Vange Kourentis and Elliot Parkus to head SMG Sports

August 2009

Former Manchester United business development manager, Vange Kourentis and Starcom MediaVest Group Director, Elliot Parkus will head new sports sponsorship consultancy, SMG Sports. The media-driven agency is a result of a partnership between Starcom MediaVest Group UK - part of the Publicis Groupe - and the sports media consultancy, Sports Insight.

SMG Sports will combine media relations and communications strategy with sports marketing expertise and will service clients from both the Starcom and MediaVest sides of the business.

Its position in the heart of a media agency will ensure that sports sponsorship sits as part of an integrated communications plan rather than in isolation.

Vange Kourentis said: “In the run-up to London 2012, more advertisers are turning their attention to sports marketing. However, many sports sponsorship strategies are an inexact science, executed without proper planning and integration into a wider communications programme. SMG Sports will put intelligence and integration into the mix, allowing brand owners to extract the maximum value from their sports investments.”

Sports Insight is the consulting and advisory arm of Investors in Media, which also owns the sports media rights specialist, Sports Revolution.