New experiential group launches

Former Mars marketer and Mosaic Group chief Mike Cottman has set up a new marketing services group comprising six agencies specialising in technology-driven experiential activity.
Dubbed The Activate Solutions Group, the company boasts a team of around 100 head office personnel, a further 500 permanent field staff, a tactical resource in excess of 5,000 field operatives to draw from and offices across the UK.
The group will specialise in offering complete brand solutions, from sales and distribution drives through to advertising and includes field marketing agency FSS, mystery shopping business IMS, drinks specialist Box Marketing, creative agency Ovation, experiential staffing agency Yes and technology firm Fieldology.
Activate has been structured to allow new clients and those already working with group companies to access the range of services on offer in a wide variety of ways, whether in relation to a large scale national campaign or purely on a local level. Group clients include Ferrero, Palmer & Harvey, Esso, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Santander, Co-op, Imperial Tobacco, The Health Lottery.
Cottman (pictured) started his career at Mars before becoming president of Mosaic Group and then setting up a number of field marketing firms. He said: “The market has changed; in the current climate our clients need both more flexibility and greater value for money. We’ve built a complete service pathway across the group, giving clients the opportunity to join at whichever point is most convenient to them, dependent on the project.
“Activate is all about the retail journey we’re able to create, regardless of requirements or scale. Our range of services and unique products mean we can create opportunities and offer solutions that others can’t match.”