Omnicom is entering a new era of data-driven marketing after officially integrating Acxiom into its intelligence platform, Omni. While its acquisition of IPG signaled a move toward scale, this latest step reveals the real ambition: competing directly with Publicis and its powerhouse identity platform, Epsilon.

For years, Publicis has held an advantage with Epsilon, which enables marketers to recognise individual consumers across channels and devices even without third-party cookies. This capability has made Epsilon a crucial tool in a world shifting toward privacy regulations and cookie deprecation.

The Omni + Acxiom fusion now gives Omnicom similar – if not broader – identity intelligence potential. The combined platform aims to unify customer, media, and commerce data in a single system built strategically around first-party insights. By doing so, Omnicom reduces reliance on third-party identifiers and strengthens privacy-safe targeting.

Practically, this means a brand using the new system could track a customer journey end-to-end – from the first time someone views an ad, to engagement across platforms, to the final transaction online or at a physical store. The system also merges signals across paid, owned, earned, and commerce channels, allowing marketers to plan, activate, and measure performance with higher precision.

Omnicom positions this integration as a decisive move toward a future built on measurable growth, personalisation at scale, and compliance with evolving global privacy norms. With this upgrade, the company is signalling a strong intent: to reclaim competitive strength in a marketing ecosystem now deeply shaped by AI, identity resolution, and data accountability.