On Monday, AT&T Interactive announced the launch of in-app ads on its mobile local ad network, a move that the company calls “an extension” of its premier YP Local Ad Network.
AT&T says the impetus for the new offering is rooted in the undeniable fact that locally targeted content increases the opportunity for mobile publishers and advertisers to engage consumers.
From the company’s vantage point, now couldn’t possibly be a better time to venture down this path, particularly since mobile local advertising is expected to grow at a 57% compounded annual growth rate to $2.03 billion by 2014.
So how does it work? According to AT&T, the new capabilities offer participating mobile publishers an enhanced way to generate revenue due to the local relevancy of the ads – and also help advertisers increase potential reach.
Earlier this year, AT&T Interactive piloted in-app advertising on its mobile local ad network and generated over 750 million local ad impressions in three months. The early success makes AT&T Interactive’s mobile local ad network one of the fastest growing in the industry.
AT&T Interactive’s in-app local ads are served within mobile apps based on a user’s location, giving consumers the opportunity to learn about and engage with nearby local businesses.
“AT&T Interactive’s mobile local ad network builds on the long-standing success of our YP Local Ad Network in serving local search ads across three screens via online, mobile and IPTV,” says David Krantz, CEO and president at AT&T Interactive. “We’re taking advantage of the power of local advertising and the proliferation of location-aware mobile handsets. With our significant inventory of local ads and early success, we are poised to revolutionize the mobile, in-app advertising market.”