Merkle Inc.

Merkle Inc.
Privately held
Founded Lanham, Maryland (1971)
Headquarters Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Key people
  • David Williams Chairman & CEO
  • Tim Berry President, CRM Solutions
  • Patrick Hennessy President, Vertical Markets
Services
  • Consulting
  • Marketing Technology
  • Data & Analytics
  • Digital Agency Services
Revenue Increase$382 million USD (2014)
Number of employees
  • 2,700+ (2014)
  • 350+ advanced-degreed statisticians
  • 650+ digital experts
  • 650+ marketing technology professionals
  • 100+ creative resources
Website www.merkleinc.com

Merkle Group Inc. (also called "Merkle") is a privately held performance marketing agency specializing in data-based marketing solutions.

Merkle History

The current Chairman and CEO, David Williams, purchased Merkle for $5.2 million in 1988, at the age of 25, becoming the Company’s twenty-fourth employee.[1] Merkle has grown revenue from $3.0 million in 1988 to over $382 million in 2014, and has evolved from a database marketing firm into a full-service performance marketing agency.[1] In 2014, Advertising Age ranked Merkle as the 10th largest and fastest growing CRM/direct marketing agencies in the world; the 7th largest US CRM/direct marketing network in the US; the 17th largest US digital agency network; the 10th largest and fastest-growing search marketing agency; and the 20th largest US agency from all disciplines.[2] Merkle was recognized as a database marketing leader by Forrester Research Inc. in its "Buyer’s Guide to Database Marketing Service Providers," and is a member of Forrester’s "top 10." [3] Merkle was recognized as a market leader by Forrester in 2003, 2006 and 2007.[4]

Acquired Electronic Banking Systems (renamed Merkle Response Services)[6]
Name change to Merkle Direct Marketing, Inc.
Launched Analytics business
Merkle & Conrad Direct Launch HealthSource List[8]
Launched Data Solutions business
Won P&G and Capital One business
Acquired Sigma Analytics [12]
Merkle received a new contract from GEICO[13]
NCDM awards Merkle the Silver Database Excellence Award in the Modeling Applications category for its work with GEICO[14]
First annual client "thought leadership" summit
Opened offices in Boston, MA and Denver, CO [15]
Merkle divests Merkle Mailing Services and formed strategic alliance with Direct Group[16]
October, acquired Domain [17]
December, acquired Quris[18]
Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards Merkle|Quris Best Email Message for work with Blockbuster Inc.[19]
Ad:tech Ad:tech Awards Merkle|Quris Best Email Marketing Campaign with Vail Resorts [20]
NCDM awards the Platinum Award for Overall Excellence and a Gold Award for Analytics & Modeling with Dell, Inc.[21]
Named a market leader by Forrester[22]
Advertising Age 2006 Special Report Ranks Merkle 38 in World’s Top 50 Marketing Organizations moving up 9 positions from the year prior[23]
NCDM awards Merkle the Silver Award for Analytics & Modeling with 21st Century Insurance and the Bronze Award for Technological Applications with Dell, Inc.[21]
Marks the third straight year in which Merkle has won an NCDM Excellence Award[21]
Rated a Market Leader for Email Marketing by Jupiter Research[24]
Wins first annual DMA Analytics Challenge at DMA06[25]
President & CEO David Williams named a Best Boss by Winning Workplaces and Fortune Small Business magazine[26]
Fundraising Success awards Merkle|Domain and Food for the Hungry the Gold Award for Package of the Year[27]
Named a market leader by Forrester[28]
Advertising Age 2007 Special Report Ranks Merkle 31 for World’s Top 50 Marketing Organizations moving up 7 positions from the year prior[29]
Acquired CFM Direct LLC,[30] the Response Processing Division of AB&C Group,[31] and CognitiveDATA[32]
Merkle President & CEO David Williams named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner in Maryland for 2007[33]
Named a finalist for an OMMA award in Online Advertising Creativity[34]
Awarded a Gold Award from Fundraising Success Magazine for its work with CARE USA on its successful "A Million Thanks from a Million Places" renewal campaign [35]
Awarded a Bronze Award from Fundraising Success Magazine for the package of the year CARE November/December World Report campaign [35]
Awarded a Bronze Award from Fundraising Success Magazine for its E-Philanthropy America’s Second Harvest "Fill the Fridge" campaign [35]
Ranked 31 in Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 Programs for Maryland[36][37]
Advertising Age magazine ranked Merkle among the Top 10 Direct Marketing Agencies, in the Top 15 U.S. Marketing Services Agencies and among the Top 30 Agency Companies in the world[38]
David Williams named "CEO of the Year" by SmartCEO Magazine[39]
Acquired CMS Direct[40]
Ranked 27th, Merkle was named the largest worldwide marketing services company and the 6th largest direct marketing agency in America[38]
Acquired Metzner Schneider Associates[41]
Technology Crossover Ventures purchases a minority equity stake in Merkle[42]
On September 14th Merkle opened its first international office in Shanghai, China[43]
March 25th, acquired IMPAQT LLC[44]
April 1st, acquired Lenser[45]
Merkle Selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee as Agency of Record
Named a market leader by Forrester[46]
Received ISO 9001 Recertification
Merkle, Inc. and Loews Hotels, Inc. Sign Marketing Agreement
Debuts the Merkle Monitor, a Primary Market Research Solution
Acquired Social Amp[47]
Ad Age ranked Merkle #6 of Top 10 CRM / Direct Agencies in the US [48]
Ad Age named Merkle in the 10 Agencies to Watch in 2012 [48]
Acquired 5th Finger
Acquired Brilig [49]
Merkle Wins Bronze Stevie Award for 2012 Marketing Imperatives [50]
Merkle Wins DMA Innovation Award[51]
Merkle Wins Fundraising Success Gold Award in Nonprofit E-Mail Campaign $10 Million and Up Category[52]
Merkle Wins Internationalist Award for Innovative Digital Solutions in Humanitarian Category[53]
Name to Post 200 guide to the Washington region’s top businesses, private companies category[54]
April 2, Acquired New Control[55]
Advertising Age Agency Report 2014 Rankings[2]
Fastest Growing Top 20 US Agency from All Disciplines
17th Largest US Digital Agency Network
10th Largest and Fastest Growing CRM/Direct Marketing Network in the World
10th Largest and Fastest Growing Search Marketing Agency
7th Largest US CRM/Direct Marketing Network
Top 25 US Mobile Agency (Ranked 19th)
Top 50 Agency in the World (Ranked 22nd)
Largest US Agencies from All Disciplines (Ranked 20th)
Merkle Wins Bronze Stevie Award for 2013 Marketing Imperatives Campaign [56]
July 2, Acquired RKG[57]
November 18, Acquired startup 500friends[58]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Fast growth in a fast-changing marketing world". Baltimore Sun.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Agency Report 2014 Rankings". April 27, 2014.
  3. ↑ Frankland, Dave; Suresh Vittal; Emily Murphy; Michael J. Grant (January 12, 2011). "The Forrester Wave: US Database Marketing Service Providers, Q1 2011". Forrester Research (Forrester Research). Retrieved 2011-12-08.
  4. ↑ Beck, Koa. "Forrester Evaluates Database Marketing Providers". Buyer’s Guide to Database Marketing Service Providers. Forrester Research.
  5. ↑ "Power 20: David Williams". Baltimore BusinessJournal. 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "EBS’ workforce to double". Herald-mail.com. 1997.
  7. ↑ "Paradigm, MapQuest Form Partnership". dmnews.com. 1998.
  8. ↑ "Merkle, Conrad Direct Launch HealthSource List". dmnews.com. 1999.
  9. ↑ "Merkle Receives Industry Excellence Award for Success with GEICO in Analytics and Modeling; Merkle Receives New Contract for Work to Provide Database and Direct Marketing Services.". allbusiness.com. 2001.
  10. ↑ "Merkle Response Management Group Earns ISO 9001 Recertification". tmcnest.com. 2011.
  11. ↑ "Merkle Inc.". Bloomberg (Businessweek). December 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
  12. ↑ "Merkle buys Sigma Analytics". UPI.com. May 18, 2004.
  13. ↑ "CCG Unveils CustomerCenter; Merkle Gets GEICO Contract". DMNews.com. December 2004.
  14. ↑ "Merkle Receives Two Database Excellence Awards.". Thefreelibrary.com. 2004.
  15. ↑ News, DM (August 2, 2005). "Merkle Opens Boston Office". Retrieved 2012-01-17.
  16. ↑ Prunier, Petsky (2005). "Merkle has divested its Merkle Mailing Systems and formed a strategic alliance with Direct Group".
  17. ↑ Khan, Mickey Alam (October 6, 2005). "Merkle Buys Nonprofit Agency Domain Group".
  18. ↑ Mag, D (December 6, 2005). "Merkle Acquires Quris".
  19. ↑ Library, Free (2005). "Email Solutions Agency Quris Wins 2005 Web Marketing Association Award with Blockbuster".
  20. ↑ Popescu, Valeriu (December 4, 2005). "2005 Awards for the Bests in the Branch – Watch and Learn!".
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Wire, Business (December 12, 2006). "Merkle Receives Two Database Excellence Awards".
  22. ↑ Campanelli, Melissa (January 12, 2006). "Analytics Put Epsilon, Merkle, Allant, Targetbase Atop Forrester Study".
  23. ↑ Communications, Crain (June 5, 2006). "Agency Report, Profiles of the top 50 marketing organizations in this 62nd annual ranking" (PDF).
  24. ↑ Daniels, David (October 31, 2006). "Email Marketing Buyer Guide 2006".
  25. ↑ Campanelli, Melissa (October 18, 2006). "Merkle wins data analytics challenge at DMA06".
  26. ↑ Beam, High (September 28, 2006). "Merkle CEO David Williams Named "Best Boss" by Winning Workplaces and Fortune Small Business Magazine".
  27. ↑ Battistelli, Margaret (September 2006). "And the Winners Are….".
  28. ↑ Businessweek, Bloomberge (2012). "Merkle Company Profile".
  29. ↑ Age, Ad (2007). "Agency Profiles Yearbook 2007 Profile" (PDF).
  30. ↑ Khan, Mickey Alam (May 8, 2007). "Merkle buys CFM Direct for financial services advantage Profile".
  31. ↑ Campanelli, Melissa (January 3, 2007). "Merkle acquires response services division from AB&C Group".
  32. ↑ Hosford, Christopher (August 16, 2010). "Marketing merger & acquisition activity surges".
  33. ↑ Library, Free (2007). "Merkle President and CEO David Williams Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Maryland".
  34. ↑ Fadner, Ross (August 29, 2008). "2008 OMMA Awards Finalists in the Online Advertising Creativity Category".
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Success, Fundraising (September 2008). "FS Gold Awards: Complete List of Winners".
  36. ↑ Thompson, David (2008). "Deloitte’s Maryland Technology Fast 50 Rankings of Fastest-Growing Technology Companies" (PDF).
  37. ↑ Link, David (October 9, 2008). "EM7 – helping customers make the Deloitte Technology Fast 50?".
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Age, Ad (2012). "TOP U.S. MARKETING SERVICES AGENCIES".
  39. ↑ Haskins, Walaika (October 13, 2009). "Merkle’s David Williams Named CEO of the Year by Baltimore SmartCEO Magazine".
  40. ↑ Tode, Chantal (July 6, 2009). "CognitiveData acquires CMS Direct".
  41. ↑ Mirabella, Lorraine (March 22, 2010). "Merkle acquires loyalty marketing firm Metzner Schneider".
  42. ↑ Funding, DC (August 31, 2010). "Merkle Announces Growth Investment by Technology Crossover Ventures".
  43. ↑ Palmer, Alex (September 15, 2010). "Merkle Opens Shanghai Office".
  44. ↑ Martinez, Juan (March 29, 2011). "Merkle buys search marketing firm Impaqt".
  45. ↑ Martinez, Juan (April 4, 2011). "Merkle’s CognitiveData acquires Lenser".
  46. ↑ Frankland, Dave (January 12, 2011). "The Forrester Wave: US Database Marketing Service Providers Q1 2011" (PDF).
  47. ↑ Kamenec, Kara (February 2, 2012). "Merkle Acquires Social Amp, Tackles Facebook Open-Graph".
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 http://adage.com/article/datacenter-agencies/agency-report-index/106357/|date=April 27, 2012
  49. ↑ "Merkle acquires digital data exchange provider Brilig". September 12, 2012.
  50. ↑ "Marketing Awards Categories Stevie Award Winners". June 17, 2013.
  51. ↑ "DMA Announces Winners of 2013 Innovation Awards". September 5, 2013.
  52. ↑ "E-mail ($10 Million and Up): Canine Companions for Independence". October 2013.
  53. ↑ "Internationalist Awards for Innovative Digital Solutions". December 2, 2013.
  54. ↑ "Post 200". December 15, 2013.
  55. ↑ "Monollos, Kristina. Merkle Acquires Digital Player, New Congrol". April 2, 2014.
  56. ↑ "2014 Marketing Awards Categories Stevie Award Winners". June 13, 2014.
  57. ↑ "Pathak, Shareen. Merkle Buys Search and Digital Agency RKG". July 2, 2014.
  58. ↑ By Anthony Ha, TechCrunch. "Merkle Acquires Loyalty Startup 500friends." November 18, 2014. December 2, 2014.