JCDecaux Street Furniture: The heart of design and urban beautification

 Jean-Claude Decaux had a vision, one that would forever change the face of outdoor media. In 1964, he invented the concept of street furniture, delivering beautiful bus shelters for the city of Lyon, financed by advertising. The world took notice, and JCDecaux became a global phenomenon. 

A family business spanning three generations, JCDecaux is the world’s number one name in Out-of-Home, the only international company solely focused on street furniture, transport and billboard advertising. Today, JCDecaux is part of the Euronext 100 index and has a prominent presence in over 3,800 cities and 83 countries, generating advertising revenues of €3.89bn (NZ$ 6.88bn) in 2019. 

For over 50 years, JCDecaux has been transforming places and the way people engage with brands. Dedicated to being the best at what it does, JCDecaux is passionate about design and enhancing communities, working with renowned designers and architects around the world. They include the likes of Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, Philip Cox, and Phillippe Stark. Recognised for its premium aesthetic and unique quality, JCDecaux is also the partner of choice for top fashion houses and luxury brands. 

Boasting a strong global balance sheet, its financial stability makes the company a reliable media partner in any economic landscape. With bold confidence and a pioneering spirit, JCDecaux continues to pursue the exciting possibilities tomorrow may bring. 

Before Jean-Claude founded the company, he started a business creating billboards along French roadways. A new legislation in France placed restrictions on billboard use, forcing him out of business. Not one to give up easily, he made a deal with the city of Lyon, proposing that he would build bus shelters in exchange for advertising space. JCDecaux was born, and Jean-Claude’s passion for innovation revolutionised the industry. From self-cleaning public toilets to street furniture, and from electronic billboards to data-driven experiences, JCDecaux challenged the conventions of outdoor media. 

By the turn of the millennium, JCDecaux became a listed company, with Jean-Claude’s sons, Jean- François and Jean-Charles at its helm. It wasn’t long before JCDecaux became the number one outdoor media provider in the world. 

Street Style

Founded on the pillars of innovation, JCDecaux invented a new business model in 1964, street furniture financed by advertising. This passion for innovation has continued ever since and in 2019, JCDecaux invested over €17 million (NZ$ 30m) in its dedicated, 197 strong Research & Development team. This team is the global leader in Smart City street furniture solutions and are always exploring new ways to expand its range of advertising infrastructure, driven by data and inspired by technology. 

It’s no coincidence that JCDecaux is the media partner of choice in the most iconic and progressive cities around the world. In 2019, JCDecaux was recognised for the 9th consecutive year for its commitment to sustainability, and awarded a position on the CDP’s prestigious ‘A List’. Core to the group’s strategy is the ceaseless pursuit of sustainable and responsible development of urban environments. The R&D team’s mandate is to deliver world-first media solutions that benefit both the community and advertisers. A classic example of their ingenuity is the state-of-the-art green shelter delivered to the city of Manchester. The first of its kind in the UK and designed by Marc Aurel, the shelter is a beautiful example of where tradition meets technology, including a living roof, charging points, free Wi-Fi and local information delivered via digital touchscreen. They took it one step further in 2020, announcing a world-first patented blueprint for a natural cooling bus shelter, designed to improve the comfort of commuters in the world’s hottest cities. 

On a wall at JCDecaux’s headquarters in Plaisir, France, is the quote: “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.”

Bringing together a global team of change makers, movers and shakers, JCDecaux challenges conventions, embraces innovation and raises the bar for others to follow.

In the words of Jean-Claude Decaux, there is “a constant desire for excellence, a strong emphasis on design, and an obsession with always, always using the business to serve the community.” 

 JCDECAUX’S STREET FURNITURE 

Number one worldwide 

80+ countries 

3,890 cities 

517,800 advertising panels 

JCDecaux in Australia: The Gold Standard

It was the year 1997. Gearing up for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the City of Sydney anticipated throngs of athletes and visitors from around the world. It would be a spectacle of international proportions. All eyes would be on Sydney. Everything had to be perfect. Every street corner. Every touchpoint. 

The City of Sydney was determined to put on a show the world would never forget, and Sydney had to put its best face forward. Enter JCDecaux, awarded with a 20-year contract to fund, design, manufacture, install and maintain a fully integrated suite of street furniture. They delivered, elevating the city’s outdoor media landscape to a whole new level. It was the golden opportunity that opened doors to the Australian Out-of- Home market, and the rapid expansion of JCDecaux in Australia began. 

Today, JCDecaux is the preferred partner in premium Out-of-Home media. Its portfolio across key Australian capital cities include Airport, Street Furniture, Roadside, Transit, Rail and Dynamic Creative Solutions, featuring some of the most prominent digital outdoor assets across the country. The real winners? Its brand and concession partners, of course. 

The Future of JCDecaux in New Zealand

Where opportunity meets preparation. 

Through its acquisition of APN Outdoor in 2018, JCDecaux gained a strategic foothold in the New Zealand market. This move was a deliberate step in the French giant’s global expansion strategy and significantly bolstered its portfolio in the Asia Pacific region. With sights set firmly on the future of Out-of-Home in New Zealand, JCDecaux has announced itself as a serious contender for future leading street furniture contracts. 

Please contact JCDecaux New Zealand Country Head, Mike Watkins, for more information. mike.watkins@jcdecaux.com, 021 358 534. 

The post JCDecaux Street Furniture: The heart of design and urban beautification appeared first on stoppress.co.nz.

stoppress.co.nz