Starke Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business development manager at Commaris, a manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for commercial inspection work around power lines, gas lines, pipelines, and more. Our UAVs are equipped with cameras and sensors. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Starke Marketing?

Commaris was a recently established company with a new name and product, and we had no online presence. We wanted to create some brand awareness, and we were looking for someone to develop our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Starke Marketing designed and developed our website using WordPress, and they also wrote all the content on the platform.

They are currently providing SEO, maintenance, and hosting to our site. They give us regular reports on the site’s performance, and they provide us with ideas on how to improve it. They are doing all services related to our website, and their process has been very personalized. They resolve any issues we encounter 24/7. 

My marketing person also unexpectedly left us, so I didn’t have anyone to work on our social media accounts. I called Emerson (Marketing Director), and I told him about my situation. He set up a call between me and their CEO, and they offered me the option of hiring them as our social media manager. 

For the past few weeks, they’ve set up our Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. We have a lot of image and video content of our product, and they’ve been posting that on our accounts. We didn’t have to do anything other than send them a link to all our files. 

What is the team composition?

Emerson is my primary contact, and I’ve also worked with a creative director and a writer. 

How did you come to work with Starke Marketing?

I searched for website developers through Google, and I specifically looked for mid-range and high-end agencies. I shortlisted three companies, and I had long conversations with their principals and received proposals. After a month, I decided to hire Starke Marketing.

There was a vibe about Starke Marketing’s team during our initial discussions that resonated through everybody’s marketing talk. Their proposal showed that they understood and took to heart what I was saying.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$55,000 on the website, and we’re paying $3,500 a month for social media management. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2020, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new website has received positive feedback from our customers and prospects for its layout and presentation. Additionally, our president and other stakeholders have been impressed when they first saw it. Everybody is happy with the look of it. 

Starke Marketing has built a beautiful platform, and they’ve solved multiple problems that we have — they’re a terrific company to work with. In addition, they constantly update the site and fine-tune its details; we always have a fresh-looking website. 

I consider the project a success due to Starke Marketing’s development and support. The site looks great, and I’m sure it’s going to be successful.

How did Starke Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Starke Marketing has been excellent in project management. Their creative director has laid out pages and instructed their development team on what to do. We have weekly status calls to monitor the project’s progress, but if issues pop up, they email me. 

The whole engagement has many moving parts, but I haven’t been directly involved in the process. Their project manager just communicates with me and gives me updates. 

I’ve been a part of many website development projects in my career, and I know these engagements can go south. However, talking with Starke Marketing and seeing their work makes me feel extremely comfortable.

Through my partnership with Starke Marketing, I benefited from having an affordable product with excellent quality. Their support has been outrageous; they’re superb people. 

They’re in Los Angeles, and I’m in Boston, and despite our timezone differences, they’ve remained responsive. Starke Marketing came to the top in every category important to me. If there have been any delays, it’s because of us, not them. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their appreciation of us as a customer — I feel like I’m their only customer. They’re very respectful during calls, and they’re always there with a suggestion and a can-do attitude. 

They’re very attentive and responsive. I’m honest with them, and they’re honest with me — I’ve always felt genuine concern and care from their team.

All the vendors I’ve spoken with are providing the same services. However, Starke Marketing stands out due to how they present their work. We’re more than just a number to them. 

The people I’ve worked with during the start of the project remain the same people I’m working with today. It means a lot to me to have that relationship and personal contact with their team. They’ve provided me with a personalized touch that other companies couldn’t give.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. Everything they’ve done has been great and based on my needs. They’re a terrific team. They’ve been true to me throughout the process.