Pharma marketing: How to be ‘social’ in Brazil
Though the Internet is not quite a mass medium yet, Brazilians are very open to interacting with brands via social media
By on Mar 28, 2012“If Brazilians could put their joire de vivre in a bottle it would be bigger than coca cola,” fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg once said. With an average of 231 virtual contacts per person and 85% of Brazilian Internet users going online to connect with friends on Orkut, Facebook, Twitter and other blogging platforms, it is no surprise that Brazil is considered one of the most sociable countries in the world. So, if looking to integrate social media into your digital marketing mix, what should you consider?
Orkut was launched in Brazil by Google in 2004 and was market leader for seven years. Comparatively late on the scene, Facebook has recently usurped its rival as younger, highly educated and internationally minded users migrate. It is now market leader with over 30 million users compared with Orkut’s 29 million. Twitter has also seen phenomenal growth, with a penetration among Brazil’s Internet users of 23%, the third largest penetration rate for Twitter globally.
Preferred choice of the social media platforms differs by gender, age and geographic region. Women show stronger engagement (+16%) toward social networking sites (Facebook, Orkut) and content consumption. The platform for content consumption also varies by age; younger users (15-24 years) are more likely to use Orkut and Twitter, whereas older people prefer to use Facebook (as do people in the South East Region, including Sao Paulo and Rio), according to ComScore.
Although social media are primarily used to connect with other people, TNS has found that Brazilians are opento interacting with brands and businesses via social media, with a number of brands successfully engaging their fans on various digital platforms. Given the country’s love of celebrity, unsurprisingly the brands with the highest number of fans on facebook are Brazil’s top celebrities, including football stars Kaka and Ronaldinho as well as renowned author Paolo Coelho. However, you will also find consumer brands (L'Oréal, Brazil’s soda ‘Guaraná’) and Brazil’s highly successful online shopping club Peixe Urbano (similar to Groupon) all appealing to the Brazilian mass market.
Although social media have been a success story in Brazil, the actual figures need to be caveated slightly; while millions of Brazilians are online, and of these a very high percentage are active on social networks, the Internet is not quite a mass medium yet. Internet penetration in Brazil is currently around 40% due to the income inequality and the infrastructural and educational challenges that come with its position as an emerging market. The government recognizes the importance of bridging this gap and programs are in place to provide community access to the Internet, incentivise ICT education and research, and lower taxes on mobile devices in order to speed this process up.
Mobile devices will play a key role in Brazil’s continuing development, according to BCG’s report The Internet’s New Billion; Internet users in the BRIC countries will total 1 billion by 2015, driven by heavy use and adoption of mobile devices. Non-computer device traffic (tablets, smart phones) currently represents a low portion of overall traffic (only 1%), but this number is growing rapidly (a 60% increase from May to August 2011, according to Comscore).
Adriana Knackfuss of Coca-Cola Brazil recommends thinking about the multiple devices your audience might be using to access the Web and to “use the right screens” when the World Cup comes to Brazil in 2014. She expects media stacking and multiple device use to be particularly prevalent among teenagers, simultaneously in front of the TV and using their mobiles. As with any new channel, it is important to remember that social media will work best when it is properly integrated into your wider marketing strategy.
We know that the Internet in Brazil is not a mass medium yet. However, Internet use is growing rapidly and those who are online are very active in social media and open to interacting with brands and businesses. As a result, when considering testing the value of social media for your business in emerging markets, Brazil presents a notable opportunity.
Start by listening to any conversations relevant to your audience and identify their needs (both met and unmet). Think about how you can enhance existing conversations and engage in a meaningful way that adds value. If you decide to invest in social media in Brazil, make efforts to understand the following:
· The local market, including the changing social landscape
· How you are going to integrate social into your wider marketing strategy
· Your target audiences’ online needs and behaviors and where you can add value
· Your social media objectives and KPIs; evaluation is not easy but you need to assign value to audience actions
· How to get internal buy-in, the skills and processes necessary to succeed
Christina Peters is a consultant withdigital business and marketing consultancy Blue Latitude.
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