Airtel Africa in partnership with Intent.ai has launched Airtel Ads, an integrated demand-side platform, aimed at empowering advertisers and agencies to efficiently manage, purchase, and optimise digital ad inventory across multiple ad exchanges in real-time.
In a statement, the firms said the platform will leverage Airtel Africa’s extensive customer base of more than 150 million customers, utilising data from both telecommunications services and mobile wallets.
They said Airtel Ads would allow advertisers to make informed ad placement decisions by combining various tools and functionalities within a single platform and offer a comprehensive solution for digital advertising management.
“This approach aims to not only target digitally engaged individuals but also include those traditionally excluded from the digital realm through its 2G and feature phone user base. Additionally, through the integrated Airtel Voice Reward Ads, the platform can reach consumers on various devices,” the companies stated.
The platform, powered by AI-based brand safety tools, will also accept payments in local African currencies.
The Chief Commercial Officer, Anthony Shiner, Airtel Africa said, “We are excited to introduce Airtel Ads in Africa. This innovative platform will support advertisers and businesses to gain unprecedented control over their marketing campaigns, leveraging Airtel Africa’s extensive customer base and world-class technology.
“Airtel Ads is a testament to our leadership in shaping the communications landscape in Africa; ensuring businesses are supported to achieve their objectives using data-first tools to inform their business decisions,” he noted.
Since its inception, the platform has achieved a weekly audience reach of 27 billion impressions, 23.5 million in-app daily impressions, and over 200 million daily SMS notifications with end-of-SMS tag messaging potential.
He stated Airtel Ads taps into Telco and Wallet data, targeting both the digitally engaged and those traditionally excluded from the digital realm in Africa, including 2G and feature phone users.
According to Shiner, the platform is designed for media agencies and businesses of all sizes, offering focused audience targeting using Airtel’s rich database of customer data and their spending behaviours, coupled with the state-of-the-art Intent.ai platform.
The co-founder of Intent.ai, Alexandr Yesayan, said, “We understand the need for a platform that provides greater value and reaches the unreachable.
“Airtel Ads goes beyond traditional methods, providing a distinct advantage with Voice Reward Ads, reaching audiences who haven’t adapted to smartphones yet.”
