This is a small Cardiff branch of the global public affairs consultancy Grayling. Though there are…read moreno more than five members in the team, they are experts in the field of welsh politics, and are held in high regard throughout the UK. Their office is ideally situated in the 2 Caspian Point building in the heart of Cardiff Bay, thus guaranteeing that close links are kept between themselves and the Senedd (The National Assembly of Wales building). This additionally ensures that team members can attend assembly committees, and First Ministers' questions on behalf of their clients at ease. Finally I would just like to add that through my own experiences with Grayling, I've found the Cardiff team to be incredibly friendly and very easy to get on with (very important qualities).

Effective Communication is an all singing and all dancing multi media, Marketing and PR company…read morethat even provides media training courses for their clients. Their area of expertise is vast, including established media, such as the press, and other published / printed material, all the way through to 'new media', essentially the burgeoning digital media market that we access via the internet, which includes social media websites like this one. It is becoming increasingly common for agencies of this nature to handle established media as well as the newer digital media formats. Those that don't have probably got a limited lifespan. Digital media is where it is at, with social media forecast to be the ultimate way forward for companies, of all kinds, to advance their position within their respective markets. This is why all printed media producers now has a strong on-line presence to augment their present position as well as ensuring that they don't get left behind. What is unusual about Effective Communication is that they offer 'the most incisive media training in Wales today'. Calling on some of the most experienced journalists in the country, Effective Communication are able to tailor specific courses to clients' needs. Courses include: media interview training, crisis communication training to presentation planning training. Effective Communication has two offices, one in Cardiff and another in Swansea, and will consider all types of client, regardless of scale and whether they be a manufacturing concern or a player within the service industries.

Apparently, Effective Communication is one of the fastest-growing communications agencies in the…read morecountry. With offices in both Cardiff and Swansea, they have a team of about ten professionals offering public relations, marketing, new media, media training, and - interestingly - a public affairs service, which can include lobbying and campaigning the Welsh Assembly on behalf of your organisation. The company is also part of the UK's leading regional media relations network, ReMne, which focuses on reaching consumers through the most trusted news source: regional newspapers. Their client list includes some big names such as Acorn, Camelot, Cardiff Blues, Careers Wales, Marriott Cardiff, Orange, Principality, Starbucks, and many other brands. Their website is not particularly stylish, but it's very clean and simple, and provides all the information you need to help make a decision about whether they're the right communications company for your organisation.

Cambrensis Communications Ltd is another shop fronted PR company in the Pontcanna area, just a…read morestones throw away from Effective Communication. I find this interesting. A lot of the businesses in this area, from the butchers and deli's to the cafes and hair stylists, see a lot of the 'who's who' in Cardiff (as well as a few interlopers: apparently Will Young is known to hang out in Café Brava when he's in Pontcanna visiting a friend), and so it seems that these companies have gravitated to where they need to be. There's quite a few new businesses in the area who have clearly opted to position themselves so that they can capitalise on the standing of the area, but not so Cambrensis Communications Ltd. This family business, that has now grown into an 'extended family' scenario, have been operative for many years. Their founder has had 40years in the PR industry alone. A progressive company, that has had to adapt and grow more flexible due to the ever changing financial and media conditions that present new challenges on an increasingly frequent basis, Cambrensis Communications Ltd continues to flourish. Offering a comprehensive suite of services that include; creating PR campaigns, media relations, media training, TV and radio production including corporate video and DVD production, as well as a broad ranging event management service that even includes wedding planning, launches, and conferences Cambrensis Communications Ltd is a bilingual company and consequently handles several accounts where Welsh speaking is a must.

Founded in 1996, Equinox is a well known communications agency covering public relations,…read moremarketing, design, social media, crisis management, and media training. Their client base is fairly diverse, spanning about 15 different sectors (including charity, media, education, transport, property, business-to-business, tourism, health, manufacturing, food & drink, retail, the environment, etc). They've worked with lots of non-profit organisations ranging frm the Arts Council of Wales to the Meningitis Trust, and also a lot of transport-related companies such as Cardiff Airport, Arriva Trains Wales, BMW, and National Express. Their website provides quick-glance case studies covering mission, approach and results giving prospective clients a good grasp of the kind of experience this company has. They tweet regularly at http://twitter.com/Equinox_Comms, sometimes offering handy PR tips, or offering updates on their current PR campaigns and events.

Talk about throwing me to the wolves: my new line manager had signed me up to take media training…read morewith Equinox PR on my third day of working in the communications department of an independent utility infrastructure company. The aim of the course was to teach the company's directors and communications staff how to effectively deal with the media's questioning following a utility disaster. I was scared to death, as I didn't have an in-depth knowledge about my new employer, so how was I supposed to answer any impromptu questioning? Thankfully, our day of training wasn't as terrifying as I had anticipated (claiming ignorance went a long way here), but it was still pretty intense: our instructors, Eryl Jones (Equinox's Managing Director) and an experienced journalist whose name escapes me, spent a few hours discussing strategy and interview techniques, followed by recording each of us on both tape and video, and ending with a critique. As a trained journalist, it was interesting to be on the other end of questioning for once! It's definitely worthwhile if your company is interested in any sort of media training.

This communications company was founded by Andrew Weltch, an award-winning editor and public…read morerelations professional with more than 25 years' experience. He has written books; taught media studies; provided sports coverage for regional, national and international media; and continues to be the company's senior consultant. Together with his team in Cardiff he works with a network of associates in journalism, public relations, broadcast production, design and event organisations to provide a comprehensive range of communications services. Sport is one of Weltch Media's specialist areas, with many years' experience of sports reporting for print, television and radio, as well as providing a range of public relations and editorial services for the sports sector. Clients in this sector include Tennis Wales, Autospeed, and ClassicRallyPress (who organise international historic rallies). They also have quite a few clients in the education and health sectors, such as Cardiff University, the Welsh Assembly Government and Health Challenge Wales - plus smaller, local companies such as Rhiwbina Hypnotherapy. For sports communications, they certainly seem to have the edge over other communications companies in Cardiff - but it's a shame their own website looks a bit dated.

Good Relations Wales has a team of eight and a conventional, 'corporate' brand identity. Founded…read moreback in 1989, it's not one of Cardiff's 'funky', new-fangled PR agencies but rather one of the more well-established, traditional PR companies. They've been involved in some high profile campaigns for the likes of Cardiff Bus (introducing the 'bendy bus' to the city), NHS Wales, Digital UK (helping Wales make the switchover to digital TV), Hugh James, and Learndirect, amongst other well known organisations. With their no-nonsense strapline -"Better communications. Better results." - they seem like a professional, straightforward company with a very experienced team that includes former journalists, a former Welsh MP, plus PR experts and marketing specialists.

The Cardiff office of this PR and marketing company is the headquarters and hub of the whole…read moreFreshwater network, which includes branches across the country - in Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, London and Southampton. Boasting one of the largest PR agency teams in Wales, Freshwater's clients range from SMEs with just a handful of staff right through to well-known organisations and household brands. Their team in Cardiff aims to offer clients the best of both worlds: the ability to communicate their message to a national audience - but without losing sight of the Welsh culture, language, government and commercial environment. Their results have been recognised at industry awards - winning for both their campaigns and for the staff who deliver them - including five at the CIPR Cymru PRide Awards 2008. Some of their recent PR campaigns in Wales include Lloyds TSB Insurance, General Teaching Council for Wales, and the European Tour Ryder Cup Board (preparing for the 2010 tour).

From the owner: Freshwater is a leading communications agency. We've been…read morehelping clients across the UK to achieve their objectives for more than twenty years. Strategically. Creatively. And with enthusiasm and expertise.

Dart Film & Video have been around since 1976, which is an awful long time in this particular…read morecreative industry. When I became an indie filmmaker about fifteen years ago, I was told that unless I went bankrupt at least once in my career, that I would only be considered to be playing at it! It's a rough old game, and a lot of small production houses struggle to survive,and to have been around for nearly thirty five years means that these boys have been doing an awful lot right! They are deservedly know for their religious adherence to the clients demands, whilst also taking the base ideas and applying a lot of creative magic to the finished results. This means that the clients are always happy, and the team at Dart Film & Video get to keep things fresh... a winning formula in anybodies book! They produce everything from TV programmes through to corporate videos, and have a long list of clients including private businesses, governmental departments and charitable organisations.

With a background in broadcast news and current affairs, Dart has been producing video productions…read morefor businesses, government agencies, and charities since 1976. This well-established business has earned a reputation for producing effective videos often on tight budgets, and works with a diverse portfolio of clients big and small. Their in house capabilities provide an end-to-end service. They include the scripting, filming, editing, graphics design, sound recording and the final audio dubbing of a production. Even if you're struggling for ideas for your corporate video they can help you come up with a well designed storyline, write the script, draw up a production schedule, get in the camera crew and film it - followed by a careful editing process. It's a very professional outfit and all their productions are made by broadcast trained camera crews, editors and production staff using SONY Professional Broadcast equipment. For non-profit educational, training or community projects they offer discounted rates - and their portfolio in this sector includes the likes of Survive International, The Prince's Trust and Velindre Cancer Centre.