Merkle (www.merkleinc.com), a leading customer relationship marketing (CRM) firm and the nation’s largest privately-held agency, announces that John Lee, senior vice president, client advisory group, Merkle, will be a speaker at the OMMA Data Driven Marketing conference. Hosted by MediaPost, the event, being held January 23, 2013 at the Grand Hyatt New York hotel, will focus on where and how companies utilize data and behavioral trends to best implement online targeting techniques and CRM initiatives.

Lee will be a panelist alongside Jay Gauthier, CMO, Personal Insurance, Traveler’s, Bob Klein, Chief Strategy Officer, Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide, Daniella Koren, CEO, DKI and Gabe Weiss, Strategy Lead, NY, SapientNitro. The afternoon session, “The End of the Campaign? Does Data Change The Role of Creative And the Agency?,” will take place on January 23 at 2:15pm and will focus on the proper use of data driven marketing that leads to granular segmentation and highly targeted and customized appeals. The panelists will discuss how it works and the wide ranging implications for how media and creative agencies serve their clients. In addition, the panel will address questions on how data driven marketing changes the creative process and the role of the “big idea.”

“The OMMA Conference is a great venue for bringing this select group of marketers and brands together for an immersive dive into data driven marketing,” said John Lee. “I am eager to engage with industry leaders about the trend in the market around data being the undeniable game-changer in campaigns and how this is affecting the creative approach to the customer experience.”

About Merkle

Merkle, a customer relationship marketing (CRM) firm, is the nation’s largest privately-held agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. By combining a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines, Merkle works with clients to design, execute and evaluate connected CRM programs. With more than 1,600 employees, the privately held corporation is headquartered near Baltimore in Columbia, Maryland with additional offices in Boston; Denver; Little Rock; Minneapolis; New York; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; San Francisco; Hagerstown, MD and Shanghai. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkleinc.com.