Merkle(www.merkle.com), the nation's largest and fastest growing independent customer relationship marketing agency, recieved three 2010 "Benjamin Franklin Awards for Direct Marketing Excellence", or Bennies, from the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association (PDMA). The awards were presented during a ceremony at the Farmhouse at People's Light in Malvern, Pa., on June 4, 2010.

For over 35 years, the Benny competition has been a Philadelphia-area tradition. This year, a panel of experts from the Direct Marketing Association of New York judged submissions in categories that included direct mail, Internet, multi-media, broadcast TV and print. During the cermony, the PDMA presented awards to 30 winners and recognized three organizations with honorable mentions.

Merkle took home three Benny awards for its work with clients Susan G. Komen For the Cure, the Arthritis Foundation and the U.S. Navy Memorial. The winning campaigns included the following:

• First Place: Susan G. Komen For The Cure's "Commumity Challenge" in the Direct Mail, Retention, Non-Profit Category,
• First Place: Arthritis Foundation's "Go Green" in the Multi-Media, Retention, Non-Profit Category, and
• Honorable Mention: U.S. Navy Memorial's "Blessing of the Fleets" Direct Mail, Retention, Non-Profit Category.

Merkle Senior Vice President and General Manager, Nonprofit Group, Angie Moore, said, "We are excited and honored that fundraising programs developed with three of our clients have been recognized by the PDMA this year. In developing these campaigns, Merkle's teams and our clients worked closely together to align strategy, set clear goals and create some of the most compelling and creative packages possible. The added recognition will simply raise the bar as we look to collaborating with our clients on future fundraising efforts.