Merkle
Merkle is a data-driven customer experience and performance marketing company headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, founded in 1971. It combines first-party data (through its Merkury identity platform), analytics, media, CRM, loyalty and platform engineering for enterprise clients, and now reports more than 16,000 employees in 30-plus countries. Dentsu acquired a majority stake in 2016 and Merkle operates as a dentsu company. Nobody pays to be ranked.
Why it’s hereThe largest data-led performance marketing agency in the US and the anchor of dentsu's customer-experience network; owned by dentsu. Number 1 of the digital marketing agencies in the US.
Work they can showParty City. Migrated the retailer's ecommerce to Shopify for more flexible, personalized commerce.
Estimated: $6,000–$18,000/mo, typical for US digital marketing retainers; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
A fit forLarge enterprises that need customer data, CRM and loyalty programs, commerce platform builds on Salesforce, Shopify or Sitecore, and enterprise AI rollouts handled by a dentsu-owned firm.
- Based in
- Columbia, MD
- Founded
- 1971
- Team size
- 500+ people
- Known for
- customer data and analytics · performance media · CRM and loyalty · experience and platform engineering
- Named clients
- Six Flags, KFC, Under Armour, Volvo Trucks, Signify, Siemens, City of Hope, Burger King, Build-A-Bear
- Best for
- Large enterprises that need customer data, CRM and loyalty programs, commerce platform builds on Salesforce, Shopify or Sitecore, and enterprise AI rollouts handled by a dentsu-owned firm.
- Selected work
- Party City. Migrated the retailer's ecommerce to Shopify for more flexible, personalized commerce. source ↗
- Estimated cost
Estimated: $6,000–$18,000/mo, typical for US digital marketing retainers; not a quote.
Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list.
UpdateWholly owned by dentsu, which acquired a majority stake in 2016 and later took full ownership; operates as one of dentsu's leadership brands.
Sources merkle.com, dentsu.com, dentsu.co.jp
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