Blanket Communications has gone for a kind of retro look and feel with its brand, and describes…read moreitself as a 'boutique' communications company - yet still provides the full range of services from PR to print, advertising to design, and copywriting to online provision. Their team is made up of PR people, editors, marketing specialists, designers, web experts and print experts. They have quite a few smaller clients, including several independent Cardiff restaurants, featured in their portfolio, including the very well respected Mint and Mustard (see separate review of that!), its sister Indian eatery Chai Street, plus Lebanese and Moroccan restaurant Mezza Luna. They were also chosen to launch the Cardiff branch of the Yo! Sushi chain. Outside of the food industry, they have worked with South Wales Police to create an anti-burglary campaign, and created an award-winning waste awareness campaign for Cardiff schools called The Really Rubbish Campaign. Although this company doesn't have as broad a range of clients covered in its online portfolio as some of its local competitors, I like their clean, waffle-free website copy which comes across as very honest, and their funky design comes across as forward-thinking.

Sugar Creative Studio is a multi-disciplinary full service marketing agency. It is sugar-high happy…read moreto be a young new creative agency supplying unique marketing solutions to a range of sectors from Manufacturing to Entertainment through to Government. Sugar offer a full range of services from branding and traditional print through e-commerce websites to 3D visualisations. Clients include Marvel Comics, Jetix, NHS, Red Dragon, ntl, hp, HBOS & MITIE. Here's a brief list of their services. GRAPHIC :: Corporate Identity / Branding :: Brochures :: Direct Mail Campaigns INTERACTIVE / WEB :: Websites :: Presentations :: e-flyers / Banners / Newsletters :: Search Engine Optimisation VIDEO / MOTION :: Motion Graphics 2D/3D :: Visual/Audio productions :: 3D Visualisation (Architectural / Product Prototype's)

We have worked with Sugar Creative Studio on a number of projects over the last few years, and have…read morebeen delighted with both the work ethic and the finished results. We would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Sugar Creative Studio to others, in fact we already have.

Established at the turn of the millennium, Creo Interactive is no Dome Flop. Instead they are a…read moreCardiff-based web development company that specialises in creating websites that are: 'effective, creative and efficient.' They have some top clients including companies I like such as Academi, Seren Books, and Spillers Records not to mention International Baccalaureate organisation, Coleg Sir Gar, Tanni Grey-Thompson, South Wales Probation Service, and Maes-b (National Eisteddfod). For Welsh Literature Promotion Agency Academi they redesigned their new bilingual content managed site and developed the comprehensive Writer's Database. These are just some of the skills that Creo offer: * Web Design * Usability * Graphic Design * E-Marketing * Ecommerce * Content Management System (CMS) * Accessibility * Online Marketing * Coldfusion Developers Other Creo services include website hosting, search engine optimization, identity creation and website maintenance solutions. They aim to make robust sites that look good and fit around your budget requirements.

As soon as you arrive at the website of this public relations company you know they're aiming to be…read morea bit more fun and funky than some of their more traditional peers. Love or hate the in-your-face website design, it's nonetheless eye-catching and far removed from the corporate look and feel of most Cardiff-based PR agencies. However, just like their rivals they work with clients who want to enter new markets, raise funds, launch new products, or simply raise their profile, offering PR consultancy and media relations campaigns, business communications, consumer communications, marketing, design, and new media services such as blogs, podcasts, webcasts and viral marketing. I found it hard to discover what experience they have, though - or which clients they have worked with, and the results they have achieved for them. There's lots of talk about what they can do for clients, but when I've chosen PR agencies to work with in the past it's been their portfolio and results that have persuaded me to work with them - rather than persuasive website copy.

This digital marketing company offers a pretty comprehensive service to companies looking for web…read moresite design and management, 2D and 3D animation, illustration, marketing strategies, brand development, video production, graphic design and print, CD and DVD authoring, photography, PR and even search engine optimisation. That's quite a list, and may leave some worried that they can't possibly deliver it all to a high quality. Yet looking at the broad skills of their team, and the resulting portfolio, it seems they can. Big names such as ITV, BBC, BP and Microsfot are amongst their client list, and their portfolio is impressive, with video presentations showing some of their work with CNN, Crystal, Transcanada and others. Very slick.

Atticus is an inventive, creative, strategic digital design agency that works with boutique…read moreindependents and global companies. Their team of dedicated, experienced professionals can fix it for you whether in print, motion graphics, video production, multimedia, web design or 3D animation. They have worked within the film and media industry for many years. They like to get up close and personal with their clients, which include Abbey Road Studios, BP, BBC, CNN, ITV, Microsoft, Pinewood Studios, and the Welsh Assembly. They are pretty darn good at delivering on time and on budget too. If I were you, I'd use them for all things 3-D. Design Capabilities: Exhibitions, Graphics, Branding, CDROM, Multimedia, Photography, Web, Web E-Commerce, Web CMS, Web Bespoke

'Fresh ideas and creativity produce award-winning brand communications, which is where we come in.'…read more Peter Gill Associates is an advertising, design and digital media agency based in Canton. They specialise in brand design and corporate identity programmes, literature systems, information campaigns, exhibition design, signage systems, web and interactive solutions for corporate and marketing communications. Since their launch in 1981 the agency has grown a reputation through talent and sheer hard work. Their portfolio spans a selection of creative work for small and medium size enterprises, public organisations and for large international businesses. Clients include a number of top notch businesses and prizes in The Arts including Artes Mundi, Cool Cymru, Fflics, and Welsh Journals Online.

Based in Cardiff, Website Express provides local and international businesses and organisations…read morewith fully content managed websites. Whether you are after bespoke brochure sites or e-commerce enabled online shops and community sites. Their CMS (content management) is apparently 'the most user-friendly available' but then they would say that. Still they offer one to one training so that you are able to update your website content by yourself. They have created websites for a range of sectors including; auto trade, restaurants, personal blogs and community sites, Post Offices, shops and many other SMEs. BONUS: Website Express supports the Drupal and Welsh language communities by sponsoring a complete translation into Welsh of the Drupal core and several major contributed modules. Any group, company or organisation wishing to use Drupal to power a Welsh language website may now download these translations from the official Localize Druapal site and be up and running in minutes. Hurrah.

Petersens Design work with small companies and large businesses that need help with branding,…read moreadvertising, web design and development and marketing in general. They do this by swotting up all they can about the client's business and then working with them to produce creative, appropriate and effective design, web design, advertising, direct mail and marketing. They've worked on allsorts - branding, interior and exterior design, signage, packaging and launch for a number of restaurants to highly complex multinational web-based intranet design and development as well as sales target beating direct mail design. Their clients list includes Royal Mint, Vitacress, Juboraj Group, Kingswood Associates, BBC, and WDA.