Jean-Francois Decaux, chief executive, said this week that he expected to face stiff competition from Clear Channel, the world’s largest outdoor advertising group and another media conglomerate Viacom. Decaux was eager to point out that his firm already has a joint venture with DSM in Munich and would therefore be the most suitable partner.
US companies are seeking to increase their influence in Europe as opportunities in the domestic market become increasing scarce. The report claims that Germany offers significant opportunities as outdoor advertising accounts for just 3% of the total ad market. It is therefore much less developed than in France where its share of the market is 10%.
Earlier this week, JCDecaux reported an 8.4% increase in first-half net profits and expressed confidence that further growth would be forthcoming (see JCDecaux Bullish After H1 Profits Announcement).
