Northstar Blog

Dynamite Surfing

This viral advert was made for Quicksilver by Saatch & Saarchi Copenhagen.

It’s been circulating the web for many months now and is a classic example of how cost effective the internet can be to get your message across.

I can’t think of any other media that would be more effective for targeting those hard to reach 16 to 28 year age group.

Christmas e-card

The Northstar Christmas ecard was mailed out today to all our clients, suppliers and associates.

That helped save a very small tree, a few hundred pounds of CO2 emissions, and me licking ninety eight envelopes.

And because email marketing can be done at a fraction of the cost of traditional mailings … Scrooge would be proud!

Naturally with our statistical reporting that comes free with our email marketing programme, we can see who opened their card, at what time, and how often they looked at it.

Now you don’t get that with your average Hallmark card!

Web Videos - Free video hosting or Paid?

As video production gets more affordable and broadband connections become the norm, embedding video on your website becomes a viable option.

Video has impact - and with all your competitors only just a click away - can be an ideal way to retain attention and ensure that your website gets over your message.

Web video applications

• Product demonstrations - Dyson commercials have been very successful
• Talking heads - sales pitches in the Cillit Bang approach
• Walk-throughs and virtual tours - popular with estate agents and property developers
• Infommercials - you know, the hard sell DVDs they have in department stores
• Web adverts - or webverts, as some people are calling them

The historical problem has been the expense, videos take a tremendous amount of bandwidth and hard disc space on the server.

One quick and easy solution is upload your video to a free video sharing service, such as YouTube, Google Video or Vimeo.

Although these companies offer free hosting, there are some compromises that have to be paid for: poor quality video resolution and sound, the fact that it is open to the public, and that the video branded and has a link that takes customers away from your website.

With Paid Video Hosting you have improved audio and visual quality, the choice of screen size, resolution, opening frame and other customization.

Here’s an example:

Free video hosting:

Paid video hosting:

Credits:

Title: “Too Good To Share”
Client: Onken Dairy UK
Writer, art director: Fred Campbell
Director: Mick Rudman
Production Company: Park Village

Dedicated video hosting at Northstar starts from as little as £10 per month. Check out our video production page for further information.

Statoil TV commercial

Statoil - Bad Morning?

As temperatures plummet across the UK, here is a little TV commercial that will warm the cockles of your heart: a free coffee promotion by Statoil - a Norwegian oil company.

Doesn’t sound promising? Take a look; great casting, editing and directing.

Northstar has entered CSS Fights

CSS Fights is an interactive website, where the viewers choose the winner of competing websites.

Two websites, head to head and you choose the winner!

For a ring-side seat where you can decide the fate of Northstar, just click the button below:

Click here to view Northstar’s profile and fighting record on CSS Fights.

Boxed CSS - Northstar Web Design Award

Boxed CSS is web design gallery, showcasing the best sites on the web.

Their standards are strict - not only do their sites have to demonstrate great design, but they also have built with the latest CSS technology and be compliant with accessibility standards.

Their stapline is: “Only the best sites make our list” - and Northstar is delighted to be accepted.

Visit Boxed CSS website »

Creating content targeted for Google search phrases

Recently Northstar was approached by a company offering advertising on its website which targets the National Health Service. For a mere £350 we could have a 70 word listing as one of 5 preferred suppliers for website design in the Yorkshire region.

The reason for this opportunity is that the government has given up on a centralized computer system, after spending several billion, and now requires that all hospitals, surgeries and medical practices create and maintain their own websites.

Rather than paying to appear on someone else’s website, we created a single page that was optimized to target the NHS.

Using Google’s Keyword Tool, we identified a handful of popular search phrases to incorporate into the meta data and content.

Within three weeks, this page on Northstar was outperforming an entire website built to capture this target market.

Here are just a few of the phrases that are getting first page results on Google (November 23, 2008}:

NHS web design Leeds - No 1

NHS web design Yorkshire - No 1

NHS copywriting Yorkshire - No 1

NHS web design - No 4

NHS surgery web design - No 5

NHS copywriting - No 9

Visit Northstar’s NHS web design page »

Search Engine Optimisation isn’t some magic button you just press. It’s about continuous growth and development of your website, generating content that is targeted at key search phrases that will bring clients to your business.

I Want To Be A Rockstar

For all those people settling down to another week of commuting, meetings and Excel spreadsheets - here’s a brilliant video to remind you of your childhood air-guitar dreams.

Lip-synching is a simple technique that’s been done a million times before, but that doesn’t detract from its impact.

They add to the global reach by having their performers in front of landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Times Square and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Nickelback’s video is brilliantly executed with guest appearances from the public, Gene Simmons (KISS), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and numerous other celebrities.

Remembrance Sunday - Bramhope

WHO ARE THESE MEN ?

Who are these men who march so proud,
Who quietly weep, eyes closed, head bowed?
These are the men who once were boys,
Who missed out on youth and all its joys.

Who are these men with aged faces,
Who silently count the empty spaces?
These are the men who gave their all,
Who fought for their country for freedom for all.

Who are these men with sorrowful look
Who can still remember the lives that were took?
These are the men who saw young men die,
The price of peace is always high.

Who are these men who in the midst of pain,
Whispered comfort to those they would not see again?
These are the men whose hands held tomorrow,
Who brought back our future with blood tears and sorrow.

Who are these men who promise to keep
Alive in their hearts the ones God holds asleep?
These are the men to whom I promise again:
‘Veterans’, my friends - I will remember them!

Poem by Jodie Johnson (aged 11)

Clients Speak - Newton Bagshawe

“I am really pleased with all the work that Northstar has done for me.

The logo design is modern and clean and gives a clear professional look to the stationery and website.

The new website provides an excellent showcase for the work that I do and works smoothly and efficiently, and the copywriting for the white paper has brought clarity to my first drafts.

Northstar have responded quickly to all my communications and have taken on board exactly what I wanted.

All in all you have provided an efficient, responsive and professional service all round.”

Anthony Bagshawe, CEO, Newton Bagshawe

Visit the Newton Bagshawe website »