Activate

What Activate does

Activate (legal entity We Activate Asia Pte Ltd) is a privately held, Singapore-headquartered multidisciplinary design consultancy that exclusively serves the retail sector. The firm operates a proprietary four-stage methodology called the "Science of Shopping" (Insights & Strategy, Create, Activate, Validate) that structures its engagements from shopper observation and analytics through concept creation, execution, and post-launch validation. Service lines span graphic communication, digital experiences for retail touchpoints, and the design and build of physical retail environments, with the firm positioning itself as an end-to-end alternative to point-solution design shops.

The go-to-market is enterprise B2B field sales, with prospective clients directed to contact Activate directly via its 8-office Asia Pacific network spanning Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Sydney (regional HQ), and Jakarta (via associate partner PT. Prima Mitra Sejahtera). Revenue is generated on a professional services model across project-based engagements; no pricing is publicly disclosed. Named clients span dairy (Fonterra), duty free (Changi Duty Free), financial services retail (BNZ), luxury spirits (Johnnie Walker), and other global retail brands, indicating a horizontal enterprise retail focus rather than a single vertical.

The firm is privately held with 11-50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, no AI/ML capability disclosures, and a public website copyright dated 2014 — all of which constrain confidence on current scale, momentum, and technology stack.

Name

Activate

Legal name

We Activate Asia Pte Ltd

Website

https://weactivate.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Singapore-headquartered multidisciplinary design consultancy serving retail brands across Asia Pacific, delivering end-to-end retail environment design, digital experiences, and graphic communication via its proprietary "Science of Shopping" four-stage methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Design Consultancy

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Graphic Design Services (541430), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAKAL

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

SECONDARYMPAAAGAA

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Experiential & Event Marketing Agencies

SECONDARYCRAOAOAD

Retail Media, Shopper Marketing & In-Store Activation Services

Consumer Products & Retail/Wholesale, Distribution & Category Management/Category Management, Merchandising & Trade Promotion Services

SECONDARYBPAFAGAA

Event Strategy & Experience Design

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Experiential & Event Marketing

SECONDARYMPAGAHAD

Product Launches & Brand Activations (Experiential Marketing)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Corporate & Private Events (Galas, Product Launches)

Keywords

• Retail design
• Design consultancy
• Graphic communication
• Digital experiences
• Brand positioning

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Design Consulting Services: Activate generates revenue through professional design consulting services, offering multidisciplinary retail design solutions from initial insights through to execution. Services span graphic communication, digital experiences, and physical retail environment design and build.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Activate is a multidisciplinary design consultancy specializing in retail that delivers end-to-end design services spanning graphic communication, innovative digital experiences, and the design and build of physical retail environments. The firm uses its proprietary four-stage "Science of Shopping" methodology (Insights & Strategy, Create, Activate, Validate) to connect shopper insights with brand positioning, then create and validate tangible design concepts applied across multiple retail touchpoints.

Product overview

Activate is a multidisciplinary design consultancy specializing in retail, operating a unified service offering built around its proprietary 'Science of Shopping' methodology—a four-stage process comprising Insights & Strategy, Create, Activate, and Validate. The consultancy provides end-to-end services from generating initial insights through to applying finishing touches on opening day. The Science of Shopping framework serves as the core methodology, while individual service modules (Insights & Strategy, Create, Activate, Validate) represent distinct phases of engagement. Additional service offerings include Retail Environment Design, Digital Experiences, and Graphic Communication, all delivered by an award-winning design team. Activate serves clients across Asia-Pacific including Fonterra (New Zealand), Changi Duty Free (Singapore), Johnnie Walker (Asia), and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Science of Shopping (Retail Design Consultancy) Activate's end-to-end retail design consultancy service, structured around a proprietary four-stage methodology (Insights & Strategy, Create, Activate, Validate) that connects shopper analytics with brand positioning and tangible design execution. Delivered to enterprise retail brands across Asia Pacific; combines world-class shopper insights with award-winning design execution across physical and digital touchpoints.
• Retail Environment Design Design and build of physical retail environments, spanning concept creation through to opening-day execution. Aimed at retail brands and consumer-facing corporations seeking end-to-end delivery of physical store concepts.
• Digital Experiences Innovative digital experience design for retail touchpoints, created by Activate's award-winning design team. Designed for retail brands seeking world-first digital retail experiences applied across their customer touchpoints.
• Graphic Communication Groundbreaking graphic communication design services supporting brand positioning across multiple retail touchpoints. Targeted at enterprise retail brands needing distinctive visual identity execution at the point of sale.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PT. Prima Mitra SejahteraminorOthersAssociate partner arrangement in Jakarta, Indonesia. Listed as part of Activate's geographical network for delivery across the Asia Pacific region. Contact details provided for project enquiries in the Indonesian market.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: IDEO is a global design consultancy offering human-centered design, digital experiences, and service design across multiple industries. Comparable to Activate on multidisciplinary design and insight-led methodology, but with much broader industry coverage.
• FutureBrand: FutureBrand is an Interpublic-owned brand and retail experience consultancy delivering brand strategy, identity, and retail design globally. Comparable to Activate's brand positioning plus retail design offering but at larger scale.
• Gensler: Gensler is a large global architecture and design firm with a dedicated retail practice serving enterprise brand owners across APAC. Comparable to Activate on retail environment design but with far broader scale and service scope.

Direct peers

• CallisonRTKL: CallisonRTKL is a global architecture and design firm with a strong retail design practice covering flagship stores, shopping centers, and brand experiences. Comparable to Activate on physical retail environment design and build for enterprise clients.
• Sheridan&Co: Sheridan&Co is a retail design and brand experience agency specializing in store environments, shopper marketing, and packaging for premium and luxury brands. Closely comparable to Activate's retail environment design and shopper-led approach.
• Landor & Fitch: Landor & Fitch combines brand strategy and Fitch's retail design heritage to deliver branding, retail, and experience design for global brand owners. Comparable to Activate in serving multinational brands with integrated brand-to-retail design programs.
• Fitch (design consultancy): Fitch is a long-standing retail and brand design consultancy offering shopper insight, brand experience, and store environment design across global markets. It is the closest direct comparable to Activate in terms of multidisciplinary retail-focused design services.

Emerging players

• Dalziel & Gill: Dalziel & Gill is a UK-based retail design agency focused on store concept, brand experience, and shopper insight for retail and hospitality clients. Comparable to Activate in offering end-to-end retail design for brand owners, though concentrated in EMEA.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/activate-asia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Activate