The company said MEC Tonic will help clients use emerging technologies that are relevant to their digital marketing strategies during consumers’ buying decisions.

Blake joined in February from BBC Worldwide Labs, where she was programme manager. She will report to Ben Poole, MEC’s recently appointed chief digital officer. Blake has been building the division with MEC’s head of mobile Jide Sobo and group strategy director Toby Strangewood.

Blake said: “There is a growing ecosystem of support and mentoring for start-ups but very little exists to educate and challenge established companies on working with emerging technology. Brands need to work faster, take risks, allocate budget and dedicate resource if they want to deliver innovation successfully.”

MEC Tonic is already working with a portfolio of leading UK start-ups including Seenit, Openr, Rezonence, and US companies, Quid and Affinio.