Dentsu Aegis Network Acquires 4Cite Marketing to Boost Merkle’s Identity Capability

Doubling down on first-party identity technology with second acquisition of 2020

January 30, 2020 – Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired 4Cite Marketing, a leading people-based identification and data services technology company. 4Cite will join Merkle, a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing company and part of Dentsu Aegis Network.

Founded in 2010, 4Cite is a leading data services technology company in the eCommerce sector. All 50 employees, located in Albany, N.Y. and Peterborough, New Hampshire, will join Merkle.

4Cite has capabilities that helps retailers influence purchase activity by reaching more customers with personalized engagements. Its proprietary technology platform aggregates and distills personally identifiable actions using advanced analytics and real-time decisioning to understand when to best market to each consumer and trigger individualized content. 4Cite is also a repository of first-party consumer information captured across its client and partner base. The resulting 4Cite Data Network enables a broader, in-depth understanding of each individual, which supports Merkle’s focus on growth in its identity technology capabilities.

“Merkle is making a priority of investing heavily in first-party data technology to provide and sustain highly accurate identity solutions for our clients,” said John Lee, chief product and data officer at Merkle. “The addition of 4Cite to the Merkle family will further enhance those capabilities as we position Merkle and Dentsu Aegis Network to be the authorities in people-based marketing of the future.”

“4Cite represents a unique opportunity for Merkle to obtain a growing, profitable business that will simultaneously create new identity resolution capabilities for Merkle’s marketing technology business,” said Craig Dempster, president, Merkle Americas. “The 4Cite acquisition plays a critical role in the future-proofing of our platform in a world where the third-party cookie is crumbling.”

The acquisition of 4Cite further bolsters Merkle’s role as a leader in identity technology. 4Cite will also enable M1, Dentsu Aegis Network’s people-based insights, planning, and activation platform, to build an identity graph that delivers scale, deterministic matches, and persistent identity based on first-party cookies. 4Cite’s technology reinforces Merkle’s media business, providing clients with a viable path to execute addressable media campaigns outside of walled gardens.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Merkle family. Our two organizations share the same strategic vision of the marketing landscape and have complete alignment on the role of first-party identity in today’s marketing landscape,” said Bob Gaito, 4Cite CEO. “Combining our capabilities in this area with the already rich Merkle assets puts us in an enviable position to excel in the years to come.”

The business will continue operations under the name 4Cite. Gaito will take the role of chairman reporting directly to Eugene Becker, chief data officer, Merkle.

About Dentsu Aegis Network

Part of Dentsu Group, Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of ten global network brands - Carat, Dentsu, dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands. Dentsu Aegis Network is Innovating the Way Brands Are Built for its clients through its best-in-class expertise and capabilities in media, digital and creative communications services. Offering a distinctive and innovative range of products and services, Dentsu Aegis Network is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with more than 47,000 dedicated specialists. www.dentsuaegisnetwork.com

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 30 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. Its combined strengths in performance media, customer experience, customer relationship management, loyalty, and enterprise marketing technology drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With 9,200+ employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the US, EMEA, and APAC. In 2016, the agency joined the Dentsu Aegis Network.

About 4Cite

Albany, New York-based 4Cite is a leading consumer identification and data insights company. The 4Cite Consumer Insights Interaction Hub™ uses innovative web visitor identification technology and advanced data and analytics to identify previously unidentifiable customers and influence purchasing activity. Helping companies drive brand loyalty and increase revenues, 4Cite is privileged to partner with many leading brands in the retail sector. For more information about the company, visit http://www.4cite.com.