Observed Signal · Jul 13, 2026 · Report Publication · Source: https://martechseries.com/feed/ · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Report: Stronger Identity Infrastructure Needed to Unify Data
Acxiom, in partnership with EMARKETER, published a report titled “Data and identity: From marketing capability to company asset” highlighting that fragmented customer data and disconnected identity systems are limiting marketing growth. The research finds 80% of marketers report improved ROI from identity efforts, with the largest gains in personalization (40.2%). However, 42.0% of respondents rate their customer data foundation as somewhat or very immature and 55.4% say first-party data is siloed or only partially connected. The report shows common identity signals (hashed email 65.2%, first-party authenticated IDs 52.7%, device/mobile IDs 50.0%), but only 23.0% of marketers say their systems are fully interoperable. 60.7% of marketers plan to increase investment in identity resolution over the next 24 months, prioritizing unified customer views, AI/advanced analytics, and website personalization.
Quantifies identity ROI and current fragmentation, revealing adoption and investment trends that are relevant to marketers and identity infrastructure planning.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Acxiom and EMARKETER released a report titled “Data and identity: From marketing capability to company asset.”
- 80% of marketers report improved return on investment from identity efforts; personalization showed the biggest gains (40.2%).
- 42.0% of respondents rate their customer data foundation as somewhat or very immature; 55.4% say their first-party data is siloed or only partially connected.
- Core identity signals reported: email/hashed email (65.2%), first-party authenticated IDs (52.7%), device or mobile IDs (50.0%).
- Only 23.0% of marketers say their systems are fully interoperable; 60.7% plan to increase investment in identity resolution in the next 24 months.
Connected Companies & Entities
5 Entities mapped“Acxiom®, the connected data and technology foundation for the world’s leading brands, in partnership with EMARKETER, released its report, “D...”
“Acxiom®, the connected data and technology foundation for the world’s leading brands, in partnership with EMARKETER, released its report, “D...”
“Author: Business Wire...”
“MarTech Series is a leading publishing platform that provides daily updates on marketing technology news, in-depth interviews with industry ...”
“As part of the iTech Series network, it acts as a "Brand to Demand" partner....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Identity Resolution Revolution: Five Trends for 2026
MarTech’s 2026 analysis outlines five major trends driving identity resolution: widespread identifier loss across devices (Comscore reports 54% of mobile and 36% of desktop impressions lack identifiers), the rise of data clean rooms as core identity infrastructure, greater use of machine learning and NLP for probabilistic identity matching, a shift from batch to real-time identity resolution via streaming and edge architectures, and a multi‑ID reality where multiple universal ID frameworks coexist (Unified ID 2.0, RampID, ID5, Lotame’s Panorama ID). The piece notes cloud vendors (Google BigQuery, Snowflake, Databricks) now offer native clean room capabilities, identity platforms are building integrated clean-room features, and recent M&A (WPP/InfoSum, Publicis/Lotame) underscore the market consolidation. MarTech published a full report with vendor capability tables, pricing guidance, and a buying framework for marketers.
Acxiom Study: Unlocking Hidden Value in Martech Stacks
Acxiom published proprietary research of senior leaders at large U.S. organizations using or planning to use Adobe CX Enterprise, finding high satisfaction with current martech and clear opportunities to expand value. The study reports 92% of respondents say their martech meets or exceeds expectations (95% among Adobe CX Enterprise users). It highlights that connected, high-quality first-party data and identity resolution are critical for AI-driven marketing (87% say AI success depends on data quality; 99% say first-party data will determine winners), while 85% admit they are not fully using their own data. The research also finds 89% of respondents want deeper partner expertise. Acxiom positions consulting, implementation services, native data integrations (e.g., Acxiom Real ID, InfoBase inside Adobe Real-Time CDP), and a Value Assurance Framework to help brands unlock further martech value.
LinkedIn says don't treat leads as finish in B2B
At LinkedIn's B2Believe event in its new Empire State Building space, executives and practitioners called for a shift from lead-centric B2B marketing to a 'full journey' approach that links signals, targeting, creative, full journey, and measurement. Jae Oh, senior director of product management, revealed that fewer than 10% of upper-funnel audiences make it into bottom-funnel campaigns, urging marketers to connect awareness with demand capture. Research from LinkedIn's B2B Institute with eMarketer showed 77% of marketers say they no longer target individuals, yet only 31% have a playbook for activating audiences down the funnel. Practitioners from Canva, SAP, Mastercard, and others shared examples of aligning marketing and sales on common signals. LinkedIn also outlined a product roadmap focused on cost-per-opportunity targeting, multi-format campaigns, agentic workflows, and incrementality forecasting.
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