falters

Countdown to the Guardian Changing Media Summit 2016

Why irrational design might be the rational approach

How the new European data protection regulation could affect advertising.

How to tell the story of a brand visually.

Our Design & Branding team tell us their predictions for the year ahead

A strong month for the Times and the quality market as a whole

They keep the rain off, show when the next bus is due and offer a consistently excellent space for your brand.

What we want to know about you.

Now we can all advertise on Instagram, why should we?

The absolute core essentials of creating a brand identity for beginners.

Why we call radio the ‘friendly format’, and what that means for brands.

Mobiles prove a real engine of growth while print magazine format remains strong.

Double the success for Arriva Trains Wales at the Canmol Awards 2015

How to ensure billboard design is as effective as possible.

Has October brought light at the end of the tunnel for newspaper circulations?

Hello Starling at the Canmol Awards 2015

Ever more choice for the consumer means ever more choice for brands too

The benefits of testing design

Hello Starling headline sponsors of the Canmol Awards 2015

The perils and possibilities of targeting an older audience

The RAJAR listening data for the 3rd quarter of 2015 have just been released. As always, we take a look at the standout figures.

The Welsh Business Oscars

What the exclusion zone is and why we want to stay out of it

A glimpse at one of our favourite ad campaigns of the moment

It remains a great format, but what is the realistic future of print?

Communicating ethics through brand design

How will the new Facebook emoticons shape advertising?

The latest consumer results for the national newspapers

Why we use ad blockers and what the industry needs to do about it

Is it all doom and gloom?

Why print has such a strong future (and why you may struggle to read till the end)

What makes for a cool brand?

The NME magazine went free last week in a landmark move. We ask what this means and can “Free” be successful?

What does long lasting design mean in the 21st century?

How the mobile world is changing the media plan

When unique design means anything but.

Headline figures and analysis of the latest NRS PADD release.

How the modern brand was born

Reacting to the latest ABC consumer magazine results

Why brand design needs to be authentic to be effective.

Brands need new understanding and age old truths to reach millennials.

Reasons (and favourites quotes) for keeping things simple.

RAJAR data release time! Let’s take a look at the stand out information.

Defining true value for money

The psychology of fonts and the messages they carry

A look at what context means to advertising.

There are good reasons to rebrand and then there are plain bad reasons for a rebrand…

Why psychographics should be a part of your customer profiling.

A flyer is an inexpensive and effective way to grab attention. But how do you make your flyer stand out from the crowd?

Is Spotify as good for brands as it is for music lovers?

Ever looked at a design and wondered how it works so well as a whole?

Think that out of home advertising is only for big brands? Think again.

How bad design helps us create good.

“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” Dave Ramsey

What makes a logo trustworthy?

No other format is so good at both dinosaurs and adverts…

What brand design can learn from the Slow movement

An overview of the benefits of advertising on Facebook

Making it easier to sell.

We frequently recommend taxi advertising as part of a media plan. Here is why.

Why advertisers have to work to engage, wherever the advert.

The link between brand identity and brand equity

Make it easier for the customer to buy

A look at the latest radio listening figures

How and when bright colour works

Google is bringing personalised TV ads to you, one Fiber set at a time.

The right paper for the right job

Another path for branded content

Why the Microsoft Edge logo design works

The Second Screen and the ‘battle for eyeballs’.

We ain’t afraid of no ghosts…

Not sure whether your organisation needs a rebrand? We can help!

How TV and out of home advertising can complement each other.

Poster design that looks good and gets the message across.

Failure to integrate is not an option.

When brand design goes bad

Questions to ask when choosing an advertising agency

Doing justice to the contents of the package.

Why media planners need to constantly re-evaluate media plans.

Why branding for schools matters and how to make sure it is effective.

Why working out the cost of media matters so much

When black and white brand design makes sense

Every brand needs to begin somewhere: start small, think big.

What will advertising agencies look like in the future?

Why politicians use Twitter (and why they shouldn’t).

It may not be the Oscars…but we’ll be sure to take a team selfie regardless!

Been in a coma for the last twenty years? You might want to print this page off (your eyes probably aren’t used to screens), and take ten…

Insight into the latest data report from ABC, looking at the print circulation figures of British newspapers throughout February 2015.

Declining print figures and what brands need to do about them.

Marketing departments need to retain their creative impulse and make it work with data. Here is why.

What, if anything, can be made of the ‘Superbrands’ list?

Native advertising: the battle lines

The latest NRS PADD figures, combining print and online readership figures for UK newsbrands across the last 12 months allow our media team to…

Whisper it, but sometimes dull design makes perfect sense.

Insight into the performance of online newsbrands in January 2015.

Our own James Robinson booked to host a Leadership Cafe on Thursday 19th February.

How TV and advertising are changing (and staying the same).

More and more money is devoted each year to online advertising. Understandable, given that we all live on the internet and it is able to provide…

The strengths and weaknesses of retro design

What has social media got to do with design?

We’re getting ready for the biggest media event of the year!

The latest RAJAR figures (Oct-Dec 2014) revealed and explained.

We are sponsoring the ‘Leadership in the Private Sector’ category at the Leading Wales Awards 2015.

How vloggers are engaging millennials everywhere and beating marketers at their own game.

Giving people the option of turning down your advert.

Insight into the performance of online newsbrands in December 2014.

Our take on the marketing campaign that’s traded six-packs for cellulite and is inspiring woman across the UK to get active.

Why focus groups get in the way of innovative design.

What does 2015 hold for advertising on internet radio?

The campaign to support the Nightshelter in Cardiff and how you can help.

Hello Starling is sponsoring the TEDxCardiff event on March 28th 2015 (and we’re buzzing about it).

Should brands consider short form video adverts?

Taking a look ahead at media trends for 2015

A look at some of our 2014 highlights – from award winning clients to Millennium Stadium action.

How ergonomic design affects the aesthetics of design

What will the world look like in 2015?

Multiple screen advertising is big and is going to get bigger. Here is how.

Insight into the latest data report from ABC, looking at the circulation figures of British newspapers throughout November 2014.

Audiences not Platforms 2.0. Game changer or media hype?

S4C wins ‘Best consumer marketing campaign for a drama series’ at C21 Media International Drama Awards.

The latest NRS PADD figures, combining print and online readership figures for UK newsbrands across the last 12 months allow our media team to…

Are billboards staid and static or a medium for the 21st century?

Authentic brand design matters because authenticity matters.

Getting to grips with the media mix

Advertisers advertising their advertising agency.

Why consistent brands are better brands.

Mobile advertising is growing quicker than every other ad sector. Here is why.

We’re offering a one-off, complete Christmas card design package for your organisation.

Insight into the latest data report from ABC, looking at the circulation figures of British newspapers throughout October 2014.

How we work.

Business cards might be a hangover from paper offices, but we still love them. Find out why and what a good one should look like.

Why is radio advertising so popular with audiences and not with media planners?

The relationship between form, function and the German Bauhaus school.

“Rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.”

The Welsh Business Oscars.

The latest RAJAR figures revealed and explained.

Snapchat ‘needs to make money’ but can it do so without losing users?

and why we’re not convinced…

Client success at the CIM Canmol: Wales Marketing Awards!

So you’re thinking of working with a media planning and buying agency? Five things to think about.

Insight into the latest data report from ABC, looking at the circulation figures of British newspapers throughout September 2014.

A review of our top-performing media work for leading Welsh brand, the WRU.

The rules and regulations of smart website design

A review of our media work for longstanding client, Brains, Wales’ leading beer brand.

Why Apple and The Saucy Fish co. are not as different as you might think.

Cake. Our office. 11am. Today.

With the NRS now including mobile and tablet consumption data, we’re analysing the impact this has on newspaper and magazine readership…

Trying to be funny can be rather risky…

National treasure, S4C, recognised for their marketing excellence.