The document serves as a guide for brand marketers looking to engage with the Brazilian market, especially in the context of the 2016 Olympic Games. It highlights the complexities of Brazilian consumer culture, the importance of local relationships and communication, and the need for sensitivity to social issues and regional disparities. Additionally, it emphasizes the potential for engaging with diverse audiences through social media and the significance of understanding local sentiments towards brands and social causes.

1. 2016 – BRAZIL, BRANDS & THE GAMES
AN INTRODUCTION FOR BRAND MARKETERS AND COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS
JULY, 2015

2. The authors:
Alasdair Townsend,
ManagingPartner,SherlockCommunications
Based in São Paulo, Alasdair has spent more than ten
years acting as a marketing and business consultant
for a diverse range of companies, from blue-chip,
enterprise scale organisations to exciting start-ups
and social enterprises.
Formerly Director of Business Strategy for Eulogy
and, prior to that, Head of Digital & Marketing
Services for Diffusion, as Managing Partner of
Sherlock Communications he specialises in strategic
consultancy, public relations, digital and social media
programme development and execution.
In 2012 he was nominated for PR Week’s Young PR
Professional of the Year and has been a leading
member of teams that have won PR Week’s Best
New Consultancy and Best Technology Campaign
awards. He is also the former vice-chairman of the
Direct Marketing Association Social Media Council,
responsible for developing industry best practice
frameworks, literature and insight. Born in London,
Alasdair is fluent in English and Portuguese and
studied English Language and Literature at Oxford
University.
Elemar de Souza Cruz,
Media Director, Sherlock Communications
Originally Sports and Current Affairs Correspondent
for Diario do Grande ABC, one of Brazil’s largest
newspapers,whereshecoveredmultipleinternational
sporting events and fooball, tennis and Volleyball tou
naments in Brazil, Elemar is a highly experienced
marketing and communications consultant and leads
Sherlock Communications’s international public
relations division.
Fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish, Elemar has
also acted PR- Press Director for many international
cultural and sporting events such as Magnum Photos
Exhibitions, ATP’s Brasil Open and FIVB’s Beach
Volleyball World Championships.
She has also worked as a producer and coordinator
for, among others, BBC, SKY TV, BBC Current Affairs,
QVC, The Shopping Channel, Pararell Media Group,
TWI and Magnum Photos, Octa8on and Brunoro &
Coco Sports Business. Born in São Paulo, Elemar
studied Journalism and Communications at the
University Metodista de São Paulo.
Introduction:
For any international brand, launching or operating in Brazil can be a daunting experience and requires
careful planning and commitment.
Strong local relationships are fundamental; collaborating with the right partners, that can help navigate
the many potential pitfalls, is crucial to long-term success.
Even at the highest levels of business, the ability to communicate in Portuguese is normally required
and, while the country may seem united in language, in reality it is fragmented into many widely varying
consumer groups.
In advance of the games in 2016, this six-point guide is designed to offer a cultural overview of the country’s
marketing, sports and digital landscape, as well as the challenges an international brand will face when
entering the market.

3. 2016 – BRAZIL, BRANDS & THE GAMES
CYNICISM AND CAUSE
CLEARLY PUTTING SOMETHING BACK INTO THE COUNTRY
Brazilian cynicism to big business and sport has heightened in the
last year, with corruption scandals affecting government, industry and
even, with investigations into FIFA, the memory of the World Cup (which
still remains under something of a cloud, with many promised
infrastructure projects still incomplete let alone the infamous
semi-final result against Germany).
In the context of preparation for the games in Rio, there is a
particular degree of distrust and distaste for spin. To make
room for sporting developments, there have been many forced
evictions in poorer districts while the local government has
been repeatedly criticized for erecting eight miles of concrete
‘eco-barriers’ (allegedly to protect rainforest around slums and
communities), more cynically seen as walls for containing and
hiding the city’s slums from its foreign visitors
1-
A poll in March showed
that as many 68.9
percent of Brazilians
believe the President,
Dilma Rouseff, was
responsibleforamassive
kickback scheme in
the recently exposed
Petrobras
SPORT AS A SYMBOL
Brazil is still a divided society, both culturally and economically. Among
more disadvantaged communities in particular, sport is seen as a vehicle
to social mobility with many successful/hero footballers, martial artists
and basketball players coming from poorer comunidades (the preferred,
politically correct term instead of favela)
Like the successful companies that
sponsor these players, the most respected
and loved are those that demonstrably
embrace their roots rather than seek to
distance themselves from them
2-
As always with any international brand in Brazil, there is
always a considerable risk of being viewed as in some way
exploitative or arrogant

4. 2016 – BRAZIL, BRANDS & THE GAMES
CYNICISM AND CAUSE
CLEARLY PUTTING SOMETHING BACK INTO THE COUNTRY
Unlike the World Cup, which held games across the country, the games
are being held exclusively in or around the city of Rio de Janeiro. Although
Rio is Brazil’s second largest city, it represents just three per cent of the
total population.
Most Brazilians (particularly those outside the middle
or upper classes) have never been there. Brands which
recognize this fact and can, in some way, help bring a meaningful
experience of the games to consumers outside the city will
achieve considerable cut-through.
Although Rio, with its beaches and famous landmarks, is seen
as an almost archetypal representation of Brazil by foreigners,
in reality, the city has a more complicated image to Brazilians.
The carioca (Rio) way of life and people have a reputation of being laid
back, but this is not always a positive association. Tensions between Rio
and the rest of the country (in particular São Paulo) often exist not far
beneath the surface.
Content and campaigns based on traditional Rio clichés of beaches and
samba have little resonance for Brazilians but, for brands that want to
celebrate and offer a genuine experience of the games in Rio, a sensitivity
to these differing reputations will be key.
Although Rio, with its
beaches and famous
landmarks, is seen as
an almost archetypal
representation of Brazil
by foreigners, in reality,
the city has a more
complicated image to
Brazilians.
3-

5. 2016 – BRAZIL, BRANDS & THE GAMES
BEYOND FOOTBALL
As will come as a surprise to few, football predominates Brazilian sporting
culture. It is by far the most popular sport in the country, followed by
volleyball, martial arts and basketball. Most other sports and sports stars
are relatively unknown. There is, however, an enduring national pride in
sporting achievement and Brazilians do and will always want to celebrate
their athletes – as soon as they know who they are
Like the teams of most other countries, the typical consumer will know
only the very best athletes from the most popular events. Brands
which can tap into this national Brazilian pride and help introduce and
connect new athletes and niche sports to individual communities will be
immediately differentiated from more simplistic and generic brand
messages.
Team
Football
Volleyball (including Beachvolley)
Basktetball
Individual
Swimming
Judo
Athletics
Tennis
Sailing
Rowing
Gymnastics
4-

6. 2016 – BRAZIL, BRANDS & THE GAMES
DISPARATE AUDIENCES AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Brazil is a culturally, educationally and economically diverse country. There
is no one medium, message or publication which can reach all audiences.
However, due to the increasing proliferation of smartphones and consumer
credit, as well Brazil’s hyper-social culture, Brazilians use and consumption of
social media dwarfs European or North American user-bases.
For brands trying to engage disparate audiences, this presents a
significant opportunity (social media in Brazil should be a part of any
brand’s global communications strategy around the games in 2016)
– it can also represent risk.
Braziliansocialmediauserstendtohaveaparticularlysardonicsense
of humour – friends are just as likely to share disparaging memes
of politicians and gaffs from brands as gossip. Any social media
campaigns or content need be carefully planned to ensure that there
are no unintended ironies lost in translation. Sharing is often not the
problem, standing out and getting the message right frequently is.
SOCIAL GAMING
Gamification is also extremely advanced in Brazil. The country ranks
as number one in the Western world for Social Network gaming, with
36% of the population playing a social game at least once a week
and a social gaming market worth more than $1.5 billion.
The most advanced brands already recognise this and construct
clear narratives around these experiences. For international brands,
this should be seen as an opportunity to create experiences which
can be both localized and subsequently internationalised for
audiences beyond Brazil’s borders.
An international social media campaign that is kick-started in Brazil
willhaveaclearcredibilityandengagementadvantageagainstthose
that do not.
97.8million Brazilians use
social networks (the
most popular being
Facebook, Whatsapp
and Instagram) and
as a national trait,
Brazilians are simply
more willing to share –
Brazil has the second
highest Facebook
engagement rates
of any country in the
world.
36%of the population play
a social game at least
once a week
5-
6-

7. 2016 – BRAZIL, BRANDS & THE GAMES
About Sherlock Communications:
Sherlock Communications (www.sherlockdigital.net) is a unique Anglo-Brazilian, marketing
communications agency, based in and operating from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Working with some of the largest Brazilian and international brands, we provide a range
of business-focused services including: international public relations; content and
brand marketing; social media and digital marketing; corporate communications; events
planning and promotion; and internal and stakeholder communications.
Sherlock was founded specifically to provide a bridge between Brazil and foreign
markets. Our on-the-ground, multidisciplinary Brazilian and British team has the
award-winning experience to provide the support and insight foreign companies need
to refine, localise and execute their global business and communications strategies.
Brazil is a highly complex market so, like the Sherlock from whom we take our name,
our philosophy is first to investigate the true nature of our clients’ business challenges
and opportunities, then map out and take them on a step-by-step journey to long-term,
effective and measurable marketing communications. We believe a campaign is only as
useful as the business results it generates.
With a fusion of British methodology and Brazilian creativity, we deliver campaigns and
consultancy at the same or better quality of service found at the largest firms together
with the personal approach and agility common to independent agencies.