AccountsDentsu’s Merkle Adds Analytics Muscle With Ugam AcquisitionThe Maryland-based performance marketing agency is growing fastBy Minda Smiley|July 15, 2019 With more than 1,800 employees in India, the U.S. and Australia, Ugam represents one of Merkle's biggest deals.Dentsu, UgamShareBy Minda Smiley|July 15, 2019 ShareMerkle, a performance marketing agency owned by Dentsu Aegis Network, has acquired a majority stake in India-based Ugam, a global analytics company.The acquisition is one of the firm’s largest transactions to date, according to the Columbia, Md.-based Merkle.Ugam, which will now be followed by the moniker “a Merkle Company,” will continue to be led by Sunil Mirani, co-founder and CEO of the firm. He will report to Craig Dempster, president of Merkle Americas.“We have found the perfect partner in Merkle,” Mirani said in a statement. “We complement each other’s strengths, with Ugam bringing advanced analytics capabilities at scale and Merkle bringing a diverse client base with a largely in-country presence. Most importantly, the cultural fit was evident from day one, and the effects will be immensely positive for all our stakeholders—customers, employees and shareholders.”Dentsu Aegis Network acquired a majority stake in Merkle in 2016, and since then the latter has grown via a number of acquisitions. In the past year alone, Merkle has acquired digital marketing agency Happy Marketer, experience design firm Filter, full-service digital shop Namics, and Amicus Digital, an Australian company that helps businesses use Salesforce Marketing Cloud.“Ugam is vital to the execution of Merkle’s multi-year analytics strategy of creating a scaled on- and offshore shared analytics service across Dentsu Aegis Network,” said Dempster in a statement. “Their focus on the U.S. market and Fortune 500 companies will create many synergies and strengthen our existing relationships, opening opportunities for each of our client portfolios.” Adweek Adweek