As cookies fade and AI rises, marketers face a critical opportunity: leveraging data collaboration and authenticated identity to unlock omnichannel performance. LiveRamp’s Travis Clinger shares why the future of marketing depends on smarter connections—and why the time to act is now.
Having now been in the ad tech industry for the life, condemnation, and resurrection of the third-party cookie, I understand why marketers may be unsure of what cues to take for their long-term strategies. Factor in the broader economy, and things may seem very uncertain.
But, spending every day partnering across the ecosystem, I can confidently say: clinging to third-party cookies will continue to drive a wedge between marketers and data-driven, better-performing marketing.
We’re entering a critical period where those embracing data collaboration to drive omnichannel strategy will see clear advantages over those who don’t.
Demand Smarter Capabilities
As an industry, we’ve already spent countless hours discussing third-party cookies and what comes next. Suffice to say, it shouldn’t be one or the other: marketers want better connectivity, but still need the ability to buy inventory addressable through third-party cookies, tapping both approaches for scale.
But above all else, in today’s outcomes-focused era, marketers are expected to be accountable and to drive results. Data collaboration—along with authenticated identity, which enables consistent, consented recognition of users across channels—unlocks a unified view across customer touchpoints, powering measurement and optimization for improved performance.
Not only must teams be able to measure and optimize across all touchpoints, but they also need to drive results in the business metrics that matter most to the organization.
These insights require collaboration—especially with retail and commerce partners—to connect campaigns to actual conversion and purchase behavior. Data partnerships also enable real-time optimization, offering a dynamic stream of feedback across every interaction.
Of course, insights alone aren’t enough. Marketers also need the ability to act—connecting data from wherever it lives to power activation across a growing range of channels, including mobile in-app, CTV, and emerging AI environments.
What Marketing Leaders Need Now
To take full advantage of omnichannel connectivity, marketers need flexible collaboration frameworks across a trusted network of partners that span all the places where audiences engage. That includes access to measurement and visibility across each channel, format, and creative variation.
Data collaboration platforms can help deliver this visibility, accelerating insights and maximizing the impact of every dollar spent. Authenticated identity plays a key role in making these connections more accurate and effective—especially when integrated with tools like Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) and privacy-enhancing technologies. These foundations give marketers the flexibility to connect, activate, and analyze data across platforms with confidence.
Authenticated identity also enhances measurement—such as through Conversions APIs that allow marketers to connect online and offline actions to real outcomes.
These connections offer a clearer view of performance, reduce dependence on third-party signals, and support privacy-first approaches that build trust with consumers.
Why Marketers Must Start Now
Regardless of whether we’re circling a recession or in a full-fledged one, marketers have a chance to use data collaboration to rethink their strategies and strengthen performance. Connecting data through the right partners and platforms enables critical insights and real accountability—benefits that become even more important in a budget-conscious environment.
There’s no reason to be in the dark about where your customers are, what channels drive conversion, or how to fine-tune campaigns before they’re over. Even in strong markets, being able to optimize spend and performance in real time gives teams a competitive edge.
Looking ahead, every marketing team is exploring how AI can help them move faster and smarter. But AI is only as good as the data you feed it.
Teams that embrace data collaboration now will be best positioned to plug into AI-powered insights, unlock smarter customer journeys, and activate in the next generation of digital channels—some of which haven’t even been invented yet.
How to Get Started
Some marketers may feel like data collaboration is too complex or too technical to tackle. But there are multiple entry points, and the best approach is often to start where the impact will be most immediate.
To create the personalized, connected experiences consumers now expect, marketers need omnichannel visibility and the ability to act on those insights. Whether that starts with building a unified customer view, streamlining measurement, or improving engagement across emerging channels, the time to act is now.
In today’s market, the only wrong move is standing still.