LiveRamp vs Utiq

Netflix Launches Pixel; FTC Approves Publicis-LiveRamp Deal

Netflix introduced the Netflix Pixel, an add-on to its conversion API (CAPI) within the Netflix Ads Suite, to standardize lower-funnel conversion measurement and enable audience targeting. The company also added The Trade Desk as a DSP partner for programmatic buying of its inventory, starting next month, complementing existing integrations with Amazon DSP and Yahoo DSP. The announcements coincided with Netflix's Q3 earnings, which showed 12% year-over-year revenue growth but ad revenue growth below expectations. Separately, the FTC approved Publicis's acquisition of LiveRamp with conditions to preserve LiveRamp's neutrality, including firewall requirements and non-retaliation clauses. The acquisition date is still pending. The article also mentions Apple's WebKit plans to block web tracking, Salesforce's acquisition of Braze for $5.7 billion, and other industry news.

• Netflix unveiled the Netflix Pixel, an add-on to its conversion API (CAPI) in the Netflix Ads Suite.
• The Netflix Pixel standardizes conversion measurement and enables audience segmentation for targeting.
• Netflix added The Trade Desk as a DSP partner for programmatic ad buying, starting next month.

Declared Data Bridges Customer Personas and Media Buys

This AdExchanger content studio article, sponsored by Dynata, discusses the challenge of translating rich customer personas into actionable media targeting. Marketers develop detailed personas based on attitudes and motivations, but these often become reduced to basic demographics in DSPs. The article advocates using declared data from consumer research panels to build addressable audiences, which can be matched to pseudonymous identifiers and activated across DSPs, social platforms, and CTV. Dynata offers over 3,000 targeting segments built from 10,000+ profile variables, with syndicated audiences available through LiveRamp. Custom audiences can be created in 3-5 days. The piece emphasizes that declared data provides the 'why' behind consumer behavior, complementing behavioral signals for better precision and campaign optimization, without requiring new research for every campaign.

• Dynata maintains over 3,000 targeting segments built from more than 10,000 profile variables.
• Dynata's syndicated audiences are available through LiveRamp.
• Custom audiences using existing variables can typically be created in three to five days.

LiveRamp at Advertising Week New York 2026: Applying AI to the Future of Data Collaboration

New blog post added: LiveRamp at Advertising Week New York 2026: Applying AI to the Future of Data Collaboration (October 16, 2026).

Former Utiq and Xandr/Microsoft Leader Joins illuma for AI Scaling

illuma, a London-based AI company specializing in contextual decision intelligence, has appointed Michel Guillon as head of solutions architecture. Guillon brings two decades of adtech leadership experience from Utiq and AppNexus/Xandr/Microsoft, where he worked closely with illuma's integrations. His role will help partners integrate illuma's contextual intelligence into their systems at enterprise scale, leveraging his deep knowledge of DSP and SSP architecture and data interoperability. illuma's AI technology is used by brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms to optimize advertising decisions in real time, and is available through major platforms including The Trade Desk, Equativ, Index Exchange, Amazon, DV360, Yahoo, OpenX, PubMatic, and Magnite. The appointment underscores illuma's expansion across leading advertising platforms.

• Michel Guillon was appointed head of solutions architecture at illuma.
• Guillon previously held leadership roles at Utiq and AppNexus/Xandr/Microsoft.
• illuma specializes in AI-powered contextual decision intelligence for advertising.

Trade Desk DACH chief: Open ecosystem, retail data key

In an interview with MEEDIA, Tamer Batan, the new DACH head of The Trade Desk since August 2026, discusses the fragmentation of the programmatic advertising ecosystem and the company's strategy to counter it through open, interoperable partnerships. Key initiatives include integrating German ID solutions Utiq and netID and a deepened partnership with retailer REWE to leverage purchase and loyalty data for audience targeting across the open web. Batan emphasizes programmatic's evolution into an intelligence layer and sees AI-driven ad inventory as adding further fragmentation, requiring centralized control and collaboration. He also expresses skepticism about agentic buying replacing human expertise. The interview touches on challenges in the German market, Open Web, identifiers, CTV, and retail media. Batan addresses the company's stock performance, attributing it to a need to better communicate the platform's value. Germany's privacy-conscious market is poised to lead in shaping advertising's future. The full interview is paywalled, with only the introduction public.

• The Trade Desk has integrated German ID solutions Utiq and netID.
• The Trade Desk has a new partnership with REWE to use its retail and loyalty data for ad targeting.
• Tamer Batan is the new DACH head of The Trade Desk since August 2026.

Sanoma Transforms Customer Data into Targeted Advertising Currency

Finnish media conglomerate Sanoma is shifting its business model from a traditional publisher to a data-driven platform. The company's strategy involves leverage of user-controlled personal accounts (Sanoma Account) that allow readers to decide what data is shared with advertisers. Financially, Sanoma reported a 1% decline in H1 2026 revenues to 555.8 million euros, though adjusted operating profit increased by 7% to 46.4 million euros. On the adtech side, Sanoma Custom Audiences allows brands to integrate their first-party data using the Custobar Customer Data Platform (CDP). This integration enables targeted display and video campaigns, as well as AI-powered lookalike modeling. In a highlighted case study, retailer Scandinavian Outdoor collaborated with consulting firm Columbia Road to deploy pre-trained AI agents within Custobar, automating customer and sales insights.

• Sanoma's H1 2026 revenue slightly declined by 1% to 555.8 million euros, while adjusted operating profit rose 7% to 46.4 million euros.
• Sanoma provides a personal data control center (Sanoma Account) allowing users to decide which targeting data is shared with advertisers.
• Sanoma Custom Audiences integrates advertisers' first-party CRM data through the Custobar CDP to match contacts and run targeted campaigns.