Merkle Acquires RKG To Form Largest Search Ad Agency In US

Customer relationship management firm Merkle Inc. announced today it has acquired search agency RKG, creating what the two companies claim is now the largest independent search agency in the U.S.

“RKG represents the best of breed in search, display, social and other digital media marketing solutions, and we are delighted to have them join the Merkle family,” said Merkle’s executive vice president and digital agency group leader Craig Dempster.

According to an announcement on Merkle’s website, RKG’s expertise and penetration in retail and other key markets were a big draw for Merkle, with RKG’s client list boasting more Internet Retailer Top 500 companies than any other search agency.

Financial terms around the acquisition were not disclosed, but Merkle did state it and RKG’s combined media billings for 2014 are estimated to be more than $500 million.

Both RKG and Merkle were identified as the fastest-growing independent US search agencies by Advertising Age in its 2014 Agency Report, with Merkle’s digital agency business experiencing a 40 percent growth in revenue last year.