Publicis completes the acquisition of LiveRamp and launches an AI engine for advertisers

LiveRamp acquisition completed, with an AI engine launched alongside it

Publicis Groupe announced on November 2, 2026 that it had completed the acquisition of LiveRamp, whose data collaboration platform now falls within the group's scope. The transaction is therefore complete and is no longer at the project stage.

LiveRamp also brings its teams, whom Chief Executive Officer Arthur Sadoun describes as experts in data, artificial intelligence and privacy protection.

This completion follows a regulatory step taken in the United States. In a statement published on October 19, 2026, the group reported an agreement with the FTC and maintained its goal of completing the deal before the end of the year, a deadline now met.

At the same time, the group launched what it presents as the sector's first “AI growth engine”, designed on a “plug & play” principle, meaning it can be integrated directly into clients' environments. This engine combines LiveRamp's platform with Epsilon's expertise in identity.

Concretely, the tool is intended to allow clients to enrich their data, activate it across the entire media ecosystem, personalize content and measure commercial results. It also aims to produce proprietary intelligence to feed their AI agents, without leaving their own environments.

This engine is part of the group's existing offering, alongside the modernization of technology infrastructure provided by Publicis Sapient, the activation of AI agents by Marcel, and expertise in creative, media, influence and commerce.

A network of 25,000 publishers open to clients' data

The system is based on two identifiers, RampID and EpsilonID, which allow clients to enrich their proprietary data with thousands of attributes and make billions of prospects addressable. This data can then be activated within LiveRamp's connected network.

According to the statement, this network brings together 25,000 publishers and 500 technology and data partners, as well as distributor media networks, the closed ecosystems of major platforms and integrations with large language models. Publicis's own media network is now connected to it.

The second component concerns data co-creation with partners: distributors, streaming platforms and brands. The group indicates that until now these collaborations involved complex legal procedures, custom integrations and security constraints, and that they are now pre-configured.

Secure sharing environments, known as “clean rooms”, and copy-free technologies are expected to enable the creation of new datasets with these partners without moving them. The stated objective is to feed the AI models specific to each client.

The model rests on three principles set out by the group: data remains within clients' environments, the AI assets created belong to them, and they retain free choice of their technologies and partners.

Publicis positions itself as an alternative to platforms and consultants

Arthur Sadoun presented the offering as a response to two options previously available to advertisers: working with major technology platforms, “at the risk of losing control of their data”, or turning to consultants for custom solutions, “at considerable cost and delay”.

The executive committed to preserving “the identity, culture and neutrality of LiveRamp” within the group. Scott Howe, LiveRamp's Chief Executive Officer, indicated that the combination should provide clients with the foundations needed for marketing driven by AI agents.

The announcement follows a recent decision by the group regarding AI: on October 22, 2026, Publicis entrusted the leadership of Marcel, its agentic activation platform, to Scott Hagedorn and Sam Levine Archer, in newly created positions that they hold alongside their current responsibilities.