Wavemaker picks Salter for global innovation role

WPP agency Wavemaker has appointed Sarah Salter to the new role of global head of applied innovation.

She will be based in London and will be responsible for innovation and technology for global clients.

As part of Wavemaker’s Worldwide Consulting Hub, Salter (pictured) will work with the agency’s global clients and network to “simplify the complex world of innovation, directly applying innovative technology to live projects that solves for client’s specific growth challenges”.

Salter was previously head of innovation at Wavemaker UK where she led the agency’s key client relationships in digital transformation and innovation.

She is credited with being the  been the driving force behind campaigns and consumer experiences like Nationwide’s “Local Voices” on Alexa and Google, Compare the Market’s immersive augmented reality experience, the Public Health Breastfeeding Friend on Alexa and Google and the NHS WhatsApp response to Covid-19.

Salter joined Wavemaker in 2017 and previously had brand-side marketing roles at Vrumi, Equinox, Casio and Procter & Gamble.

Wavemaker Select wins Mettle media account

Wavemaker’s specialist division for “take-off businesses”, Wavemaker Select, has won the media planning and buying account for mobile banking app for small businesses Mettle.

This followed a competitive four-way pitch as the Natwest-backed digital business is looking to grow from a start-up to a scale-up business.

Part of Wavemaker Select’s brief is to develop Mettle’s campaign (below) targeting self-starters in the UK with a multi-channel activation with creative agency Fold7.