Database marketing agency Merkle has acquired data quality services provider CognitiveData, which came on to the scene in 2001 as a result of its proprietary data hygiene technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Toyota and its AOR Saatchi & Saatchi LA are launching a nationwide, integrated campaign to promote the new, third-generation Toyota Prius.

A federal court judge today issued a temporary restraining order against telemarketing company Voice Touch Inc., of Florida, and its business partner, Illinois-based Network Foundations LLC, from making any further calls in violation of the National Do Not Call Registry and other provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) and the FTC Act.

On Saturday, May 16, Gannett Co. is publishing the last print edition of its Arizona-based daily the Tucson Citizen. The 20,000-circ paper — Arizona's oldest — will live on as a Web site that focuses only on opinions, with no news or community updates. Gannett will uphold its joint publishing partnership with Lee Enterprises' Arizona Daily Star, also based in Tucson.

Digital marketing technology provider Datran Media is rolling out its first cloud-based version of StormPost this week to clients including The Washington Times and MediaNews Group. The platform's fifth release automates the process of selling banner advertising within newsletters as well as improves the audience metric reporting due to client requests.

In reviewing my own mail over the past several months, in addition to all the e-mails and texting, I've notice a couple of things that have now become standard. One, I'm using less checks, because I'm paying all of my bills, with the exception of rent, online. As a result, that book of stamps that used to last less than a month now carries me through for quite some time. 
And that's the problem.

Trinity Direct introduces the Catholic Greeting Card Buyers @ E-Mail Address list to the market. The company already offers a postal list of the same prospects. This file contains Catholics who have made a purchase for greeting cards.

In DMNews' first annual Agency Business Report, we found that DM agencies continue to evolve in order to stay relevant in a complex age of cross-channel marketing.

Pet marketers are finding that social media is helping connect owners to pets, pets to owners and pet products to both, in what is expected to be a $45.4 billion industry this year.

Omniture is a data company that works with hundreds of technology vendors, including ExactTarget and Silverpop to help combine data with digital channels. It recently partnered with ComScore to help media planners have better audience measurement tools. DMNews chats with Matt Langie, senior director of product marketing at Omniture, about data integration, behavioral targeting legislation and the new partnership

New list — Northrope Small Business — Infinite Media — This file contains executives and entrepreneurs who run small businesses. They have made several purchases in the past 3 months. Average number of employees in these businesses is 12. All own computers.

New insert program — Schwan's Home Service Inc. Catalog Blow In Program — Intellivent Group — Inserts are placed in the Schwan's Home Service Inc. catalog, which offers items, recipes, savings and tips to homeowners. Seventy-eight percent of prospects are female, average age is 42, 92% are married and average income is $62,000.

New list — Jack Stack Barbecue — RMI Direct Marketing — This file contains people who have ordered meals online through jackstackbbq.com, or subscribed to the company's catalog. Jack Stack's audience is mostly over 40 years of age, and earns more than $75,000 per year. Suggested usage includes offers for the home, cooking goods, gifts and travel.

New list — Finance Professionals — eTargetMedia.com Inc. — This file contains finance professionals such as accountants, CPAs, financial planners, auditors, bookkeepers, and purchasing agents.