Publicis, the French advertising group, has agreed to acquire LiveRamp, a US-based data company, in an all-cash deal that values the business at about $2.5bn, the latest sign of consolidation as the marketing industry retools for an era of artificial intelligence.
Publicis will pay $38.50 a share for LiveRamp, which is listed in New York. The price represents a premium of close to 30 per cent over the company’s closing price on Friday, and implies an equity value of roughly $2.55bn, including LiveRamp’s net cash.
LiveRamp operates a data-collaboration platform that allows companies to unify, manage and match customer data across different digital services. Its identity-resolution technology is used to connect audiences across platforms without relying on traditional tracking methods.
For Publicis, the acquisition deepens an existing strength. The group has built much of its recent growth on data-driven marketing, and LiveRamp’s tools are intended to sharpen its ability to target and measure advertising as clients increasingly expect campaigns to be planned and optimised by automated systems.
The deal reflects a wider race among the largest advertising and technology companies to assemble the data infrastructure needed for AI-powered marketing, in which software agents help to plan and place campaigns.
The boards of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, Publicis said. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to approval from LiveRamp shareholders and from regulators.
Publicis said the purchase would expand the market it can address and prompt an upward revision of its medium-term financial targets.