Tamedia plans to acquire a majority stake in Neo Advertising

Geneva and Zurich, 14 July 2017 – With more than 50 media products and platforms, Tamedia boasts Switzerland's strongest digital and print portfolio and has proven expertise and innovative strength in the area of digital advertising. The Swiss media group now wants to add outdoor advertising to its marketing offer. Thanks to the combination of print and online advertising with posters and digital outdoor advertising, advertising customers should benefit from new offers and be able to book cross-media and cross-platform campaigns in a simpler manner. Tamedia is therefore planning to acquire a majority stake in Neo Advertising SA, which is headquartered in Geneva.

Neo Advertising is one of Switzerland's leading companies in the area of so-called out-of-home advertising. Founded in 2003, the company operates and markets around 12,000 digital and analogue outdoor advertising spaces both in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. Together with Neo Advertising, Tamedia wants to further develop the Swiss outdoor advertising market. The company, which has 45 employees, is to be managed in future together with the existing team. Tamedia is to acquire a majority stake in Neo Advertising, but the founding shareholders, notably CEO Christian Vaglio-Giors, co-founder Alexandre de Senger as well as the Genevan entrepreneurs Nicolas Giorgini and Philippe Moser, will remain stock owners. The investment is subject to the approval of the Federal Competition Commission.

Christoph Tonini, CEO of Tamedia: “We want to be able to offer our customers comprehensive advertising solutions from a single source. Thanks to its innovative out-of-home approach, Neo Advertising is therefore a perfect addition to Tamedia Advertising. We look forward to working together with Christian Vaglio-Giors and his team.”

Christian Vaglio-Giors, CEO of Neo Advertising: “Joining forces with Switzerland's leading media group is a fantastic opportunity. Not only would it allow Neo to better seize the digital transformation opportunity; it would also bring our innovation and differentiation capabilities to a higher level, benefiting both our historical and future partners and clients. The Tamedia and Neo teams work hard to transform our strategic project into a transaction.”