JCDecaux Snapshot
French may be the language of love, but JCDecaux is using it to sell things. The company provides outdoor advertising through billboards, public furniture, and transportation ads. JCDecaux operates in some 55 countries, with about 70% of its revenue deriving from outside France. Although growing across the board, JCDecaux's primary market is still Europe (where it is the top outdoor advertising company and #2 worldwide, behind Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings); its biggest gains have been in Asia, the UK, and the US. JCDecaux Holding, an entity owned by the Decaux family, owns 70% of the company, which was established in 1964 by chairman Jean-Claude Decaux.