MERGE has launched a Data Science Academic Advisory Council to integrate rigorous academic marketing research directly into its AI-first client strategies and agency workflows.
June 29, 2026
MERGE, a leading marketing and technology agency operating under an AI-first model, has announced the launch of its Data Science Academic Advisory Council. This initiative establishes a structured framework for integrating rigorous academic marketing insights directly into active agency workflows, strategies, and enterprise client applications.
Dr. Sarang Sunder, the Jerome Bess Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Marketing at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, is the inaugural member of the Council. Dr. Sunder is internationally recognized for his advanced research in marketing analytics, customer lifetime value (CLV) optimization, and causal statistical modeling across cross-channel digital marketing ecosystems.
This first-of-its-kind partnership was created to:
This partnership leverages academic thought leadership to complement MERGE's world-class data science talent — elevating its product, sharpening its thinking, and building truly unique and proprietary capabilities.
For the Council's pilot phase, Dr. Sunder will provide research expertise and advice on cross-channel marketing strategy, CLV, optimization, and other related topics. Additionally, Dr. Sunder will help build pioneering data science techniques by connecting CLV concepts to healthcare. This includes MERGE's Physician Equity model for healthcare professional targeting and omnichannel orchestration.
What makes Dr. Sunder’s work especially compelling is how it links marketing, lifetime value, and health and wellness, bringing advanced research and thought leadership to MERGE.
“I am looking forward to this collaboration with MERGE,” said Dr. Sunder. “By applying rigorous analytical frameworks to real-world marketing challenges, we can unlock deep insights into customer behavior and drive sustainable growth for MERGE and its clients.”
The Council operates under the executive sponsorship of John Bracey, MERGE's Chief Data and Performance Officer. Bracey’s focus is to harness enterprise data to transform businesses, turning complex metrics into automated, actionable solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes.
“This partnership represents a pivotal step in our commitment to data-driven decision-making and bringing truly innovative data solutions and products to our clients across healthcare. By aligning our strategic goals with cutting-edge academic insights, we are poised to help the brands we partner with deliver Infinite Individualism™, a hyper-personalized, one-to-one experience,” said Bracey. “We are pleased this partnership will bring a high level of energy, rigor, and depth to our data science capabilities across Life Sciences and Health, especially in aligning predictive intelligence with customer value.”
The foundational research and expertise provided by the Council will directly support the continued evolution of MERGE’s recently launched Humanity Suite, an orchestrated system designed to turn the noise of an AI-driven world into clarity for brands and their audiences. This suite serves as the foundational ecosystem where human insight, breakthrough creativity, and advanced AI meet to drive growth, trust, and lifetime value.
This type of partnership is rare for an agency of any scale, and it will play an important role in bringing the Predictive Decision Engine, an offering that moves brands from just reacting to past behaviors to proactively anticipating what a consumer needs next, to life. The Council will map academic insights directly to new, secure, and scalable client solutions to optimize Humanity Suite offerings.
MERGE is a marketing and technology agency built for the intersection of health and wellness. We combine deep expertise in health and consumer behavior with strategy, creativity, experience technology, and digital marketing to design personalized experiences that drive meaningful results.
Powered by the Humanity Suite that brings together human insight, creativity, and AI, we weave storytelling through technology to turn complexity into clarity — strengthening relationships between people and brands.
With 700 specialists across Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, and Raleigh, MERGE partners with leading brands like Abbott, GE Healthcare, American Express, T-Mobile, and Coach to advance health, wellness, and happiness.
