JCDecaux

Objectives

JCDecaux is the fastest-growing out-of-home company in Australia and provides architecturally designed street furniture and advertising space. It has operated in the Australian market since 1997 and is part of a global network with operations in more than 60 different countries. Over the past 12 months JCDecaux has embarked on a number of ambitious and successful projects. The 'Fast Front Pages' campaign for News Limited involved the overnight printing and posting of the front page of their newspapers across 370 JCDecaux east coast panels each morning for eight weeks. Requiring a fundamental change to the company’s business model, its competitors said it couldn't be done. But the campaign was a hit and News Limited went from a $200,000 client to a $3 million client and was rewarded with significant readership increases for its papers.

JCDecaux is a strong believer in innovation and the last 12 months saw the successful delivery of 55 Innovate campaigns; its biggest year to date. One of these included the launch campaign for The Wolf of Wall Street for Roadshow Films. This involved advertising panels filled with cash – the custom-built panels were fitted with fans to create a whirlwind of money swirling behind an image of the film’s high-flying protagonist. This campaign reached an estimated 1.5 million moviegoers, with the video alone receiving more than 90,000 hits on YouTube.

JCDecaux grew from one brand running two weeks of activity to deploying eight brands and 32 different campaigns across its premium network. This year the company has worked closely with the City of Sydney to support and help inform its communities, because it is strategically placed not just for ads but for art, ideas, events, news and important community messages. In 2013 JCDecaux enjoyed revenue growth of 12.1% and its professional development program delivered the equivalent of 450 hours of training. The average tenure for staff is five and a half years, with its sales and marketing team boasting 100% staff retention in 2013. Every new graduate it has hired has been retained over the past three years.

Judges Comments

An all-round stellar performance from JCDecaux, ‘Fast Front Pages’ demonstrated a willingness to adapt their business model. Combined with their cultural excellence and phenomenal staff retention, they were a clear standout in a highly competitive category.