There’s no doubt that the modern organisation has a wealth of tools at its disposal – digital strategies, search, SEO, PR, traditional marketing, video, social and many more.

So where does this leave the dedicated PR agency? Well if you’re entrusting a competent agency with your public relations strategy, you’ll be in exactly the same place. Having been fully briefed in your business’ intentions, your PR agency will have already recognised your communications potential and adapted its strategy to accurately match your demands before you realise them.

It’ll already have widened its service offering and integrated itself further into your business. This could be event management, customer communications or email marketing management.

In fact unlike a large marketing organisation that has to brief multiple departments and stretch its resources, your PR agency has the expertise in place to run a lean integrated department.

The key isn’t a broad approach. A specialist agency with a solid understanding of the business processes leading your marketplace is all you need. The benefit? You also have an extremely effective PR agency to lead your media campaigns when necessary.

This year the awards were held for the first time at the prestigious London art fair, Kinetica.

The Musion Academy is a not-for-profit organisation that helps support talented artists and students with an interest in holographic art.

Entries included an amazing mix of interactivity, visual elements, acoustic experimentation and holographic performance.

Winner Laura Jean Healey made history with the world’s first underwater shoot with Musion technology. Analema Group’s performance ‘Khaos’ showed a live dancer creating a holographic fractal landscape in real-time, while Ki-Ra’s ‘Anima Mundi’ was an equally impressive visual performance which explored the archetypal nature of time.

Finally New Opera Hero, who redefine the term ‘band,’ amalgamated visual and sonic art with live music and holographic visuals to win two awards on the night.

Truly special stuff.

One of the most common questions we hear is ‘what is PR and how can it help my business?’ In the age of modern social media, digital campaigns and reinvigorated traditional methods there are many facets to PR, so providing a definitive answer can prove challenging.

We’re attempting to answer the question with a series of informational white papers.

The first paper starts with a core part of PR; media and press relations. There are various approaches to take with a press campaign so we hope it’ll give you some starting advice for getting your message out.

If you still have questions, we’re always available to chat over coffee. You can reach us on 0845 257 7118 or on email.

Download the white paper for free here

Our client AVSolution realised this and elicited our help to create an informational video about its Polycom ATX Telepresence Suite.

Photos and words have a purpose but when you want to show off a visual technology like immersive Telepresence, video is the best option.

Choosing the right videographer can be difficult, but we work with proven ex-BBC and ITN video journalists who understand how to produce professional, interesting videos within strict budgets.

Whether it’s writing the script for you or handling the logistics on the day, we’re able to help you create a video just like this.

Contact us if you’d like to find out more.

On Wednesday 11^th January, Musion combined its expertise with Masergy and AVSolution, to utilise Polycom’s Immersive Telepresence technology in a genuine world first. Musion is renowned for its 3D holographic projection technology Musion 3D, a breathtaking system that’s been used by the biggest names in the entertainment and technology world.

This time Polycom’s HDX video codec was configured by AVSolution to demonstrate the future of business communication as representatives from Masergy were transmitted live across London for a stunning face-to-face virtual meeting.

As Ian O’Connell, Director of Musion, rightfully stated, “Polycom’s affordable HDX video codec creates a terrific easily accessible solution and introduces Musion TelePresence to a much wider audience. The future of business communication isn’t just sat at a desk behind a screen – it is now possible to experience face-to-face, fully immersive 3D meetings where individuals appear in breathtaking clarity to each other without the need to physically be there.”

For full details on the event, please see the full press release on Masergy’s website.

First up is another fantastic media placement for AVSolution. First it was The Sunday Times, now it’s a business technology supplement in the Daily Telegraph. AVSolution helped provide an article explaining why telepresence is the future of business meetings. Also, did you spot their full page advertisement on the back of the supplement?

If that wasn’t enough, you might have noticed Musion’s appearance in two features in the same supplement; one about its appearance at the Orange Business event, hellodemain, the other in a general Future of Business Communication feature.

Last is Masergy who this week announced its partnership with the largest carrier in the Caribbean region, Digicel – it was news that’s already been covered in Total Telecom.

Of course it’s only right we end with a heartfelt wish to all our clients, readers and partners for a very Happy Christmas and New Year. Here’s to an equally successful 2012.

Yesterday saw Apple release iOS 5.0.1., the first of many OTA (‘over the air’) updates for its mobile operating system. To update ‘over the air,’ all you have to is follow Settings > General > Software Update. Alongside the standard bug and security fixes, the update promises to solve the battery life issues we’ve seen affecting iOS 5 devices – in particular, the new iPhone 4S.

The ease of OTA updating is proof of Apple’s simplicity. It further cements Apple as the user-friendliness king and when paired with iCloud, the technology giant’s new wireless backup service, it’s obvious that it won’t be long before wires are extinct.

With over 100 hours of seminars focussing on everything digital, direct and social, the two day marketing event offered much to visitors. Particularly worthwhile was the 30 minute keynote from Google’s Richard Robinson on integrated web-based dialogue. Did you see us around the show? Be sure to let us know on Twitter if you did.

Up next is appsworld on the 29 – 30 November at Olympia. We can’t wait! Don’t forget, we’re always happy to position you as an industry leader at tradeshows. For a real-world example, take a look at our client’s attendance at xSolutions last month.

On Wednesday, 19^th October, Masergy took part in an industry roundtable on Managed Services at the event. Titled Making It In Managed Services, VP Sales, EMEA Richard Mathewson discussed the state of the managed services market, how Masergy’s high performance global network fits into it and what partner opportunities exist within the Masergy Marketplace.

Hopefully we’ll see you at xSolutions 2012 when it returns to London next year.  Feel free to get in touch if you need help organising similar opportunities or need support for an upcoming event.

It’s been a monstrous week for RIM’s Blackberry, with the past four days plagued by a global service outage of email, Blackberry Messenger and internet browsing capability. Often touted as secure and reliable, a software issue has managed to cripple Blackberry functionality across the world. It’s abysmal timing for the enterprise’s mobile of choice.

Why? Because it’s happened in the week Apple has chosen to release its latest mobile operating system, iOS 5. Bringing over 200 new features to the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone, the system update launched yesterday to huge download demands. Those that struggled through the slow connection speeds will have the largest update of its kind. It promises iMessages (Apple’s take on device-to-device WiFi/Data messaging), iCloud functionality, a redesigned notification system and the future possibility of updating iOS without a wired connection.

It’s a fitting tribute to Steve Jobs who passed away last week after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.