About Us

 

Our History

 

Star Marketing was established by Mick Filmer in 1976, originally under his own name. We quickly built up a reputation for providing a specialised service based on Mick's background as a chartered graphic designer combined with his experience of automotive marketing. Since then we have enjoyed close working relationships with a wide variety of clients across most market sectors, though we have always considered ourselves to be automotive marketing specialists. These clients have included: Natwest, Sainsbury's, Kenwood, Stone Computers, The English Music Festival, Porsche and Ford - as well as numerous other manufacturers and hundreds of automotive retailers.

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Though we are often asked to manage one-off projects, we feel that we really come into our own when our experience and expertise is used to help a business grow and flourish over time. Typically, we have been retained by dealerships to create and manage fully integrated marketing programmes and to cater for their everyday printing and production requirements. During this time we have forged an unparalleled reputation for pragmatism, reliability and excellence, which has led to us being appointed by Ford to develop marketing for their dealer network (essentially bridging the gap between corporate headquarters and ground-level dealerships). This later evolved into a transatlantic operation in which US and UK 'best practices' were analysed and new guidelines were established.


We recognise that our success has largely been due to our unique outlook which is not necessarily in keeping with modern trends; we have never sought out quick fixes or easy money and we have always looked to build long term partnerships based on an effective synergy between us and our clients. We pride ourselves on being easy and rewarding to work with – indeed, a recurring theme in the feedback that we have received over the years is that we really do appreciate the various demands and financial concerns of running a business on a day-to-day basis; Star Marketing is the team that talks your language!

 

 

The Team

 

We are a small yet dynamic team of specialists with a potent mix of industry veterans and enthusiastic young blood. The unique blend of personalities we have at Star Marketing encourages the emergence of innovative new ideas and concepts which can then be tempered accordingly by industry experience and practical know-how. This approach has been particularly effective in recent years, given the prodigious growth in online marketing (especially in the automotive sector, which now accounts for 12.9% of the total market, second only to recruitment).

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What our team is uniquely positioned to do is embrace recent trends in marketing, but also to understand them in their proper context, making sure that our clients' websites and third-party listings (for instance) work for them, rather than the other way around. We appreciate how to use all forms of media wisely and effectively, as part of a well thought out and fully integrated marketing programme; as a means to an end, rather than as an end in itself.


With appropriately innovative solutions and patient hard-work, our team can help you stand out amidst the ever-increasing competition, rather than just continue to exist on a par with them – a capability we feel sets us apart from many of the recently formed hits-obsessed internet-marketing agencies.


Aside from a wealth of practical experience in account-management, cross-media marketing and the automotive industry more generally, our formal qualifications are in graphic design and marketing, website design, economics, politics and philosophy. This scope of expertise allows us, as a team, to deal with projects in a uniquely intelligent, conscientious and well-rounded way. We also consider ourselves to be perfectionists, so when faced with a new project we really do go to great lengths to make sure that we fully appreciate the inevitably unique situation you find yourselves in.


In addition to our core team, we have built up an impressive network of suppliers for print and specialist production services, therefore allowing us to offer clients cutting edge facilities at exceptional rates. The rates at which we are able to offer such services are so competitive not only because of the favourable negotiating position we enjoy with our suppliers, but also because of how we like to do business with our clients (details of which are explained below).

 

 

How we like to do business

 

One of the things we pride ourselves on is always being honest and transparent with our clients. For example, when it comes to our rates we show you exactly what we plan to charge for specific services in a free marketing audit produced after our first meeting. This makes it easier for you to determine exactly what you want us to do.

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Not only is this is a more transparent way of operating with regards to cost, but it also reflects the fact that every business is different and that if we are going to do our job properly then being flexible and responsive to your needs is absolutely essential. In other words: we're quite happy to do as much or as little as you want.


And even the fees we charge for these services are transparent; whereas some agencies will negotiate behind the scenes with third parties to increase their own profit margins, when we use a third party we negotiate with a view to reducing your costs. (For example, when we purchase anything on your behalf - including media, print and promotional items - our fees represent 15% of the (higher) gross cost to [you/the client], which is equivalent to 17.65% of the (lower) net cost paid by ourselves to the supplier.) It might not sound like much, but all of these little details add up and contribute towards a far healthier and more productive working relationship.


The way we like to do business is best summed up by the idea that we are in it together. We want prosperous long-term relationships where we both stand to benefit, as opposed to quick fixes and easy money. It doesn't make sense for us to promise quick fixes and magic solutions, because they rarely exist. Instead, we will help you stand apart from the competition and increase the amount of enquiries and sales with hard-work and creative, intelligent, pragmatic thinking.