Merkle launches MENA office

Your Social, the social media agency Merkle acquired in late 2017, is being rebranded to Merkle. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands and has an office in Dubai, UAE, which will become Merkle MENA.

Rudy Banholzer, formerly managing director of Your Social, will lead the agency. Banholzer joined Your Social six years ago to set up the regional office in Dubai and expand the business in the Middle East.  

Vimal Badiani, head of paid search at Merkle Periscopix in the UK, has been promoted to commercial director of Merkle MENA.

Michael Komasinski, president of Merkle EMEA, said: “This launch represents a significant development in the expansion of our global footprint and range of capabilities. The appetite for people-based marketing, combined with Rudy’s experience of growing businesses in MENA, creates an exciting opportunity for us.”

Tarek Daouk, chief executive of Dentsu Aegis Network MENA, said Merkle’s analytics offer would add to Dentsu’s existing services in the region.