OLIVER Group is bringing Aylesworth Fleming in Manchester and Marketing Matters in Bournemouth under the parent brand as it plans to drive its inside agency model into both regions. The move is part of a strategy designed to establish regional inside-agency hubs for clients. OLIVER Manchester, which launched in April as a regional hub supporting all onsite creative teams for clients in the North, will now incorporate Aylesworth Fleming’s Manchester team and client base. OLIVER Manchester will be led by the existing leadership team of Nic Morris as Managing Director, Sam Yearsley as Creative Director, Jo Scott and Julia Pitt as Senior Account Directors. The agency will relocate to Exchange Quay, in Media City Salford, as it prepares for future growth and expansion. Marketing Matters, which becomes OLIVER Bournemouth, will continue working with existing clients, including Panasonic, English Apples and Pears and Vet’s Kitchen. OLIVER Bournemouth will be based in the current Aylesworth Fleming office at Holland House in St Paul’s Place.
Sharon Whale, CEO, OLIVER Group UK, said: “Manchester is a key creative hub, both from talent and client perspectives – that was one of our reasons for acquiring Aylesworth Fleming in 2015 in the first place. Bringing the Manchester office fully under the OLIVER Group umbrella is the next stage of delivering on our promise to invest in the talented people there and drive an ambitious new business agenda. With both OLIVER Manchester and Bournemouth, clients will benefit from our successful ‘inside’ philosophy, opening up new opportunities and faster ways of working, while having the reassurance of regional knowledge delivered by the heritage of the agencies they derive from.”
Nic Morris, Managing Director, OLIVER Manchester, added: “Manchester has a long-standing advertising heritage, and while there’s a number of agencies occupying that space, there’s also vacant territory for an agency with something different. OLIVER Manchester is that alternative, and we’re already getting traction with the benefits of OLIVER’s inside model. Coming into the OLIVER Group fold fully means we can carry on delivering exceptional solutions for our property clients as well as feed our ambition to go beyond into wider range of clients. Being part of OLIVER gives us the scope and support we need to make that happen.”
Matt Fleming, Managing Director of Aylesworth Fleming, said: “The launch of OLIVER in Bournemouth marks a pivotal moment for us and for the partnership as our evolution continues apace one year on. OLIVER works with some of the biggest, most exciting brands in the world, and being able to call on the extensive expertise of the wider team for their insight and input keeps us ahead of the curve, offering our clients the very best service. At the centre of our offering is our people, and we’re delighted that the team who have worked under the Marketing Matters brand will now be flying the flag for OLIVER on the south coast and continuing their excellent work.”
