Merkle pools data and tech teams for 700-strong unit

Merkle is creating a 700-strong team of data scientists, engineers, analysts and strategists for the EMEA region, in an effort to put digital and data analytics at the heart of the agency’s operation and ultimately boost the capabilities of other Dentsu Aegis Network agencies.

Ben Gott, who has been at Periscopix since 2006 and transferred over when the company was bought by Merkle in 2015, will spearhead the team as analytics practice leader. He moves up from director of analytics, a post he has held for the past six years.

In his new role, Gott will bring together the existing analytics teams from Merkle’s performance media agency and customer analytics business, including over 150 data scientists; 50 engineers; and 500 business analysts and strategists.

Dubbed “Merkle Analytics”, the team’s main focus will be to help clients understand how to harness the data they hold.

Merkle already has a raft of proprietary solutions, including market-agnostic data hub DataSource, “people-based” marketing platform M1, transaction analytics tool Merkle Wallet and Pando Planning, and, as part of the drive, the agency is partnering with a number of – as yet unnamed – cloud businesses to provide custom toolkits and analytics at scale for the Merkle and Dentsu client base.

Gott will report directly into Merkle EMEA president Michael Komasinski, who said: “Ben’s ethos is rooted in the idea that everything is measurable and analytics is a powerful source of competitive advantage. This, and his phenomenal expertise in building an analytics business and driving value for clients through marketing performance, has been a key part in the growth of Merkle’s UK operations.

“It was clear he was the right man for this job. I’m eager to see what Ben can do with an elevated platform for both his personal development and overall business growth.”

Gott added: “We have created several analytical service offerings with clear value adds for Merkle and its clients. I look forward to working with the talent we have to make Merkle Analytics a unique and scaled proposition in EMEA. My vision is that this unit will drive our solution development and elevate the Dentsu Aegis Network’s data, tech and analytics capabilities.”