Dentsu Aegis Network acquires digital marketing firm HelloWorld

Founded in 1999, HelloWorld is based in Detroit, Michigan, with offices in Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Clients include Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft.

Dentsu will add the business to its performance agency Merkle. It will be rebranded as HelloWorld, a Merkle Company, and its 370 staff will join Merkle. HelloWorld chief executive Peter DeNunzio will retain his current position.

Michael Hemsey, executive vice-president of Merkle Loyalty Solutions, said: “The acquisition of HelloWorld increases our collective scale in providing loyalty strategy, technology, and engagement services that support the life cycle of our clients’ programs, across industries.”

The deal follows Dentsu’s recent acquisitions of Dutch agency Oxyma and San Francisco company DWA, with both integrated into Merkle.