Sugar PR in Manchester has launched a new sports division to handle the PR and media requirements of elite athletes.
Mia Walters, who played for Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton Ladies will head up the service with new clients drawn from the world of professional football, boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA).
The agency is already working in partnership with managers, coaches, registered intermediaries and specialist sports lawyers to build and maintain the positive profile and personal brand of players and athletes. It is also working with promoters to amplify media coverage of shows and events.
After playing for Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton and Crewe Alexandra Ladies, Walters secured a 100 per cent soccer scholarship to study in the USA in 2016, before returning to the UK to complete her studies at Loughborough University, which is home to many international elite athletes.
Sugar PR was launched in 2016 and is considered one of Manchester’s top PR companies. The agency has a roster of impressive clients from the world of business and professional services and it says that the sports sector is the next logical step. The award-winning PR agency is currently based on King Street in Manchester city centre.
Mia Walters, head of sports at Sugar PR, said:
“The UK – and Manchester and London in particular – is home to some of the world’s greatest sports professionals and we will be telling the world their stories and elevating the level of commercial opportunities out there as well as connecting with fans and being a positive influencer.
“By working together with managers, intermediaries, regulatory bodies and other sports professionals we feel we can be a perfect bolt-on to their services to provide PR, media relations and personal brand development.”
Pete Davies, managing director of Sugar PR, who spent twenty years as a Football Association (FA) referee and officiated for seven years on the English Football League, said:
“Reputation management for elite athletes is critical for success. In today’s media environment, it’s not good enough to excel in sport, you have to develop a strong personal brand that connects with fans and sponsors.
“Mia will lead the personal branding side of our agency and with her experience she’s perfect to manage the needs of elite sports professionals and their trusted advisers such as lawyers and agents.”
