Merkle (www.merkle.com), the nation’s largest privately-held agency, announced the introduction of the Merkle Monitor, a customer insight study. This ongoing study is a primary market research solution that supports Merkle’s thought leadership position in customer relationship marketing (CRM) by providing insights into consumer behaviors to better enable its clients’ marketing strategies.

The Merkle Monitor is an online survey designed to uncover factors that affect perception, consideration, purchase intent and buying behaviors of consumers who hold or are considering the purchase of insurance and wealth management products and services. The survey is conducted twice a year among a nationally representative sample of 6,000 consumers who have opted into the study. Smaller, “barometer” surveys are fielded monthly to track key themes and identify time-sensitive shifts that drive ongoing adjustments to study content. Topics covered range from broad, market-level considerations, such as environmental or regulatory issues to more granular questions, based on individual-level needs, such as channel preferences, digital media usage patterns and product research behaviors.

“We are excited to add the Merkle Monitor to our insurance and wealth management tool kit for clients,” said John Lee, general manager of Merkle’s insurance and wealth management practice. “Not only will the study help the market as a whole with a broad range of insights on consumer preferences about healthcare insurance, retirement plans, life insurance, brokerage accounts, auto insurance, or property & casualty policies; we also offer a sponsorship program that allows clients to create exclusive, customized questions that will serve as true primary research for their own brands.”

David Magrini, Merkle’s vice president of consulting for insurance & wealth management, added “By continually gauging metrics such as the size and penetration of different product lines; the effects of digital media on consumer evaluation; and other themes that relate to the consumer decision-making process, the Merkle Monitor provides topical thought leadership and enables actionable marketing strategies. Merkle clients benefit from a wide array of practical knowledge about market conditions and trends, as well as the individual motivations of consumers within the market, and even specific to the client’s own brand.”