Columbia, MD, April 5, 2017

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

Merkle (www.merkle.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 Gijon, 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.