LiveRamp vs Oracle

Retail Media Networks Revive Multi-Touch Attribution

Within a week in September 2026, two major retailers announced new multi-touch attribution (MTA) capabilities for their retail media networks. Albertsons Media Collective launched an incrementality-based MTA built with LiveRamp and piloted by PepsiCo, while Best Buy Ads released its own in-house MTA within My Ads. The author, Kiri Masters, questions the revival given MTA's fall from favor, but analyzes retailer incentives: MTA may serve as a tool to unlock brand budgets, which are larger than performance budgets, by justifying higher CPMs and measuring full-funnel impact. Retailers see demand from shopper marketing teams, but brands and consultants express skepticism about MTA's accuracy, data access, and black-box nature. The article contrasts retailer-owned systems with independent tools like Clerdata, Incremental, Keen Decision Systems, and Circana, and discusses limitations of the Albertsons-LiveRamp partnership, which is grocery-exclusive and excludes Google Search and Amazon.

• Albertsons Media Collective announced Retail Media Incrementality-Based Multi-Touch Attribution on September 17, 2026, built with LiveRamp and piloted by PepsiCo.
• Best Buy Ads confirmed its own multi-touch attribution, built in-house, going live on September 30, 2026, within My Ads.
• Albertsons' MTA connects impression-level exposure across its channels, offsite media, and participating platforms (including Google DV360, Google Ad Manager, Perion) against transaction data.

Bringing the Power of RampID Globally to Custom Audiences in ChatGPT Ads

LiveRamp announces the global expansion of RampID to custom audiences in ChatGPT Ads, enabling marketers to leverage identity resolution for AI-driven advertising.

AI Deepens Marketing's Measurement Paradox, Kantar Finds

At The Drum Live, measurement experts discussed a paradox: marketers have more data than ever, yet confidence in using it is declining. Kantar previewed research showing declining confidence among 800 senior marketers globally, accelerating over the past year. AI is both a contributor and potential solution, but panelists warned that AI only works as well as the data it's fed. Fragmentation and self-serving platform metrics exacerbate distrust. The consensus favors incrementality and outcome-based measurement over last-touch attribution and surface metrics. Organizational alignment on success definitions is critical. The shift also highlights the short-term vs. long-term balance, with confidence in this balance dropped from 60% to 50% in a year. Preparing measurement systems with proper data taxonomy and C-suite ownership is essential for AI readiness.

• Kantar research (survey of 800 senior marketers) shows declining confidence in media mix and data use, accelerating over the past year.
• 97% of executives believe data volume has outgrown their capacity to connect and understand it.
• Marketer confidence in balancing short-term performance and long-term brand building fell from 60% to 50% in a year.

Paramount Appoints Mattel CEO as Co-CEO Ahead of Warner Acquisition

Paramount Global has appointed Ynon Kreiz, CEO of Mattel, as co-CEO alongside current CEO David Ellison, effective October 5, 2026. This appointment comes just before the completion of Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, expected to close on October 6, 2026. Kreiz will oversee day-to-day operations and the integration of the two studios, while Ellison will focus on strategy, creative direction, and technology. The merger, valued at over $110 billion, is expected to result in thousands of job cuts, with projected annual synergies of $6 billion within three years. Kreiz previously led a turnaround at Mattel, including job reductions, and is known for orchestrating the successful 'Barbie' movie. The deal faced legal challenges from several states, which were resolved after Paramount committed to increased U.S. production spending and retaining both Los Angeles studio lots. The merger has also raised concerns about CNN's editorial independence given the Ellison family's political ties.

• Ynon Kreiz, CEO of Mattel, will become co-CEO of Paramount on October 5, 2026, alongside David Ellison.
• The Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger is expected to close on October 6, 2026, with a deal value exceeding $110 billion.
• Paramount expects annual synergies of $6 billion within three years from the merger.

Google Report: AI Doubles Software Vulnerability Disclosures

Google's Threat Intelligence Group reports that the number of disclosed software vulnerabilities has doubled within months, rising from 5,045 in January 2026 to 10,740 by August 2026. The report attributes this surge to the increasing use of AI agents in security research, which uncover different types of flaws than traditional scanners. Notably, 50% of AI-found vulnerabilities lead to remote code execution, compared to 26% for conventionally discovered ones. The report also highlights a rise in exploitation of known 'N-day' vulnerabilities, from 28 in all of 2025 to 75 between January and August 2026, likely accelerated by AI-assisted exploit creation. Additionally, vulnerabilities in AI infrastructure itself are growing, with over 1,500 reports in 2026, focusing on orchestration frameworks like Langflow and inference servers such as vLLM and Ollama. The report advises prioritizing patches based on threat intelligence and recommends AI-powered code reviews for software vendors.

• Vulnerability disclosures doubled from 5,045 in January 2026 to 10,740 in August 2026.
• 50% of AI-discovered vulnerabilities lead to remote code execution, vs. 26% for conventional methods.
• Exploitation of N-day vulnerabilities rose from 28 in 2025 to 75 between January and August 2026.

Oracle Payment Halt Disrupts OpenAI Expansion

The article reports that Oracle has halted payments for Project Jupiter, a major infrastructure project central to OpenAI's expansion. The payment pause creates uncertainty around the timeline and scope of the project, which is crucial for OpenAI's computing capacity. The reasons for Oracle's decision are not disclosed. This development could impact OpenAI's ability to scale its AI models and services, potentially affecting the wider AI infrastructure ecosystem. The news is significant for partners and investors relying on the project's completion.

• Oracle has halted payments for Project Jupiter, a major infrastructure project for OpenAI.
• Project Jupiter is central to OpenAI's expansion plans.
• The payment halt creates uncertainty about the project's timeline and scope.