The former head of PR at Manchester-based Social has left to launch his own agency.
Chris Walker, a former journalist who has spent the last decade working for Northern agencies which also include Weber Shandwick, IPB and The BIG Partnership, has launched Be The Best Communications.
He says the agency will bring together PR, public affairs, business development and marketing in a bid to “better harness market intelligence to drive sales”.
Walker, 39, said: “Sales are the lifeblood of any business. However, communications agencies and most clients treat PR, public affairs, and new business development as different disciplines, sat siloed in different departments.
“We are doing things differently in terms of how we engage with government, how we engage with the marketplace and mobilise our intelligence to drive sales.”
Be The Best has already secured briefs from Northern-based clients in the tech, housing and development sectors.
Angela May, who has worked for brands including Sony, IBM, Intel and Accenture over the last 20 years, has joined as head of strategy.
Walker, who was named Yorkshire News Reporter of the Year in 2007, was most recently at Social, where he worked for clients including Mace, Viewpoint and Your Housing Group.
