New MMA and LiveRamp Report Finds Even Small Data Gaps and Identity Errors Can Distort Marketing Measurement

Key Terms

synthetic data technical

Data that is artificially generated to mimic the patterns and structure of real-world information without exposing actual personal or proprietary records. Investors care because synthetic data can let companies develop, test and demonstrate products faster and with lower privacy and regulatory risk—like using a realistic flight simulator instead of flying a real plane—while also carrying risks if the fake data fails to capture important real-world quirks.

identity precision technical

Measure of how accurately a system or process matches or verifies people’s identities, often expressed as the rate of correct identifications versus errors like false matches or missed matches. Think of it like a fingerprinting accuracy score for databases or verification tools; higher identity precision means fewer mistaken or ambiguous identity records, which matters to investors because it affects compliance risk, fraud losses, customer onboarding speed, and the reliability of user-linked data used to run a business.

data clean rooms technical

A data clean room is a secure environment where different organizations can combine and analyze their customer or transaction data without exposing raw personal information to each other. Think of it as a locked meeting room where each side brings sealed documents and only allowed summaries or matched results are shared; this lets companies measure marketing, target ads, or verify results while reducing privacy and regulatory risks. Investors care because clean rooms can enable revenue-driving partnerships, improve measurement accuracy, and limit legal or reputational exposure from mishandled data.

incrementality technical

Incrementality is the measured extra result—such as sales, sign-ups, or revenue—that can be directly attributed to a specific action (for example, an advertising campaign or a new product feature) beyond what would have happened anyway. Think of it as counting only the additional steps you get from adding a new stair rather than total steps taken. For investors, incrementality shows whether spending actually creates new value, helps forecast returns, and prevents overstating growth when evaluating performance and valuation.

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Research sheds light on factors that can compromise attribution, lift, and ROI measurement, and points to the importance of data collaboration in building a clearer view of performance

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP), the leader in data collaboration, today announced new research developed in collaboration with the Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA), examining the impact of incomplete and inconsistently linked marketing measurement. Critically, The Missing Piece: Improving Confidence in Marketing Measurement report finds that even small amounts of non-random missing data or low identity precision may lead marketers to make flawed budget decisions, and overlook or undervalue effective advertising. As marketers search for solutions, data collaboration helps marketers use data with precision, including identity, targeting, and measurement.

The LiveRamp and MMA joint research arrives at a critical time, as marketers look to mitigate widespread issues such as data loss, privacy controls, identity fragmentation, and cross-channel measurement, all while preparing for their own AI-driven transitions. Using LiveRamp’s resources, including synthetic data and technical experts, LiveRamp and the MMA examined measurement to isolate common measurement issues and quantify their impacts.

The report finds that these data issues can lead to incorrect channel rankings, and lacking adequate identity strategies can understate true campaign performance, both of which lead to inefficient investment decisions and misguided strategy. In tests, MMA and LiveRamp research found that poor identity precision collapsed campaign ROI by approximately 70% — enough to get a working campaign cancelled.

To address these issues, marketers must develop strong identity foundations, as well as a more unified view of media performance. These fundamentals allow marketers to understand their customers and how they move across the ecosystem on their journey to conversion and purchase. Data collaboration — such as through identity solutions and data clean rooms, which also enable unified, de-duplicated measurement — delivers the cutting-edge insights marketers need.

“Marketers are under constant pressure to attribute and measure incrementality so they can optimize ROI," said Vassilis Bakopoulos, SVP of Research and Insights at MMA. "Our research points to two blind spots working against them: missing data that can mask the channels that really perform, and identity matching that feels like progress but isn't built for precision. Both erode confidence in measurement, and both can push budget decisions in the wrong direction."

“When it comes to understanding your customers across channels, and using identity and cutting-edge measurement tools, data collaboration is unparalleled for helping marketers use data with precision, and marketers can select solutions like LiveRamp to quickly and effectively resolve issues with their data precision,” said Christine Grammier, VP of Product at LiveRamp. “Marketers can now tap tools like LiveRamp’s Cross-Media Intelligence for unprecedented, unified views of media performance, solving longstanding challenges and unlocking value. Building a strong foundation through data collaboration is critical for unlocking the best data to power your AI and agentic tools, and get the best outcomes.”

The results of the study will be presented today at the MMA CMO + CEO Summit in Santa Barbara, California, during the “Data Loss Is Breaking Measurement. Here’s What We Know.” session. To read the report, click here.

About LiveRamp

LiveRamp is shaping the future of responsible data collaboration between the world’s leading brands, retailers, financial services providers, and healthcare innovators. As consumers embrace new AI-driven experiences, the LiveRamp data collaboration network exponentially expands the breadth and accuracy of the data on which marketing AI capabilities operate, powering deeper customer insight and measurable performance on a global scale.

LiveRamp is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with offices worldwide. Learn more at LiveRamp.com.

About the Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA)

The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) is the global, nonprofit alliance of Chief Marketing Officers and senior marketing leaders working to advance marketers’ ability to create value. Led by CMOs and supported by the full marketing ecosystem — including brands, AdTech and MarTech, media, consultancies, agencies, and platforms — MMA builds evidence-based models, frameworks, and tools validated through multi-year, multi-million-dollar Think Tanks and Labs.

MMA tackles the industry’s biggest unanswered questions — what truly drives growth, what measurement methods can be trusted, how AI should be operationalized responsibly, and which organizational strategies increase business performance. MMA translates its work into applied playbooks and tools that members use to improve marketing outcomes and strengthen marketing’s ability to create enterprise value. MMA’s global think tanks include Marketing Attribution (MATT), Marketing Org Strategy (MOSTT), AI Leadership (ALTT), and Data & Customer Experience (DATT), with additional initiatives underway.

Headquartered in New York City, MMA operates in 16 countries across APAC, Europe, MEA, LATAM, and North America. MMA represents more than 825 corporate members and convenes the industry through 62+ global conferences annually, including its flagship U.S. gatherings: MMA’s POSSIBLE (Miami) and the MMA CMO & CEO Summit. Learn more at https://mmaglobal.com/.

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PR@liveramp.com

Source: LiveRamp