Branded Cities Network And DEFI Group Strike Joint Selling Agreement

Gail Chiasson, North American Editor

Branded Cities Network (BCN) and DEFI Group (DEFI) have entered into a selling agreement whereby each company will market and sell advertising to advertisers in a manner that complements each company’s extensive portfolio of static and digital out-of-home assets around the globe.

Founded in 2006, BCN operates some of the most spectacular outdoor advertising sites in the United States, offering ad space on such iconic signs as NASDAQ and Thomson Reuters in Times Square, Harmon Corner, and the Hotel Mondrian on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to name a few.

DEFI is engaged in the same business with signage assets in Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

“Both BCN and DEFI are in hyper-expansion mode to other key markets so working with a company whom we respect presents a perfect opportunity,” says Steve Ellman, BCN’s chairman and CEO. “We are separate but like-minded companies with common goals so it makes good sense to share resources, evolve best practices and grow revenue alongside one another.”

Founded in 1977, DEFI has a rich history of crowning achievements and major investments in the world of spectacular out-of-home advertising. DEFI’s European expansion to the East was sped up by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and soon after it landed the very first example of spectacular outdoor advertising in Moscow. In 1995, DEFI had created a joint venture in China, continued expanding into other countries.

By 2012, Erminio Deodato, CEO and son of the founder, and DEFI management took 100% control of the company with the support of private investors. Today, DEFI operates spectacular outdoor locations in more than 40 ‘global cities’ (Paris, Milano, Madrid, Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow, Dubai, Beijing, Shanghai, and more).

“We know BCN and DEFI share the same vision of spectacular outdoor,” says Deodato. “We are confident our global partnership will lead both of us to deliver more to our clients – more impact, more engagement, more Spectacular.”

Each company will market and sell advertising to clients (either directly or through advertising agencies) in its own region(s) above, as well as displays on the signage located in the region(s) of the other company.

Advertising sales shall be pursuant to contractual agreements entered into between clients and the respective company with whom they’ve engaged in business (e.g. BCN for United States signage and DEFI for EU, Asia, Middle East and Africa at present).


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