Traffic Buys Neo Canada
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
As we noted briefly yesterday, Neo Advertising Canada has been officially acquired by La société Traffic de Montréal.
The company had already been operating under the name Neo-Traffic since Jan./08 through a strategic alliance between the two firms, but the purchase now makes it official. With the acquisition, Traffic has reinforced its position as Canada’s leader in shopping mall advertising signage and expanded its offerings to advertisers in terms of products and geographic coverage.
The move, announced by Ronald Tapiéro, vice-president and co-founder (with Guy Fortin, president) of Neo-Traffic, reinforces the company as a key player in the industry. The buy is considered a huge step forward since Traffic had been looking in recent years to incorporate digital signage into the range of services it provides. With the buy, Neo-Traffic gains access to 16 new Canadian advertising markets while acquiring 500 digital screens. The firm now boasts a full range of signage services in shopping malls – digital and static signage, both indoors and out -all under one roof.
“We are very proud of our growth,” says Tapiéro. “In the space of only five years, we have added 120 malls to our network across the country. With this acquisition we are now in a position to reach 2.8 million consumers a day from coast to coast. Neo-Traffic now holds nearly 65% marketshare of Canada’s shopping malls that have 70 or more stores.” Tapiéro says that the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, a major investor, has played a significant role in the firm’s development.
Canadians are big mall shoppers with 90% of them having visited a shopping mall in the past four weeks, usually in buying mode and therefore an attractive target for advertisers. Neo-Traffic has earned an excellent reputation among shopping mall owners and managers for its good service, innovative product designs, and specialized expertise.
“We have been visionaries in our field from the outset, and quickly carved out a place for ourselves as a leading industry player,” says Tapiéro, noting that Neo-Traffic specializes exclusively in the shopping mall environment and offers a comprehensive marketing solution. “Impact is taken a step further when the signage is combined with the experiential marketing of Promotions SPEED, which Neo-Traffic owns through Media Group.”
Neo-Traffic offers a dynamic signage solution that goes beyond advertising, and can broadcast a wide range of information on its screens, including news, weather, sports, and various other features. According to a number of studies, this content, which can be tailored to each region (language, weather, etc.), is very popular among consumers. The marketing departments of shopping malls also enjoy free access to the screens to advertise their own promotions.
Overall, Neo-Traffic:
- Is present in 120 shopping malls in 80 cities in eight provinces;
- Has 65% marketshare in shopping malls with 70 or more stores;
- Has 100% marketshare in Food Court Live, located in shopping mall food courts;
- Claims more than 1 billion visits annually throughout its network.
Neo Media Group pulled out of the U.S. last winter.
Neo-Traffic is a property of Media Group, Montreal, and owner of Promotions SPEED. Its products are offered in malls owned by Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Oxford Group, Westcliff Group, and many others.
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