LiveRamp’s RampUp has long been the premier event in the data collaboration space, and this year’s event was no exception. In late February, leaders from media, ad tech, publishing, and agency communities came together to exchange ideas around three key content track themes: Build, Create, and Imagine.
Alliant was there in full force, with representatives spanning our C-suite to platform, agency and advanced TV partnership teams. Across sessions, panels, and one-on-one meetings with customers, our team gained valuable insights and shared Alliant’s unique perspective into the evolving data landscape.
Here are our five biggest takeaways from RampUp 2025:
Yes, first-party data is a powerhouse—it fuels retail media networks and provides brands with deep consumer insights. But it has a limitation: scale. That’s where third-party data comes in.
Attendees at RampUp acknowledged that first-party data alone isn’t enough. Retail media networks, for example, leverage their own data to drive campaigns, but they also rely on data enrichment to gain a fuller picture of their customers. Supplementing first-party data with third-party sources allows marketers to extend reach, enhance targeting, and drive better campaign performance.
HEMs (hashed email identifiers) were a hot topic at RampUp 2025, particularly as it relates to the continued declining relevance of third-party cookies. HEMs not only help maintain audience targeting at scale, but they also provide a sense of stability in an increasingly fragmented ecosystem.
Marketers are looking for solutions that offer reassurances as they navigate identity challenges. HEMs, along with other deterministic identity solutions, are key tools to bridge the gap in a post-cookie world, allowing brands to continue personalizing experiences without relying on traditional tracking methods.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to data collaboration. Even with clean rooms gaining traction, the industry is moving toward a more diverse and dynamic mix of collaborative solutions. Co-ops, new platforms, and partnerships will continue to shape how marketers activate and analyze data.
One of the most anticipated announcements at RampUp was LiveRamp’s launch of Cross-Media Intelligence, a platform designed to help marketers measure and optimize campaigns across media partners. With use cases spanning onboarding, activation, and audience segmentation, this new tool highlights the industry’s shift toward interoperable solutions that prioritize privacy and measurement.
LiveRamp’s Cross-Media Intelligence launch was well-timed at RampUp, given that a consistent theme across sessions and conversations was the continued measurement challenges faced by marketers and publishers. In short: The fragmentation of channels and platforms makes it difficult to get a clear, unified view of performance.
Advertisers and publishers need better measurement frameworks to ensure their investments are working. With the rise of clean rooms, identity solutions, and cross-platform measurement tools, the industry is moving in the right direction—but there’s still work to be done.
The connected TV (CTV) space is evolving rapidly, and marketers need to stay agile. During the "Win Big on the Small Screen: Activating Your First-Party Data with Hyper-Targeted Content that Converts" session, NBCU and Paramount reinforced the importance of testing, learning, and iterating in CTV advertising. A key takeaway? Don’t silo your approach. Third-party data is necessary to enrich first-party datasets, and publishers should adopt holistic buying strategies rather than fragmented ones.
Overall, RampUp 2025 reinforced that the digital marketing landscape is in constant flux, but one constant remains: the need for strong, reliable data.
At Alliant, we’re committed to helping brands, agencies and platform partners navigate this evolving space with scalable, privacy-conscious data solutions. If you're looking to optimize your audience strategy in 2025 and beyond, reach out to the team!