JCDecaux selected as Guangzhou Metro’s long-term Media Partner

JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary JCDecaux Advertising (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. has been appointed as a long-term media partner of Guangzhou Metro Corporation. JCDecaux has won the 15 year tender to operate all the lightboxes, stickers, wraps, train-doors & in-trains media resources within lines covering half the Guangzhou Metro network. The contract will be operated via a joint-venture, 51% for Guangzhou Metro Corporation and 49% for JCDecaux, to be co-managed by both companies.

With a total of 153 stations, covering 260 kilometers, Guangzhou has 8 metro lines under operation, making it the third-largest urban rail transit system in China Mainland. As the primary means of daily public transport for Guangzhou 13 million inhabitants, the Metro carries over 6 million passengers on average per day, accounting for approximately 40% of public transport passengers in Guangzhou.

In March 2015, JCDecaux and Guangzhou Metro signed a contract to operate metro media during a 9-month transition period from April 1, 2015. With its solid experience and operational capability and thanks to the professionalism and the involvement of its Chinese teams, JCDecaux was able to implement its rigorous safety procedures and be fully operational within 1 week of the contract being signed. During this transitional period, thanks to a close working relationship with Guangzhou Metro, JCDecaux was able to improve the media offer, and the results have been well received by advertisers, effectively regaining the advertising market share of the Metro in Guangzhou. The result of this tender is a strong confirmation of the quality of this work and of the genuine desire to work together, building upon a solid foundation.

Jean-Charles Decaux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said: “We are very pleased that Guangzhou Metro Corporation has appointed JCDecaux as its media partner for the upcoming 15 years. The signing of the agreement is a strong endorsement of our management, our operational abilities and our mutual collaboration over the past nine months. As the number one in metro advertising in China, we will continue to roll out the latest innovative technologies and new creative concepts in addition to comprehensive media solutions, as part of our plan to build a high-quality media platform for Guangzhou Metro whilst considering the importance of social factors and economic benefits. Our aim is to enhance the passenger’s experience and ensure optimal visibility for advertisers and their brands. This strategic partnership will allow JCDecaux’s coverage of metro media to reach over 30 million passengers per day in China across eight cities, including the four megacities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.”