Marketing technology firm Merkle has opened a dedicated office in Aberdeen to support the city’s economic growth.
The agency opening builds on last year’s investment in a new northern UK hub, based in Edinburgh, and is a direct result of the growing requirement for people-based marketing and performance media expertise in northern Scotland. It is also responding to an increased demand for, and changing requirements towards, data-driven innovation (a result of the smart use of data and data integration) from the region’s major industries.
The offshore energy sector, which now supports more than 110,000 jobs in Scotland, and the farming and fishing industry, are two of Aberdeen’s major industries that are having to rapidly adapt to an ever-evolving technical, political and commercial landscape. For example, the North Sea energy sector is focused on investing heavily in renewable energy and fossil fuel decommissioning to deliver the Scottish government’s target of net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2045. This places Aberdeen at the heart of the fourth industrial revolution and puts the city, and its industries, in an ideal position to benefit from emerging technologies such as AI and robotics.
The agency will support businesses across Aberdeen and Scotland’s north coast with the full range of Merkle’s people-based marketing capabilities. This includes advanced analytics, customer strategy, and CRM & loyalty. Merkle is already well-established in the region and works with high profile clients such as Spirit Energy and Total.
Neil Carden, managing director of Merkle Analytics, said: “The opening of our new office in Aberdeen is an exciting development for Merkle and a testament to the opportunity that the North of Scotland represents as a hub for data innovation. We are working with some great clients in Aberdeen and I look forward to building our team and capability in 2020.”
Sean Robertson, client director lead, Merkle Analytics, said: “Merkle understands that these unique challenges coupled with Aberdeen’s emergence as a centre for innovation require dedicated, local data analytics expertise. As a proud Aberdonian, I’m delighted that we are opening our second hub in Scotland in the heart of the city. Not only are we providing local businesses with the full suite of Merkle services – it means we are building on last year’s investment in an Edinburgh hub and further extending our clients UK and EMEA reach and flexibility.”