Merkle | Privacy Policy

Privacy Overview

Merkle is a database marketing agency offering quantitative, innovative marketing strategies that allow our clients to market products and services more effectively. Merkle’s clients span a variety of industries including leaders in non-profit fundraising, financial services and consumer markets. Founded in 1971, Merkle is a privately held corporation based in Columbia, Maryland.

As a database marketing agency, information is at the core of Merkle’s business. Many of Merkle’s key processes involve information, including the storage of information, the exchange and transfer of information, the management of information, the analysis of information and the reporting of information to our clients.

Merkle obtains marketing information (including information about consumers) from and through our clients and also acquires such marketing information from third parties to be used by our clients from third parties. Merkle does not collect data directly from consumers.

Privacy Philosophy

Merkle’s philosophy around consumer privacy is based on trust, integrity and partnership with our business clients.

Our core beliefs include:

The use of marketing information is beneficial to consumers and ultimately provides more effective marketing communications, products and services to consumers.
Marketing information and data should only be used to benefit consumers and their ability to form mutually beneficial relationships with marketers (i.e., our clients).
Consumer preferences and requests should be honored as it relates to marketing data and information.
We believe in the enforcement of opt-in and opt-out processes to meet consumer preferences and choice.

Information Policies

Information Management

Merkle provides information management and marketing services designed to help companies improve their marketing strategies and programs. When we provide these services to our clients, we process information according to the terms and conditions of the contract with our clients. Accordingly, Merkle relies upon the instructions of its clients with respect to the use of marketing information and ultimately our clients advise us as to a consumer's preferences or opt-in/opt-out choices.

Information Products

Merkle hosts and maintains various third-party data on behalf of our clients. We do not collect this data directly from consumers; rather we receive it from third parties. When Merkle provides data products to our clients we adhere to the terms and conditions defined by third party suppliers of such data.

Advocacy and Compliance

Merkle works closely with major industry trade associations and organizations that are at the center of privacy issues and advocacy. Merkle is an active member of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which is online at www.the-dma.org.

Merkle’s executive staff serves on DMA committees. Merkle is also a member of the American Marketing Association, and belongs to numerous other professional marketing associations.

We utilize and support MD5 encrypted suppression files.

Information Security

Merkle has implemented reasonable, industry standard security policies, standards and practices designed to protect information from internal and external threats. The degree of protection for each piece of information is based on the risk and consequences associated with having that information comprised. While no security measures will provide for absolute security, all Merkle employees responsible for the management of information have the responsibility to adhere to Merkle’s documented security controls which are developed commensurate with the understood risk.

Online Privacy

Visitors to Merkle’s web site are given the opportunity to receive information about Merkle’s products and services by becoming registered users. When a visitor registers with us, the visitor provides information in order to receive marketing literature, white papers and newsletters from Merkle. Online visitor preferences are respected through the use of opt-in and opt-out processes.

Governance

Merkle is committed to the issue of consumer privacy and has created a Security Governance Council (Council) led by executive management. The vision of the Council is to advance thoughts, ideas and capabilities around the use and security of information at Merkle.

The Council proactively engages in advocacy, compliance and emerging trends in information security and privacy. The Council oversees and supervises the implementation of all Merkle security and privacy policies.