Publicis moves deeper into data with $2.2bn LiveRamp

Publicis Group is buying LiveRamp, which it calls a global data collaboration platform, for $2.2 billion ($2.5bn including cash.) This is Publicis’ third big non-advertising acquisition after Sapient and Epsilon, moving the French holding company further away from its ad roots and deeper into data and tech.

Publicis says it will become a leader in data-co-creation which it calls “an important capability in the age of artificial intelligence and an enabler of agentic business transformation.” It says this will expand its addressable market, allowing it to raise its 2027-2028 objectives on net revenue and headline EPS growth from day one.

Data collaboration is described as a platform that enables companies to unify, manage, and activate data across the digital ecosystem. Presumably this will help to tie together Publicis’ other data-based services. In March LiveRamp laid off 5% of its staff.

Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun says: “LiveRamp joining Publicis Groupe is the latest demonstration of our commitment to investing in new talent and innovation, ahead of market shifts.

“After acquiring Epsilon in 2019 in the name of personalization at scale and enabling our clients to take back control of their data from the walled gardens, by shifting from cookies to identity, once again we are looking ahead to what’s next.

“By building the future of data co-creation, we’re empowering our clients to generate new, exclusive and proprietary data, to build the smartest, most differentiated AI agents on top of the leading LLMs (AI large language models.)

“It will be valuable for our clients’ business growth, and a new addressable market for Publicis.”

Sadoun has recently lamented the sluggish performance of the Publicis share price, held back he thinks by market scepticism about the performance of its ad rivals. One reason for the acquisition may be to move Publicis even more into tech and encourage a re-rating ot its shares.