AT&T Opens Ad Analytics Division Xandr

In New York, telecoms giant AT&T has launched a new advertising and analytics division named Xandr, combining data on customers with advertising technology to find and reach specific audiences at scale.

Xandr will draw on AT&T's data and analytics business ATT.net; its advanced TV business, AT&T Adworks; and recently acquired ad targeting tech specialist AppNexus, which helps marketers and agencies use machine learning to deliver intelligent and customized campaigns. The company also offers access to the Living Labs, through which a consumer opt-in panel tests products concepts, brand messaging and content variations.

The division has also teamed up with Insight Strategy Group and Advertiser Perceptions to conduct surveys and on-the-ground ethnographies, to enhance its understanding of the dynamic between consumer sentiment and the advertising experience. Findings formed the basis of the inaugural Xandr Relevancy Report, which contains examples of how relevant advertising and data-driven insights can result in better consumer experiences.

Xandr is led by AT&T's former advertising & analytics division CEO Brian Lesser (pictured), who comments: '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'.

Web sites: www.att.com and www.xandr.com .