Flair Brazil 2019 - The Sound and The Noise
Brazil’s recent history has been a series of monumental events. All facts typical of traditional historiography, especially political and economic facts, may easily illustrate the country’s last few years.
1. Brazil chooses order
Corruption scandals, Lula in prison, fake news that casts doubt on everything, a deep economic social crisis, devaluation of the Real and political violence. The time to restore an authoritarian regime has come, and Jair Bolsonaro is the new President. However, this hasn’t been a surprise: for months, nine in ten Brazilians felt their country is heading in the wrong direction and 85% of Brazilians consider that the economic situation is not good. Crime, violence, corruption are the most worrying topics, and the three main axis of Bolsonaro’s speeches.
2. Brazil is increasingly addressing the issue of representing diversity
Brands are becoming concerned with increased diversity and representation in their adverts. Some brands have quietly placed their bets on these issues, in order to connect with a wider range of consumers. An attempt at empowering people from all backgrounds in every part of their life and at bringing them closer to each other is an aspiration one can find both in marketing and politics.
3. Brazil are curious of the world around them
The number of Brazilians looking for exchange programs has increased in recent years, having almost tripled in a decade, jumping from 85,000 in 2007 to slightly over 246,000 in 2017. Those who can no longer stand the pressure professional life requires pursue an alternative lifestyle travelling the world, making a living from jobs they would not generally take back home.
4. Brazil is a start up nation
Brazil currently has over ten thousand start-ups, accounting for millions of Reais worth of transactions. Consumers tend to see many of these new companies as sustainable, ethical, and responsible, terms which have not been associated with large companies in the past. Entrepreneurship, a trend for bottom-up innovation, and a general need for empowerment all point to a certain aspiration to lived experiences.
5. Brazil’s advertising trends make it a battlefield for dueling brands
Irony and criticism are aggressively used by creative agencies, and consumers may sometimes have the impression of getting stuck in the middle between competing brands. Brands striving for public preference in social media do not refrain from resorting to controversy or derision.
6. Brazilian companies count on social media to engage consumers
One of the greatest challenges brands are facing is to build a stronger connection with consumers, and that such a connection should remain long after the purchase of a given product. In business decision-makers’ views, the main benefits of social media are: to promote the brand (77%), engage with the audience (63%), increase blog/site traffic (50%), and expand sales and number of clients (48%).
7. Brazil is a musical nation
From Samba and Bossa Nova to Axé and Funk, Brazilian music has moved beyond the frontiers of entertainment and has become a jewel in the crown of the country’s cultural offering. Singers are among Brazil’s most influential celebrities, according to the Most Influential Celebrities study, which Ipsos conducted in late 2017. Singers dictate trends, influence behaviour, and endorse consumption to such an extent that it is hard to find similar examples in other cultural segments.
8. Brazil is among the leading users of internet and social media
The country ranks second behind the US in its number of Instagram users, with over 61 million people as of April 2018. The social media app has seen its Brazilian users in 2018 grow by 10% over the last year. Brazilians spend on average nine hours a day on social media (such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and others), showing that such channels are fertile grounds for brands to explore.
9. Brazil ‘s eating habits are changing
Obesity rates have soared by 60% over the past decade (from 11.8% in 2006 to 18.9% in 2016). Figures have doubled for those aged 25 or over and are higher among people with lower levels of education. With this obesity concern, Brazil has seen its Health and Wellness market double recently, with the country now having the 5th largest Health and Wellness market in the world. Visible trends include more fruits and vegetables, and less soft drinks and artificial beverages, filling the kitchen tables of Brazil. This has been complimented with a rise in physical exercise.
10. Brazil's eco fashion has begun to blossom
Brazil housed its first sustainable fashion week in 2017, the Brazil Eco Fashion Week, showcasing 40 designers, including acclaimed figures, such as Flavia Aranha. Eco fashion is key for more companies as they seek new conscientious consumption business models.