MUMBAI: Continuing its buying spree, Dentsu Inc.’s Dentsu Aegis Network is eyeing to acquire a majority stake in Baltimore based data marketing firm Merkle that specializes in 'customer relationship marketing.'

It includes crafting loyalty programs for marketers and managing their vast customer databases that hold reams of consumer information. It also offers a host of other digital marketing and technology services including search advertising and data-driven ad buying and analytics.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but The Wallstreet Journal's insights the c'ash deal has an enterprise value of roughly USD 1.5 billion when including Merkle’s debt.'

“Their ability to develop people-based-marketing highlights where this business is going,” Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Jerry Buhlmann told WSJ. . “Convergence is driving our business towards a much greater level of addressability.”

As part of the agreement, Dentsu buy out private equity firm technology Crossover Venture's stakes in he company along with other shares held by other shareholders. Merkle’s management and employees expect to retain a “significant” minority stake in the firm.

"Closely-held Merkle had $436 million in revenue in 2015 and works on behalf of companies such as MetLife Inc., Geico Corp., and Dell Inc. In recent years, it has invested in ad and marketing technologies to help power its clients’ campaigns. Its systems are closely integrated with Facebook, for example, so Merkle could help target ads for a retailer using the data the retailer collects from its customers such as email addresses," stated the The Wall Street Journal report.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal)