A joint venture between AT&T and AppNexus has led to the formation of a new advertising company: Xandr.
Xandr, to be led by CEO Brian Lesser, encompasses all existing aspects of AT&T advertising and analytics businesses, including AdWorks, ATT.net and AppNexus.
AT&T acquired AppNexus from its stakeholders – which included WPP – earlier this year.
The company says it has four key advantages which include data, premium content, advanced advertising technology and AT&T’s distribution to more than 170 million direct-to-consumer relationships.
Its unique differentiator is its commitment to personalisation, as the company recently teamed up with Insight Strategy Group and Advertiser Perceptions to conduct surveys to understand the dynamics between consumer sentiment and the advertising experience.
“Xandr is a name that draws inspiration from AT&T’s rich history, including its founder Alexander Graham Bell, while imagining how to innovate and solve new challenges for the future of advertising,” said Lesser.
“Our purpose is to Make Advertising Matter and to connect people with the brands and content they care about. Throughout AT&T’s 142-year history, it has innovated with data and technology, making its customers’ lives better.
“Xandr will bring that spirit of innovation to the advertising industry.”
The new company has also entered into agreements with Altice USA and Frontier Communications to sell their TV advertising inventory, and start to create the foundation of a national TV marketplace for advertisers and content publishers.
