Acxiom®, the connected data and technology foundation for the world's leading brands, in partnership with EMARKETER, today released its report, "Data and identity: From marketing capability to company asset." The new research reinforces the need to align fragmented data and identity under a stronger, interoperable foundation to enable enterprise-wide clarity and create a connected view of consumers across channels and identifiers. 80% of marketers report improved return on investment from identity efforts, with the biggest gains in personalization (40.2%).
80% of marketers report improved ROI from identity efforts.
42% rate their customer data foundation as somewhat or very immature.
55.4% say first-party data is siloed or only partially connected.
60.7% plan to increase investment in identity resolution.
65.2% use email/hashed email; 52.7% use first-party authenticated IDs.
Only 23% say their systems are fully interoperable.
Holistic identity is built from multiple signals with marketers using layered identity strategies on modern digital identifiers: email/hashed email (65.2%), first-party authenticated IDs (52.7%), and device or mobile IDs (50.0%) forming the core. Interoperability becomes the new standard, yet only 23.0% of marketers say their systems are fully interoperable. Identity is now a core enterprise asset with 60.7% of marketers planning to increase investment in identity resolution over the next 24 months, with top priorities including unifying customer views (38.4%), AI and advanced analytics initiatives (38.4%), and website personalization (31.3%).
Jarrod Martin, CEO of Acxiom, stated: "Identity is the connective tissue of modern marketing, it's an enterprise asset architected with interoperability, privacy, and AI in mind. Companies that unify their data and identity foundation will unlock insights and exceptional customer experiences."
Keith Camoosa, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Acxiom, added: "Smart brands today are focusing on interoperability between identifiers while investing in their first-party data, treating identity as an enterprise asset with a unified strategy. This is particularly important for brands in regulated industries where accuracy and security are fundamental. Brands need full control over their identity as AI, privacy demands, and campaign execution accelerate."
Arielle Feger, Senior Analyst, Media Content at EMARKETER, stated: "Marketers are seeing clear returns from identity investments, particularly in personalization and measurement, but many organizations are still held back by fragmented data and disconnected systems. As AI becomes more central to marketing, the companies that treat identity as enterprise infrastructure will be better positioned to create a unified customer view and drive growth."
Building a glass-box approach to data gives companies transparency and control by integrating directly with their existing infrastructure for brand-owned identity. The report was developed by EMARKETER in collaboration with Acxiom, surveying 112 U.S.-based agency and marketing professionals to benchmark identity maturity, data readiness, and investment priorities.
About Acxiom
Acxiom puts data to work, solving complex challenges for the world's leading brands and agencies. As the connected data and identity foundation for Omnicom (OMC), Acxiom unifies, connects, and prepares data for AI-driven marketing and decision-making, maximizing technology investments. As leaders in data ethics and governance, Acxiom brings a privacy-first approach to serving clients globally.
