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Merkle inks strategic partnership with Rentrak
MUMBAI: Merkle, a technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency, has inked a strategic partnership with Rentrak.
Through the partnership, Merkle and Rentrak will combine Merkle’s understanding of consumer segments with Rentrak’s massive and passive viewership data to create more effective customer advanced analytics and demographics.
With this partnership, Rentrak can utilize Merkle’s proprietary, multi-national database, Data Source, as a third-party data solution to gain access to the most comprehensive source of consumer data and can provide rich demographic insights about the consumer population it observes. The partnership will also allow Merkle and Rentrak to provide their clients with analytic solutions related to viewership data.
“In the media industry, broadcast and cable networks have converged on the need for a better understanding of their viewers in support of both the buy and sell sides of the ecosystem. Our partnership with the leading player in the marketplace, Rentrak, allows us to help advertiser clients get more granular insights on the viewing behavior of their target audiences with the most powerful medium in the world, TV. This is a new and extremely valuable input to today’s modern media planning activities,” said Merkle SVP and general manager, media and entertainment Andrew Hoeberichts.
“Merkle’s rapid growth is a product of our efforts to identify more intelligent ways of leveraging data, analytics, and technology to understand customers and their motivations and use that knowledge to target customers with relevant, effective media experiences. The opportunity to gain a granular level of insight in TV, a mass medium that has historically relied on broad, imprecise measurement, is extremely exciting. Our broadcast and cable network clients are already seeing the powerful impact of highly focused consumer segmentation, and our partnership with Rentrak will enable them to understand and serve their customer bases even more effectively,” added Merkle chairman & CEO David Williams.
“Rentrak is very excited to be working with Merkle to power targeting solutions that are revolutionizing the way television is bought and sold,” said Rentrak Corporation CEO Bill Livek.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
