CODA adds Quebec wing

November 5, 2008 by Dave Haynes

The Canadian Out-of-Home Digital Association (CODA) has added a French Canadian chapter, led by a couple of familiar faces.

This has been in the works for a while (I’m a member) but was formally announced yesterday.

The Association canadienne de l’affichage numérique (ACAN) is being driven by Philippe Marchessault, of Newad Media, and Denys Lavigne, of Arsenal Media. Lavigne is the guy behind the JADN portal and successful series of polished industry events in Montreal.

CODA and ACAN share a mission to promote the out-of-home digital medium, encourage best practices within the industry and provide leadership for its growth in the Canadian market. According to Michael Girgis, CODA’s Chairman and head of Onestop Media Group: “The arrival of this Quebec-based, Francophone unit is extremely important for our organization. It gives us a true nation-wide presence and will help us to fully realize our mission. As the Quebec out-of-home digital market is very active and diverse, ACAN will broaden the way we look at the industry.”

Philippe Marchessault, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of Newad Media, will oversee the coordination of this new unit. He feels that this initiative will help build a more comprehensive vision for the Canadian industry. “The out-of-home digital industry is growing steadily and becoming an integral part of advertising and marketing strategies worldwide,” he says. “It is imperative that all industry leaders in Canada unite to ensure the long-term viability of out-of-home digital signage. With CODA/ACAN, Quebec industry leaders will now have a strong voice in this process. Together, and for starters, we will begin working towards the standardization of audience metrics and creative formatting.”

Denys Lavigne, president of Arsenal Media and co-initiator of ACAN, adds, “Since its creation, CODA has been working hard on the front line to bring together the various players in the industry and promote the value of this relatively new medium. We now hope to build further on this momentum and mobilize the firms in Quebec that are pioneering the way in our industry.” The coming weeks will see further announcements about activities on the horizon.

This is a good, and really important, move for CODA, which has been pretty Toronto-centric to date and wants to get beyond that. Denys in particular,  has been the catalyst to pull the Quebec industry together, so his involvement gives the Francophone chapter inhstant profile.

Leave a comment