Top Merkle Alternatives

When you’re searching for Top Merkle Alternatives, you’re likely looking for a partner that can deliver comprehensive creative, design, and digital services without the enterprise-level complexity and pricing structures that often accompany large holding company agencies. Merkle is a leading technology-enabled, data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company that has partnered with Fortune 1,000 companies for over 30 years, but the landscape of creative agencies has evolved significantly, offering innovative alternatives that may better suit your specific needs.

This comprehensive guide explores the leading alternatives to Merkle, focusing specifically on their creative agency services including branding, graphic design, UI/UX design, motion graphics and video production, conversion optimization and UX research, website development, and AI implementation. While many of these agencies offer additional services beyond creative work, we’ll concentrate on how they compare in the creative services domain where design, brand strategy, and user experience intersect with business growth.

Understanding the Merkle Service Landscape

Merkle offers consulting, strategy, design, technology, and data services to clients in various industries such as retail, healthcare, financial services, media, and more. Their 800+ design professionals design products and services used by millions worldwide, making them a formidable player in the customer experience space. However, their enterprise focus and operations with more than 16,000 employees in 30+ countries means they may not always be the right fit for mid-sized companies or startups seeking agility and direct access to senior talent.

When evaluating Top Merkle Alternatives, it’s crucial to understand that pricing details for Merkle services aren’t publicly available, which can create uncertainty during budget planning. This lack of pricing transparency is common among large enterprise agencies that prefer custom quotes based on “pricing the client” rather than the project scope.

Top Merkle Alternatives for Creative Agency Services

1. Passionate Agency – Passionates

Passionate Agency stands out among Top Merkle Alternatives with its transparent subscription-based model that provides predictable pricing and comprehensive creative services. Unlike traditional agencies that operate on project-based pricing, Passionates offers unlimited access to senior-level talent across design, video, web development, conversion optimization, and AI implementation.

The agency’s three-tier subscription structure provides full-time or part-time dedicated resources: the Grow tier ($8,000/month full-time, $5,000 part-time) covers graphic design, branding, website design, UI/UX design, motion graphics, video production, and WordPress, Webflow, and Shopify development. The Optimize tier ($10,000/month full-time, $6,000 part-time) adds UX research, CRO analysis, A/B testing, and advanced analytics. The Innovate tier ($12,500/month full-time, $7,250 part-time) includes everything plus AI implementation and automation.

What distinguishes Passionates from other Top Merkle Alternatives is the caliber of talent and delivery speed. All team members are senior professionals with at least five years of experience, representing the top 0.5% of talent. Requests typically receive updates every 1-3 working days, enabling rapid iteration and continuous progress. This model works particularly well for growth-stage companies and enterprises that need ongoing creative support without the overhead of building an in-house team or managing multiple freelancers.

For marketing leaders seeking alternatives to Merkle’s enterprise complexity, Passionates offers direct access to senior designers, developers, and strategists through a dedicated project manager, eliminating layers of account management that can slow decision-making. The subscription model also provides cost predictability that’s often missing from traditional agency relationships, where scope creep and change orders can inflate budgets unexpectedly.

2. R/GA

R/GA is an independent creative innovation company for the intelligence age that designs intelligent brand systems that help businesses get ahead. Their core competencies span full service, digital, mobile, social media, e-commerce, SEO, web design, marketing/creative services, experiential, branded content/entertainment, market research/consulting, marketing technologies/analytics, media buying/planning, corporate communication, events/sponsoring, branding/naming/product development, packaging/design, visual/sound identity, strategy and planning, and online services.

The company has more than 2,000 employees globally with 18 offices across the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific and is part of The Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG). R/GA received industry honors including Adweek’s Digital Agency of the Decade in 2009 and Campaign Magazine’s Digital Innovation Agency of the Decade in 2019.

While R/GA brings impressive credentials and global scale to the table, pricing information is not publicly available and typically requires custom proposals for each engagement. Based on industry data, the average cost for design agency projects is $56,303.38 with typical timelines of 11 months, though R/GA’s enterprise positioning likely places them at the higher end of this spectrum. Their creative work spans brand design, product and experience design, campaign and content design, and CRM and relationship design.

3. Huge

Huge engages in creating interactions between brands and users across various sectors, providing services in artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, product and platform innovation, and marketing, including embedding AI for personalization, designing technologies, and using data and automation to improve marketing performance. Huge was founded in 1999 and is based in New York, New York.

As one of the prominent Top Merkle Alternatives, Huge focuses on digital transformation and experience design. Their services include creative strategy, UX/UI design, brand identity, content production, and technology implementation. However, like most traditional agencies, Huge operates on a project-based pricing model with costs that vary significantly based on scope and complexity. Industry averages for UX agency projects show costs of $84,973.08 with typical timelines of 10 months and average monthly costs of $8,895.10.

4. Accenture Song

Accenture Song blends creativity, innovation, and technology to push boundaries and build relevance. Accenture Song accelerates growth and value for clients through sustained customer relevance, with capabilities spanning ideation to execution: growth, product and experience design; technology and experience platforms; creative, media and marketing strategy; and campaign, content and channel orchestration.

Song is the world’s largest tech powered creative group that helps businesses grow into the future by creating relevance for their customers today with a unique blend of technology, creativity, and business, all working in harmony. Their services encompass design and digital products, marketing transformation, commerce solutions, and service design.

As part of Accenture’s broader consulting ecosystem, Song brings enterprise-scale resources and global reach. However, this positioning also means they typically engage with larger organizations on substantial transformation initiatives. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed, with engagements structured around comprehensive transformation programs rather than discrete creative projects. For CMOs at mid-sized companies seeking alternatives to Merkle, Song’s enterprise focus may present similar challenges in terms of minimum engagement size and pricing complexity.

5. Deloitte Digital

Deloitte Digital integrates the creative mindset with the industry knowledge and resources only Deloitte’s 200-year history in consulting can provide. Over 10 years ago, Deloitte Digital created a new model for a new age: an agency + a consultancy, believing that experience paves the way for customers and businesses to drive transformation and building their business by applying innovation expertise to reimagine customer experiences for clients.

They combine creativity, design, data, and technology to help marketers compete in modern ways, enable omnichannel B2B and B2C e-commerce solutions, build next-generation sales teams and capabilities to increase effectiveness, optimize service experiences to drive customer loyalty, and engineer design-led experiences to connect across the enterprise.

Deloitte Digital’s creative services include customer research, creative development, user-experience design, product design, and brand strategy. Their creative and innovative approach has earned prestigious accolades from the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, the Creative Floor, the Effie Awards, the MM+M Awards, the Webby Awards, the Digiday Awards, and more. However, as with other consultancy-backed agencies, pricing is custom-quoted and typically aligned with enterprise-scale transformation initiatives rather than standalone creative projects.

6. Digitas

Digitas is a global marketing, technology, and digital agency that uses data, design, and creativity to enable businesses to excel in the digital age. Digitas is the Networked Experience Agency, built on the vision that they create magnetic experiences that earn the right for brands to exist in human networks by leveraging comprehensive data, technology, creative, media and strategy capabilities. Digitas delivers ambitious outcomes via unique solutions that include Creative Experiences, Integrated Media, Addressable Relationships, Social Marketing and Total Commerce. Celebrated by AdAge as Data and Insights Agency of the Year, U.S Campaign’s Brand Experience Agency of the Year, Media Network of the Year and celebrated by Forrester and Gartner, Digitas serves the world’s leading brands through a global network comprised of more than 5,500 employees across over 65 offices in 43 countries.

Digitas Go is designed to meet the urgent marketing needs of brands in a fast-paced, on-demand world, providing flexible and agile project-based creative services, including social assets, performance creative, new product campaigns & launches, D2C content, and more, excelling at accelerating businesses by delivering premium work with speed and excellence. This offering represents an interesting middle ground among Top Merkle Alternatives, providing some of the agility of a subscription model while maintaining traditional agency structures.

7. Croud

Croud is a digital agency that specializes in driving sustainable growth for businesses within the digital marketing sector, offering a range of services including brand planning, strategy development, integrated media management, social media marketing, creative solutions, and data analytics. Croud primarily serves sectors that require robust digital marketing strategies, such as e-commerce, technology, and various service industries and was founded in 2011 and is based in London, United Kingdom.

Among Top Merkle Alternatives, Croud positions itself as a more nimble option with strong digital marketing foundations. Their creative services integrate with performance marketing capabilities, making them particularly relevant for e-commerce managers and growth marketing directors who need creative execution tied directly to conversion metrics. However, detailed pricing information is not publicly available, requiring custom quotes for specific projects.

Key Considerations When Evaluating Top Merkle Alternatives

Pricing Models and Cost Transparency

One of the most significant differentiators among Top Merkle Alternatives is pricing structure and transparency. Traditional agencies like R/GA, Huge, Accenture Song, and Deloitte Digital operate on custom project-based pricing, which can make budgeting challenging and often leads to scope creep. Most design agencies charge between $25–$49 per hour, though rates can vary based on region and expertise.

Freelancers in the US tend to charge less per hour than agencies, with UI and UX designers typically charging no more than $40 per hour, though services like visual design are slightly less expensive with average hourly rates maxing out at $90, while interactive design or interface layout/design can exceed $100 per hour. However, freelancers introduce management overhead and lack the comprehensive skill coverage needed for complex projects.

For UX design specifically, medium-sized agencies typically charge an average of $225 to $400 per hour for a standard UI/UX design project, with agencies using both per-hour and project-based pricing that differs depending on the service provided, where the agency is located, and what reputation it has. A full-scale UX design project that includes UX research, UI design, usability testing, and developer handoff might cost between $25,000 and $100,000, depending on the complexity.

The subscription model offered by Passionate Agency provides a stark contrast to these traditional approaches. With fixed monthly fees and unlimited requests, clients can accurately forecast costs and avoid the budget uncertainty that plagues traditional agency relationships. This transparency is particularly valuable for CMOs and founders who need to demonstrate clear ROI and maintain predictable operating expenses.

Team Composition and Experience Level

When evaluating Top Merkle Alternatives, understanding who will actually execute your work is critical. Large agencies often staff projects with a mix of junior and senior talent, with senior strategists involved in planning but execution delegated to less experienced team members. This model keeps costs down for the agency but can compromise quality and strategic consistency.

Passionate Agency’s commitment to senior-only talent (top 0.5% with 5+ years experience) ensures that every request receives expert-level attention. This contrasts with traditional agencies where beginner to junior UI/UX designers in the U.S. make around $47,500–$60,000 per year, mid-level designers earn about $70,000 per year, and experienced designers earn around $90,000 per year on average, creating a wide range in the experience level of team members who might work on your account.

Delivery Speed and Agility

In today’s fast-paced business environment, delivery speed can be a competitive advantage. Traditional agencies often operate on timelines measured in weeks or months for individual deliverables. The typical timeline for a design project based on design project reviews is 11 months, though this includes comprehensive projects with multiple phases.

Among Top Merkle Alternatives, Passionate Agency’s 1-3 day turnaround for most requests enables rapid iteration and continuous progress. This speed is particularly valuable for growth marketing directors running multiple experiments monthly or product managers who need to validate concepts quickly before development. Digitas Go also emphasizes speed, though it operates on a project-by-project basis rather than providing continuous access to resources.

Scope of Services and Integration

The breadth of services available under one roof significantly impacts project efficiency. Working with multiple specialized vendors—one for design, another for development, a third for UX research, and a fourth for video production—creates coordination overhead and potential inconsistencies in brand execution.

Most Top Merkle Alternatives offer comprehensive services, but the integration depth varies. Large consultancy-backed agencies like Accenture Song and Deloitte Digital excel at enterprise-scale transformation but may overkill for companies needing ongoing creative support. Boutique agencies like Huge and R/GA offer strong creative capabilities but may require additional partners for certain technical implementations.

Passionate Agency’s model provides genuine integration across design, development, UX research, CRO, and AI implementation through a single subscription. This eliminates vendor management overhead and ensures consistent brand execution across all touchpoints. The ability to stack multiple subscriptions also provides scalability for larger initiatives or tighter deadlines without the negotiation overhead of traditional agency scaling.

Conversion Optimization and Data-Driven Design

For UX directors and e-commerce managers, the ability to blend aesthetic design with conversion optimization is non-negotiable. Merkle clients who have implemented analytics and optimization models have seen benefits including an average 25 percent lift in sales, 26 percent increase in revenue, and 25 percent decrease in the cost of analysis, as well as increases in margin, conversion, and search traffic.

Among Top Merkle Alternatives, few agencies integrate CRO expertise as deeply into their creative process as Passionate Agency. The Optimize tier specifically includes UX researchers and CRO analysts who can generate hypotheses, design A/B tests, and provide data-driven recommendations alongside creative execution. This integration means design decisions are informed by user behavior data and conversion metrics from the start, rather than treating optimization as an afterthought.

AI and Automation Capabilities

Digital transformation directors evaluating Top Merkle Alternatives increasingly prioritize AI implementation capabilities. Merkle built solutions on dentsu’s enterprise-grade Azure OpenAI architecture within a private development environment, applying artificial intelligence on vast amounts of brands’ first-party data to drive connected customer experiences.

Accenture Song and Deloitte Digital bring significant AI capabilities backed by their parent companies’ technology practices. However, these implementations typically focus on enterprise-scale transformation rather than tactical AI applications that can deliver immediate value.

Passionate Agency’s Innovate tier provides access to AI engineers and automation analysts who can implement custom AI agents, automate user journeys, create AI-powered chatbots, enable dynamic content personalization, and integrate with existing systems. This tactical approach to AI implementation allows companies to start realizing value quickly while building toward more comprehensive automation over time.

Industry-Specific Considerations

B2B SaaS and Technology Companies

For founders and product managers in B2B SaaS, Top Merkle Alternatives must understand the unique challenges of explaining complex products, long sales cycles, and the need for consistent brand execution across multiple touchpoints. Passionate Agency has particularly deep experience in B2B Software and Services companies, with a portfolio including Avalara, Cotality, and Qualtrics.

The subscription model aligns well with SaaS business models and provides the ongoing creative support needed for product launches, feature announcements, website updates, sales enablement materials, and customer success content. The ability to shift focus between different creative needs without renegotiating contracts or managing multiple vendors provides the agility SaaS companies require.

E-commerce and Retail

E-commerce managers need Top Merkle Alternatives that understand conversion psychology, mobile optimization, and the technical requirements of platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom e-commerce solutions. eCommerce websites demand thoughtful design to facilitate user interactions, with UI/UX designers creating product page layouts, designing intricate payment systems, creating engaging user account pages, and creating unique, brand-centric shopping experiences, which can cost between $15k to $70k.

Passionate Agency’s Shopify development expertise and CRO focus make it particularly relevant for e-commerce businesses. The ability to rapidly test different product page layouts, checkout flows, and promotional designs through the subscription model enables continuous optimization that drives revenue growth. The Optimize tier’s A/B testing and analytics capabilities ensure design changes are validated with real user data before full implementation.

Financial Services and Healthcare

For digital transformation directors in regulated industries, Top Merkle Alternatives must demonstrate understanding of compliance requirements, security standards, and the need for trust-building design. Large consultancy-backed agencies like Deloitte Digital and Accenture Song have strong practices in these sectors, with deep regulatory knowledge and established processes for working within compliance frameworks.

Passionate Agency offers ISO 27001 ready enterprise security and compliance standards, making it viable for organizations with stringent security requirements. The agency’s MSA-based engagement model provides the contractual framework enterprise clients need while maintaining the agility and cost-effectiveness of the subscription approach.

Making the Decision: Which Alternative Is Right for You?

Selecting among Top Merkle Alternatives requires honest assessment of your organization’s needs, constraints, and priorities. Consider these key questions:

• What’s your budget reality? If you need predictable costs and transparent pricing, subscription models like Passionate Agency provide clarity. If you have flexible budgets and prefer custom scoping, traditional agencies may work well.
• How important is speed? Organizations running rapid experimentation or operating in fast-moving markets benefit from agencies that can deliver in days rather than weeks.
• What’s your project scope? One-time transformational projects may suit traditional agencies, while ongoing creative needs align better with subscription models.
• Do you need strategic consulting or execution? Consultancy-backed agencies excel at strategic transformation, while execution-focused agencies deliver faster results for well-defined needs.
• How important is senior talent access? If you need expert-level work consistently, understand how agencies staff projects and whether you’ll work with senior practitioners or junior executors.

For CMOs and Marketing Directors

If you’re struggling to differentiate your brand and need cohesive execution across multiple channels, consider alternatives that provide integrated services rather than requiring you to coordinate multiple specialists. Passionate Agency’s model allows you to shift resources between branding, web design, and conversion optimization as priorities evolve, without renegotiating contracts or onboarding new vendors.

For UX Directors

When conversion optimization is your primary focus, prioritize Top Merkle Alternatives that integrate UX research and CRO expertise into their creative process. The ability to rapidly test hypotheses through A/B testing while maintaining design quality is rare. Look for agencies that can demonstrate how they’ve improved conversion metrics for similar businesses, not just showcase beautiful design work.

For Founders and Startup Leaders

Cost-consciousness and agility are paramount for startups. While large agencies bring impressive credentials, their minimum engagement sizes and lengthy timelines may not align with startup realities. Subscription models provide the flexibility to scale up or down as funding and priorities shift, while maintaining access to senior talent that would be cost-prohibitive to hire in-house.

For Digital Transformation Directors

If you’re implementing AI and automation initiatives, evaluate how agencies approach these technologies. Some treat AI as a buzzword for sales purposes, while others have genuine implementation capabilities. Look for agencies that can show tactical AI implementations that delivered measurable results, not just strategic frameworks and roadmaps.

For E-commerce Managers

Platform expertise matters significantly in e-commerce. Ensure your chosen alternative has deep experience with your specific platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.) and can demonstrate conversion improvements through data-driven design. The ability to rapidly iterate on product pages, checkout flows, and promotional designs directly impacts revenue.

For Product Managers

Product teams need partners who can keep pace with agile development cycles and validate concepts before significant development investment. Agencies that offer UX research, rapid prototyping, and iterative design enable you to make data-informed product decisions. The ability to quickly test multiple approaches and pivot based on user feedback is more valuable than perfect execution of a single concept.

For Growth Marketing Directors

Experimentation velocity is your competitive advantage. Traditional agencies that require weeks to produce landing page variations or ad creative cannot support aggressive testing schedules. Look for alternatives that explicitly focus on rapid turnaround and understand that a 2% conversion lift from a quickly-executed test is more valuable than a perfectly polished design that takes weeks to produce.

The Subscription Model Advantage

While traditional project-based agencies have dominated the creative services landscape for decades, subscription models represent a fundamental shift in how companies access design and development talent. The advantages extend beyond pricing transparency:

• Continuous relationship: Rather than ramping up and down with each project, subscription models maintain context and institutional knowledge about your brand, products, and customers.
• Flexible prioritization: As business priorities shift, you can redirect resources without contract renegotiation or change orders.
• Reduced management overhead: A dedicated project manager coordinates all requests, eliminating the need to manage multiple freelancers or agency relationships.
• Predictable capacity: You know exactly how much creative capacity you have each month, enabling better planning and resource allocation.
• No scope creep: Unlimited requests mean you’re not constantly worried about whether a revision or additional request will blow the budget.

These advantages explain why subscription models are gaining traction among growth-stage companies and enterprises that need ongoing creative support rather than one-time transformational projects.

Conclusion: Choosing Among Top Merkle Alternatives

The landscape of Top Merkle Alternatives offers diverse options for companies seeking creative agency services. Large consultancy-backed agencies like Accenture Song and Deloitte Digital bring enterprise scale and strategic depth but may overkill for mid-sized companies. Boutique agencies like R/GA and Huge offer strong creative capabilities with significant industry recognition. Digital-first agencies like Digitas and Croud provide modern marketing integration.

Passionate Agency represents a distinctly different approach through its subscription model, transparent pricing, senior-only talent, and rapid delivery. For organizations that need ongoing creative support rather than one-time transformation, predictable costs rather than custom quotes, and agility rather than lengthy project timelines, the subscription model offers compelling advantages.

The right choice among Top Merkle Alternatives depends on your specific situation. Evaluate options based on your budget reality, speed requirements, scope of work, need for strategic versus tactical support, and the importance of senior talent access. Most importantly, consider how the agency’s operating model aligns with your organization’s working style and business objectives.

For many companies, particularly those in growth mode or requiring continuous creative support across multiple channels, the subscription model’s predictability, agility, and comprehensive skill coverage make it an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional agency relationships. As you evaluate Top Merkle Alternatives, prioritize agencies that can demonstrate tangible results in your industry, provide transparent pricing and processes, and offer the specific capabilities—whether CRO, AI implementation, or platform expertise—that your business needs to achieve its growth objectives.

Comparison Table: Top Merkle Alternatives

Note: Pricing information is based on publicly available data and industry averages where specific agency pricing is not disclosed. Project costs can vary significantly based on scope, complexity, and specific requirements. Passionate Agency pricing is transparent and publicly available; other agencies require custom quotes.