Merkle Expands European Operations and Data Offerings Through Acquisition of Spanish Digital Intelligence and Transformation Consultancy, DIVISADERO

• The acquisition of the Spanish data-driven consultancy firm is Merkle’s second corporate acquisition since joining the Dentsu Aegis Network in August 2016 and Merkle’s fourth European acquisition in two years.
• DIVISADERO’s acquisition will bring a substantial improvement in the leadership positioning of Merkle in Spain and in Spanish-speaking countries.
• This deal shows the North American data-driven performance marketing giant’s commitment on the European continent.
• The company will retain the DIVISADERO brand and its complete leadership team. Manuel Blanco will be leading the Spanish franchise.
• The acquisition by Merkle of the Spanish consultancy firm, implies the departure of its founding partner Sergio Maldonado.
• From April 6, 2017 DIVISADERO will be part of Merkle’s European operation, led by Tim Berry, President of Merkle Europe.

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merkle (www.merkleinc.com), a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency, announced its acquisition of DIVISADERO (www.divisadero.es), a data-driven consultancy business specializing in digital intelligence and digital transformation. This is Merkle’s second corporate acquisition since joining the Dentsu Aegis Network in August 2016 and Merkle’s fourth European acquisition in two years.

Founded in 2005, DIVISADERO offers consultancy and technology skills that enable a strategic and tactical approach to transforming data into information, and information into decision making as an essential element in today's challenging alignment of digital transformation within the enterprise.

Merkle’s position as the authority in people-based marketing services is driven by the company’s unique heritage of deep expertise in data, analytics, creative, and technology. The acquisition of DIVISADERO not only increases Merkle’s global scale especially in relation to Spanish- speaking countries, it also enhances the agency’s data and analytics offering. DIVISADERO offers a number of data and analytic capabilities, including digital maturity assessments, strategic road mapping, technology benchmarking, data collection, analytics, and data activation.

“The acquisition of DIVISADERO adds significant scale and critical capabilities to Merkle’s data and analytics offering in the market, as well as that of Dentsu Aegis Network,” said David Williams, president and CEO, Merkle. “DIVISADERO has a strong pool of data scientists and analysts who are capitalizing on a fast-growing sector of the market. We look forward to working together to support our digital strategy in Europe.”

The company will retain the DIVISADERO brand and offices in Madrid, Barcelona, and Gijón, and will be a part of Merkle’s European operation, led by Tim Berry, President of Merkle Europe. The DIVISADERO leadership team led by Manuel Blanco, will remain at the helm. DIVISADERO’s full staff of more than 90 mathematicians, engineers, and marketers will join the Merkle team. The addition of DIVISADERO brings Merkle’s European staff to more than 750.

“DIVISADERO has achieved longevity through strength and depth of experience and an unwavering focus on client value. Merkle will leverage DIVISADERO’s commanding position in the Spanish market to further develop its best-in-class analytics and data-driven media business,” said Berry. “The company’s current client base is impressive and well aligned with the Merkle approach. The synergies we develop with our combined roster will accelerate our global approach to people-based media and marketing planning. Additionally, DIVISADERO’s capabilities solidify our base for Merkle to expand and connect our European and global proposition.”

The acquisition by Merkle of the Spanish consultancy firm, will see the departure of its founding partner Sergio Maldonado: “DIVISADERO has found tremendous success by leveraging digital intelligence and analytics to fill the existing gap between management consultants, marketing agencies and technology providers, consistently beating all three in the race to prepare brands for a demand-led world. It is only natural that Merkle, a world leader in marketing analytics with first-party data at its core, becomes DIVISADERO's new home.”

“We’re excited to be joining Merkle,” said Manuel Blanco, managing director of DIVISADERO. “We were looking for a partner that would expand our offering and give us access to a larger client base, while still respecting the market-leading position we have built over the past 11 years.”

The acquisition of DIVISADERO shows the North American data-driven performance marketing giant’s commitment on the European continent and the leading position of Spain in the growing industry of digital data-driven consulting.

About DIVISADERO

DIVISADERO is a leading Spanish consultancy firm focused on digital intelligence and Digital Transformation. With more than 90 employees -mainly engineers, mathematicians and digital business savvy marketers, DIVISADERO holds branches in Madrid, Barcelona and Gijón. Specialized in digital strategy, data collection, data analysis, data activation and data integration, DIVISADERO offers its data-driven business approach to enhance business results for IBEX35-profiled companies and Fortune 500. DIVISADERO was founded in 2005 and in the last 2 years has double its headcount and increased turnover in 35%, becoming one of the leading digital intelligence consultancy firm in the south of Europe.

More information on www.divisadero.es and Twitter @divisadero

About Merkle

Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 25 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The agency’s heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies. When combined with its strength in performance media and creative, Merkle creates customer experiences that drive improved marketing results and shareholder value. With more than 3,900 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland with 17 additional offices in the US and offices in Barcelona, Bristol (UK), London, Shanghai, and Nanjing. In 2016, the agency joined the Dentsu Aegis Network. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkleinc.com

About Dentsu Aegis Network

Part of Dentsu Inc., Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of ten global network brands - Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands. Dentsu Aegis Network is Innovating the Way Brands Are Built for its clients through its best-in-class expertise and capabilities in media, digital and creative communications services. Offering a distinctive and innovative range of products and services, Dentsu Aegis Network is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with more than 38,000 dedicated specialists. www.dentsuaegisnetwork.com

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