The Pay With GasBuddy platform closes the search-to-purchase loop. Currently, it runs a debit program, but expanding it to a credit card could provide brands with much more opt-in data.

Being around in the early days of the internet was luck, says OpenX CEO John Gentry -- but also an opportunity "to be part of a growing category."

Samba TV and Amazon are building out an attribution model that enables brands to confirm a tv ad leading to a purchase with no identifiable customer data being shared by the companies or brands.

Vistar Media CEO Michael Provenzano predicts strong growth for the company will continue in 2020, partly driven by attribution and the ability to measure return on ad spend.