Mongoose Group Confirms Double Acquisition
London-based marketing agency Mongoose Group, part of the MISSION Group plc, has significantly grown its sports marketing and social media offering with the acquisition of Influence Sports & Media and Populate Social.
Influence Sports & Media and Populate Social will retain their brands and identities and form an integral part of the Mongoose Group alongside Mongoose Sports & Entertainment and ALIVE Brand Experience.
Influence Sports & Media, which is also based in London but with a strong presence in the US, is a specialist sports marketing agency that offers strategic consultancy, commercial sales, partnership activation, PR & communications and content creation.
The team has experience and relationships in motor sport, sailing and pro-cycling, with experience working across the flagship events of Formula 1, the America’s Cup and the Tour de France.
Based in Cardiff, Populate’s 20-strong team of social media experts work on paid media campaigns, organic social media management, social strategy, content creation, messenger bots and TikTok/social content packages.
Its clients include England Rugby, Live Nation and Paris Fashion Week.
Chris O’Donoghue, CEO at Mongoose Group, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Alistair, Dan and the Influence Sports and Populate teams to MISSION and the Mongoose Group as we build our offering for clients globally. Populate will transform our social delivery as part of all our integrated Client campaigns.
“Influence Sports and Mongoose Sports & Entertainment (MSE) are highly complementary – Influence Sports will lead on all projects ‘on track’ and ‘on water’ and MSE will continue driving on ball sports, outdoor sports, venues and charities.”
Alistair Watkins, Founder & CEO of Influence Sports & Media, added, “Over the last 10 years we have continued to build our presence in sport, delivering best-in-class services for leading global brands, teams and properties. Formula 1 and the America’s Cup are both key pillars of the agency, and it is a hugely exciting time as both properties are seeing exponential growth and interest around the world.
“We are delighted to be joining MISSION Group plc and the newly formed Mongoose Group to drive international opportunities and offer a greater breadth of services for all our clients.”
Dan Simmons, Founder at Populate Social, said, “After seven years of growing Populate I am delighted to have found the right partner with Mongoose Group to elevate the offering and bring our social media specialism to a global roster of brands and rights holders in the world of sports and entertainment.”
