The news: Publicis is pushing further into agentic AI through a proposed $2.2 billion all-cash acquisition of data collaboration network LiveRamp, the holding company announced on Sunday.

By linking LiveRamp’s tech with Publicis’ Epsilon identity platform, the agency will create co-data sets built on verified consumer identities.

The move will ideally help Publicis “win a fair share of [the] agentic transformation market,” CEO Arthur Sadoun told Adweek. Publicis anticipates regulatory approval by the end of the year.

Why it matters: Publicis is betting the acquisition will position it as a leader as holdcos broadly look to strengthen agentic AI offerings.

• Omnicom built on its AI capabilities through last year’s IPG acquisition. The move created an industry giant with expanded enterprise genAI capabilities, giving all teams access to advanced AI tools and integrating Omnicom’s genAI tech across its agencies.
• WPP is also adapting to the AI era. The company introduced self-serve AI tool WPP Open Pro in 2025, which is designed to generate full marketing campaigns; it also partnered with Google in a five-year deal to build its AI tools and services.

But Publicis continues to stand out as an agentic AI leader among holdcos. That position was reflected in its 2025 results, when the company’s new business wins far outpaced competitors.

• Publicis’ CoreAI platform has been integrated into targeting, media planning, and execution, positioning AI as a central growth driver for the company.
• 73% of the holdco’s operations and 80% of its media revenues were AI-powered in 2025.
• Publicis acquired content intelligence company AdgeAI earlier this year to improve predictive measurement. It also acquired data management company Lotame last year to enhance its AI capabilities.

Implications for agencies: Publicis’ planned LiveRamp acquisition shows that the holding company sees agentic AI not just as an efficiency play, but as a way to reshape how agencies plan, target, measure, and optimize campaigns. Competitive advantage in today’s agency landscape increasingly depends on which groups can pair advanced AI capabilities with the data needed to demonstrate their impact.

The bar is rising for agency groups as clients will increasingly expect AI offerings that can not only automate workflows or generate creative outputs, but that can also enable smarter marketing decisions using reliable consumer data.