Merkle appoints Essence chief to top media agency role

Dentsu-owned data-driven customer experience agency Merkle has appointed Essence head of business development Michael Butler as head of agency sales for Merkle’s Media practice.

The appointment follows a period of growth for Merkle’s media business, which sits in the intersection of Dentsu’s media and CXM services and spans PPC, paid social, programmatic, digital consultancy and customer strategy.

In his new role, Butler will lead the media sales team with the aim of driving significant business growth for new and existing Merkle clients across both media and CXM.

Ultimately, Merkle claims this will enable clients to seamlessly access both services and deliver a total customer experience across every interaction a customer has with a brand.

Butler spent 11 years at WPP-owned media agency Essence, most recently as head of business development EMEA, and is said to have played an instrumental role in the addition of brands such as Sainsbury’s, Argos, ITV, L’Oréal and most recently Mars.

Merkle managing director of media Toby Benjamin said: “Michael’s impressive track record of winning and retaining some of the largest UK and international brands, makes him the perfect choice to lead our media sales team in the next phase of our growth evolution.

“As we continue to strengthen the collaboration between media and CXM at Dentsu, Michael’s experience in driving new business growth and nurturing existing client relationships, is critical in today’s fiercely competitive environment.

“Brands are now continuously having to evolve to keep up with customer’s ever-changing expectations, and at Merkle we are uniquely positioned to help our clients deliver contextually relevant, consistent, and seamless experiences for their customers.”

Butler added: “After such a standout few years for the business, I look forward to working with some of the most talented sales professionals in the media and customer experience landscape, as we continue to drive Merkle’s Media practice area to great new heights.”