Christopher Wilson Appointed President of New Merkle Business
Columbia, Md. – September 17, 2009 – Merkle (www.merkleinc.com), one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing database marketing agencies, announced the formation of a new business called LogicLab (www.logiclabinc.com). LogicLab will focus on applying the quantitative disciplines of data-driven marketing to the media buying process of evaluating, optimizing and purchasing advertising. Leading the business as president is Christopher Wilson, who brings 20 years of experience in developing innovative client-focused solutions and products.
Chris Wilson joins LogicLab from the position as president of Experian Research Services, where he oversaw a senior-level team that developed database integration solutions designed to serve the strategic planning, media buying, evaluation and return on investment needs of media, agencies and advertisers. Earlier, Wilson served as president and COO at Simmons Research, where he transitioned the struggling provider of magazine readership information into a leading provider of consumer research and media planning insights.
Traditionally, media buyers and advertisers have been required to make critical budgeting and media buying decisions primarily using sample-based research information. LogicLab takes a new approach by introducing actual consumer data, along with advanced analytical techniques and a robust technology platform, into the media buying and evaluation process. When used together, these three elements provide media buyers and advertisers with the highly detailed insight they need to optimize advertising placements, access an expanded array of media options, and determine the return on investment from their media spend.
Merkle President and CEO David Williams said, "Merkle is excited about the formation of LogicLab and naming Chris Wilson to spearhead our groundbreaking venture. His exceptional vision, experience and leadership in driving consumer data and media solutions will enable LogicLab to develop innovative approaches to media planning. The goal of LogicLab is to effectively combine the disciplines of media planning and research with direct and data-driven marketing, which will provide media buyers and advertisers with an entirely new, expanded perspective into the media planning process. This new business is a natural extension of our core capabilities in providing fact-based, data-driven insights to improve customer, marketing and advertising ROI."
LogicLab President Christopher Wilson said, "Traditional media planning leaves the actual consumer behaviors and actions out of the equation. Today, the advertiser's customer needs to be placed at the center of media evaluation. LogicLab is the first entity to offer media evaluation solutions built at the intersection of database marketing and traditional market research. Based on our work with early users, our new approach improves targeting, increases the universe of media by including both large and niche outlets, and most importantly, creates an objective standard by which agencies, advertisers and media companies can measure the performance of their marketing campaigns."
Based in New York, LogicLab will operate as a standalone entity with its own board of directors and management team.
About Merkle
Merkle is one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing database marketing agencies. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. By combining a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines, Merkle works with clients to design, execute and evaluate Integrated Customer Marketing™ programs. With more than 1,000 employees, the privately held corporation is headquartered near Baltimore in Columbia, Maryland with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Little Rock, Philadelphia, Seattle and Hagerstown, Md. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkleinc.com.
