CHICAGO, Aug. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MERGE, a marketing and technology agency serving 160+ clients, today announced the acquisition of St. Louis-based Brado’s Insight and Digital practices. This acquisition unites qualitative research with digital performance capabilities, including generative engine optimization, creating the industry’s most complete human-centered growth engine.
According to the 2026 EY Global Consumer Health Report, while 89% of patients trust their healthcare providers, they also increasingly rely on digital channels—including conversational AI, generative search, and specialized platforms—to guide health choices and treatment requests. This consumer evolution underscores the urgent shift toward AI-driven health discovery engines augmenting traditional health journeys.
“Patients and caregivers don't navigate care in a straight line—they balance deeply personal, emotional choices with real-time research across search engines and AI agents,” said Stephanie Trunzo, CEO of MERGE. “By bringing Brado into MERGE, we are pairing rich human empathy with advanced digital precision, furthering the promise of our Humanity Suite. This allows our clients to move beyond simply reaching audiences to building enduring trust and ensuring credible discoverability wherever decisions are made.”
Unifying Human Sentiment with AI Discoverability
The strategic investment reinforces two primary pillars within MERGE. Brado’s Insight practice connects to MERGE’s design and strategy offering to elevate the critical role of qualitative research, while Brado’s Digital practice integrates into MERGE’s performance and media group to scale data analytics, channel strategy, and AI search optimization.
Bringing Brado’s two specialized divisions into MERGE addresses both ends of the modern decision journey:
- Human Insight & Creative Strategy: The incoming Brado Insight team’s proprietary co-creation and qualitative frameworks will sit alongside MERGE’s creative content and strategy practice, led by Cait Vlastakis Smith, Chief Design Officer at MERGE.
“The most powerful insights come from understanding people not simply as patients, consumers, or customers, but as whole humans,” said Vida Ghiasi, Brado Insight. “Our work goes beneath the surface to uncover the beliefs, needs, and motivations that shape how people think, feel, and make decisions. By integrating our qualitative research methodologies with MERGE's Humanity Suite and creative storytelling, we are empowering health and life sciences brands to connect with people at a deeper level, ensuring empathy remains the driving force behind every interaction." - Digital Media & Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Led by John Bracey, Chief Performance Officer at MERGE, the Brado Digital team expands MERGE’s Integrated Outcomes organization, embedding advanced media, data analytics, and GEO into channel strategy.
"Digital marketing is entering a new era where AI-driven discovery, precision media, and measurable business outcomes are inseparable,” said Blake DeCola, Brado Digital. “By expanding performance marketing capabilities, we are giving health and life sciences organizations a stronger way to understand how their audiences search, reach the right decision-makers, and turn complex intent into measurable growth."
Redefining the AIgency Framework
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Chicago, IL, MERGE serves over 160 health, life sciences, and wellness clients across North America including Abbott, Oura and Supernus. As an AIgency, MERGE is at the forefront of re-architecting how human empathy and technology interact—not just using AI to automate old agency models. The addition of Brado accelerates MERGE’s continuous innovation through its Humanity Suite—a proprietary offering that weaves human insight, creativity, and AI technology together to turn healthcare complexity into narrative clarity.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What does MERGE’s acquisition of Brado mean for health, wellness and life sciences brands?
A: Health brands gain access to integrated qualitative research and GEO strategies that improve brand visibility across AI answer engines. This allows marketers to uncover the underlying drivers of health decisions and deploy targeted interventions across the entire continuum of care.
Q: What advanced digital capabilities does Brado Digital bring to MERGE clients?
A: MERGE clients gain access to specialized GEO strategies to convert their high-value expertise and credible content assets to earn top citations in AI-generated answers, shape brand perception, and directly connect engagement to measurable clinical and commercial outcomes. GEO, SEO, paid media, and content now execute as a unified, HIPAA-compliant practice.
Q: When are the expanded Brado services available to MERGE clients?
A: The combined insight and digital performance services are available immediately on August 26, 2026, to health, life sciences, and wellness organizations. For complete access details, visit www.mergeworld.com or contact mergeprsupport@mergeworld.com.
About MERGE
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 our Humanity Suite, we weave storytelling through technology to strengthen relationships between people and brands. With 700+ specialists across North America, MERGE partners with leading brands like Abbott, American Express, T-Mobile, Horizon BCBS, Oura, Piedmont Healthcare, and Supernus to advance health, wellness, and happiness. Learn more at mergeworld.com.
Media Contact: Michelle Riley | mergeprsupport@mergeworld.com
