• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, October 13, 2022

ispDigital (ISPD), the ad tech holding company controlled by the Rodes family best known in the ad biz as key investors -- and managers -- at Havas, are launching a new, independent media services agency.

The agency, Anagram, is being billed as "remote-first" and has no geographic headquarters, but has offices in Boston, Madrid and Mexico City, and will be led by Boston-based Kristen Abramo, who was a rising star inside Havas Media before joining ISPD early this year.

"The constant discovery and adoption of technology have transformed the way we all live, interact, and consume," ISPD Executive Chairman Fernando Rodes tells MediaPost of the reasons behind Anagram's inception, which the company is touting as specializing in a "cognitive science approach to marketing."

"Consumers, as citizens, lead the way, and in response, brands are pushed into a constant state of adaptation," Rodes continues, adding: "There is an urgent need to deeply understand consumer power and demands to create opportunities for brands.

"Anagram’s approach puts people at the core of marketing to inform media strategies that help brands to be relevant and competent and generate value in a changing landscape. We’re excited to bring Anagram together with ISPD’s suite of brands.”

In fact, Anagram -- which will make its official debut next week during Advertising Week in New York City -- has strong connections with ISPD's other major holdings, especially ad-tech veteran Digilant and Happyfication, a data analytics company specializing in cognitive science marketing that ISPD acquired late last year.

Abramo joins Anagram as managing director from the same position at Digilant.

The new agency begins life with two established clients: Harvard University's Division of Continuing Education and sports betting platform Tipico.

“The last two years have resulted in a massive shift in how consumers interact with brands," says Abramo, a veteran media-services exec with nearly a quarter century of experience at Havas Media Boston, Mediahub and Publicis Group.

"Media consumption is now omnichannel, and brand experiences once considered cutting-edge are now table stakes for consumers," she explains, adding: "Brands that fail to make a deep human connection across all channels are losing critical market share,”