MERGE Buys Consulting Firm Blazer

In the US, consumer health data and marketing firm MERGE has acquired consultancy Blazer, and is integrating its services into a new offering delivering 'scalable, integrated and insight-led solutions' including organizational consulting, data science and advanced analytics.

MERGE promises clients the benefits of 'a deep, unique understanding of how consumers make decisions about their health and wellness journeys', and employs around 750 people at locations in seven US cities. In January it appointed former Oracle exec Stephanie Trunzo as its new Chief Executive.

Blazer was known previously as Brooks Bell and advises major corporate clients in sectors including financial services and retail on their marketing and digital strategies: early in its two decades in business it established scientific A/B testing and optimization methods as a core part of its offering. Blazer CEO Gregory Ng and his team will now join MERGE's integrated offerings team under Chief Digital Officer Libby Morgan.

'Blazer brings a data-driven and business-minded consulting approach that sharpens our strategic lens' says Trunzo (pictured top), 'to serve the health and consumer industries we know so well with increasingly holistic outcomes. We are setting up a model to meet our clients not only where they have been, but where they need to go - to serve personalized experiences to their own customers navigating the outdated silos across business, marketing and technology.'

'This new collaborative engine blends ROI modeling, research, organizational design, data-driven experimentation and platform integration (Adobe, Google) to deliver next-generation solutions,' says Ng (pictured below).

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Web site: www.mergeworld.com .