Abril Group takes control of Elemidia
O Estado de S. Paulo 09/14/10
The Abril Group has increased its business portfolio with the acquisition of 70% of the capital of Elemidia, a company of electronic displays for the serving of information and advertisements. The amount paid to acquire the control of the company has not been disclosed. The Forjaz family, founder of Elemidia, keeps the other 30% of the interest and Felipe Forjaz will be ahead of the operation. The deal is part of a restructuring of the Abril Group which, as affirms the CEO of the group, Giancarlo Civita, will have other chapters that may be soon announced involving other acquisitions, in areas such as distribution and e-commerce."Elemidia adds a significant distribution for the contents produced here in April, segment in which were out", explains Giancarlo Civita, CEO of the Abril Group. "The company is the largest in such 'out of home' segment and it makes perfect sense for us to flow our production, which is currently conveyed only on paper and online". Currently, the Elemidia system conveys news delivered through an agreement with the Terra portal. "We will comply with all contracts, but April opens a channel wherever Terra is not a provider", says Civita.
In the view of the CEO of the Abril Group, the future of the out of home digital media business is quite promising. "It is a platform that will allow both the serving the most varied contents, and the advertising on the block where the consumer is located", he said. "A person may be walking, in a cab, or on a bus and, in such a situation, he/she will receive a signal on the phone with a piece of information on an advertising that may interest that person at that time, such as a cut in the prices at the restaurant on the block". With 5.7 thousand displays installed in more than 1.6 thousand commercial establishments - having impact, according to the company, on 14 million different people a week -, Elemidia is present in 16 States and it has an operation in Buenos Aires, Argentina.