A Commercial Break on Grandeur

In a world where brands are sending humans to space, or connecting cultures through a pop machine, it can be easy to disregard more conventional marketing tactics. But a glimpse into the global world of marketing can reinstill the value of a communication that just does its job.

During our recent escapades in Brazil, we had the opportunity to intimately visit local brands and advertising agencies. As we sat watching their mirage of recent work, we could not help but feel initially underwhelmed. As can be seen in the example below, the work was predominantly distributed through TV, with relatively linear and story-driven content. In addition, the Blue Man Group was a concept that had been seen in Canada before, and to us felt recycled.

(You can follow along despite the language barrier)

But then came their next slides, wherein they showed the massive positive response that the campaign generated, and the KPI’s that proved it successful beyond a shadow of doubt. From this we gleaned a series of insights. First, further research shows that Brazilian TV has 97% penetration without much heed for PVR/recording devices - thus making televised commercial highly potent. This is a lesson in humility, where bigger isn’t always better, but more importantly where a thorough understanding of consumption habits across different geographies or classes can provide an idea with better bang for your buck. 

Second, a global brand can learn the value of using popular campaign concepts in new markets. In this case, it becomes paramount to ensure cross-cultural compatibility, but if executed properly this leveraging of successful ideas can milk more lift out of a tried and true idea. Again, this provides cost savings and frees up time to spend in other disciplines. 

More than anything else however, we learned throughout our time in Brazil that there is something extraordinarily important about immersing yourself in other cultures. From a business standpoint, differences in best practices can teach you important lessons to apply locally or abroad. On a personal level, new cultures will force you to learn yourself, and everything you do will benefit.

What are your thoughts? What have you learned from global travels?