Top 4 things to know before starting an influencer campaign in Brazil

An insider’s perspective

by Ana Luiza

Brazilians are devoted to social media. They spend an average of 9 hours online per day, of which 3 hours is just on Social Media, according to GlobalWebIndex. They are also the third most prominent nationality on Facebook and second on Instagram. What is the leading cause of this movement? Influencer marketing.

Below we’ve compiled the key points to consider before you enter the Brazilian market with an influencer marketing strategy, to ensure success:

1. Being aware of the economic and political situation

This is essential, last year the elections unsettled the economy and created a sense of insecurity. It hasn’t changed in the last 12 months, with the country still going through an unstable period. However, Brazil is still a large and relatively untapped market to enter for international brands, but the timing for campaigns needs to be well thought through.

2. Deep dive into the culture

As a big multicultural country, colonized by the Portuguese, and then followed by Italians, Germans, Spanish and Dutch immigrants, each state has its own culture. For that reason, advertisers need to pay attention to this before launching a campaign, as well as Influencers when advertising a product. What is normal in one state can be completely different in another, for example, the type of food, the accents, and slang that are used, the way they dressed, etc. Therefore, micro influencers have a huge importance when creating a marketing strategy. Having local knowledge, they are essential in creating an engaging campaign. However, because of the sheer population size (210M). The tiers of influencers can be drastically different compared to European ones. A micro influencer in Brazil can easily have 100k followers. And, besides being the only Latin American country to speak Portuguese, English is still not common in Brazil.

3. Tap into already trending topics

There are three main topics that are trending now that brands can leverage:
Sustainability: With the obvious trending Amazon fires this has put a spotlight on sustainability, however, Brazilians are becoming more aware of leading a conscious lifestyle, it is something that we have seen trending for some time. The country is worldly acclaimed for the abundance and diversity of plant and animal life, being the residence of more unique species than any other country. Brazil is also the richest country in plant diversity, for those and many other reasons, the influencers can not just be quiet towards this situation, their followers expect to hear their voices. Giovanna Ewbank and Bruno Gagliasso are an Instagram celebrity couple who are always supporting good causes, this time they went to Amazonas, invited by the non-governmental organization Greenpeace Brazil, to fly over the region and show the true reality of the fire and deforestation, in order to raise awareness and alert their followers.

Female empowerment: The feminist movement in Brazil is one of the most organized and effective in Latin America. The word ‘feminism’ is sometimes misunderstood in many European countries, however, it is something currently discussed by Brazilian Influencers. As a conservative country, circumstances haven’t favored for equal rights. The influencers and the advertisers need to been seen as visibly supporting diversity and inclusivity. Julia Tolezano known as Jout Jout became one of the most popular YouTubers in Brazil talking about abusive relationships and sexist culture in a spontaneous, clear and easy way, but also with a lot of sense of humor.

Body & Beauty: Brazilians are famous for their beauty and body standards, this originated from the diverse multicultural backgrounds of so many of the people, mixed with the huge society influence of always “having the best version of yourself”. A stereotypical image of a Brazilian is a healthy lifestyle with daily workouts and clean food plans. However, there has been an increase in vegetarianism and veganism. Rising the number of micro influencers dedicated to this topic as Carol Destro and Ale Farah, and also macro ones, as Gabriela Pugliese, one of the biggest health and fitness influencers with 4 million followers, who changed her lifestyle, and started having more vegan choices. What has been changing not only in Brazil but all over the world are the beauty patterns and the increase of the “imperfection” movement. From the typical butt lift, waxing and hair treatment references, Brazil is now all about body positivity and self-love. Great examples of influencers who are deeply involved in this movement are Alice Weg, the activist actress who uses her Instagram and her powerful voice to make significant changes and Letticia Muniz that through her body and positive mindset is empowering women all over Brazil.

4. Influencer marketing is BIG in Brazil
Replacing celebrities, influencers are so well received, that you can easily find fan clubs for the majority of them. The beauty influencer Mari Saad for example, who has conquered more than 3 million followers on her Instagram and almost 2 million on Youtube, with her humble attitude. What is trending is influencers launching their own brand or have their own business, a good example is Camila Coelho launching her own collection at the exclusive retail partner, Revolve. The reason behind all this is the culture of influence behind the Brazilian consumers, that strongly trust and follow recommendations coming from “experts”. We all know how social media has immensely increased this cultural aspect. However, it’s not that easy, with the number of influencers in the market, the lack of authenticity is real, and to engage the Brazilian market requires a genuine and organic content. So, the right fit with brand values and brand audience are a must. On the influencers’ side, they enjoy building ongoing relationships with clients, which is easily made if the influencer has a brand connection.

Photo credit: @lutranchesi