Dentsu Aegis Buys Loyalty Specialist HelloWorld

Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired digital marketing specialist HelloWorld, which specializes in promotion and loyalty solutions and will be added into its Merkle subsidiary. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

HelloWorld is based in Detroit, Michigan and also has offices in Seattle, WA; Chicago; New York; and Los Angeles. The firm offers a proprietary technology platform for the delivery of gamified campaigns, polls and promotions; loyalty programs; and communications. It also provides a dashboard analysing consumer activity and insights across campaigns and channels.

Dentsu Aegis says the acquisition will further scale its data-driven and consumer insights arm Merkle, adding to the latter's existing loyalty solutions, performance media, customer relationship marketing, customer experience, and enterprise technology services. The business will be rebranded 'HelloWorld, a Merkle Company'.

Commenting on the takeover, Peter DeNunzio (pictured), who will retain his position as CEO of HelloWorld, said: 'HelloWorld and Merkle share the vision to help our clients transform their marketing through insight-driven personalized experiences. Adding HelloWorld's expertise in promotion and loyalty to Merkle's comprehensive suite of solutions, our combined organization offers clients world-class capability, from acquisition to retention to ultimate loyalty in the brand-consumer ecosystem'.

Web sites: www.dentsuaegisnetwork.com , www.merkleinc.com and www.helloworld.com .