Merkle and Pega Bring Adtech, Martech Together with Unified Data Management Platform Launch

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & COLUMBIA, Md. – Merkle, a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency, and Pegasystems, a leading provider of customer engagement software, today announced the launch of the Unified Data Management Platform (DMP), a solution that unifies adtech and martech to enable more effective and relevant digital ad campaigns and omni-channel experiences. By combining powerful DMP technology with advanced AI, marketing organizations can optimize ad spend, reduce attrition, improve acquisition rates, and increase revenues.

“With a wider adoption and utilization of DMPs and the growing maturity of their implementations, the two unique worlds of adtech and martech can be bridged”

Unified DMP delivers on the promise of adtech and martech convergence by closing the gap between prospecting and customer marketing activities in a central data platform. Powered by the integration of Merkle and Pega technology with Merkle|Comet expertise, the solution brings two-way integration between paid media activity and customer engagement data. This allows businesses to orchestrate more personalized, omni-channel journeys across ad and marketing channels that meet customers’ or prospects’ needs.

With a unified solution, marketers can go beyond user ID records and segmentation. By tapping into any interaction a customer has had with the brand – from a customer service call to ordering products – the solution ensures customers are served an ad tailored to them. Conversely, the customer’s response to a digital ad feeds right back into the Unified DMP to improve how they will be serviced, sold, or marketed to at the next point of contact.

Marketers can learn more about this unique solution in a complimentary webinar, The Unified DMP: The Key to Better Understanding Your Customers and Measuring Marketing Effectiveness, on Tuesday, July 11th at 11:00 a.m. ET featuring Pega and Merkle executives. To gain an understanding of DMPs, the business drivers, and real use cases, download the jointly written whitepaper, The Foundational Use Cases That Are Unifying The Worlds of Adtech and Martech.

The launch of the Unified DMP demonstrates an acceleration of the strategic partnership between Merkle|Comet and Pega. The Pega® Customer Decision Hub powers the Unified DMP with advanced AI to analyze the integrated data and determine the next best action to take with each customer or prospect. This means marketers can micro target customers at the optimal bid price with the most relevant ad on owned and paid channels. This intelligence is generated in real time, allowing campaigns to continually adapt based on each new interaction a customer has across these channels. Merkle | Comet has implemented numerous Pega Marketing enabled Customer Decisioning Programs across industries focused on Customer Interaction Management, Next Best Action, revenue generation, and churn management. The Merkle | Comet Decisioning Factory Methodology, Foundation Logic, and Business Agility capabilities enhance the rapid delivery of Pega Marketing Decisioning Programs at low cost and low risk to help generate optimal ROI.

Quotes & Commentary

“With a wider adoption and utilization of DMPs and the growing maturity of their implementations, the two unique worlds of adtech and martech can be bridged,” said Matt Mobley, executive vice president, chief technology officer, Merkle. “We’ve addressed that challenge with Merkle’s Unified DMP, a pre-built solution that delivers omni-channel customer journeys across paid and owned media.”

“Most organizations tend to overlook how more relevant online ads not only drive higher conversion rates but also contribute to the customer’s overall perception of the company,” said Tom Libretto, CMO, Pegasystems. “By combining Merkle’s and Pega’s technology and expertise, we’re helping marketers ensure a consistent customer journey with next best actions taken across owned and paid channels for each individual.”

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 creative and media, Merkle creates customer experiences that drive improved marketing results and shareholder value. M1, Merkle’s end-to-end, people-based insights, planning, and activation platform, enables clients to target known individuals and reach them across media and channels, throughout the customer life cycle. With more than 4,100 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland with 16 additional offices in the US and 8 offices in Europe and Asia. 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 Merkle|Comet

Merkle|Comet specializes in supporting the successful implementation of CRM, marketing, and decision management solutions. Comet delivers complex, real world, inbound, and outbound marketing and customer management technology solutions, ensuring that marketing reaches the right customers at the moments that most influence their decisions. Comet has a proven track record from many years of experience in translating marketing requirements into practical technology implementations for global customer service focused enterprises. Comet now employs approximately 300+ people across multiple locations worldwide, with expert advisory services and support, tailored to time zones as well as to local, regional, and global marketplace needs. For more information contact: [email protected] or call: UK +44 (0)20 7151 0685 | USA: +1 646 453 6140| ES +34 93 495 1334 or visit www.cometgc.com.

About Pegasystems

Pegasystems Inc. is the leader in software for customer engagement and operational excellence. Pega’s adaptive, cloud-architected software – built on its unified Pega® Platform – empowers people to rapidly deploy, and easily extend and change applications to meet strategic business needs. Over its 30-year history, Pega has delivered award-winning capabilities in CRM and BPM, powered by advanced artificial intelligence and robotic automation, to help the world’s leading brands achieve breakthrough business results. For more information on Pegasystems (NASDAQ: PEGA) visit www.pega.com.