Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:03.725 --> 00:00:18.513
Welcome to the Public Relations Review Podcast, a program to discuss the many facets of public relations with seasoned professionals, educators, authors and others.
00:00:18.513 --> 00:00:22.170
Now here is your host, eter Woolfolk.
00:00:24.103 --> 00:00:30.431
Welcome to the Public Relations Review Podcast and to our listeners all across America and around the world.
00:00:30.431 --> 00:00:39.911
This podcast is ranked by Apple as being among the top 1% of podcasts worldwide, and we thank all of our guests and listeners for making this possible.
00:00:39.911 --> 00:00:42.448
And also, please leave your review of the podcast at the end of our show.
00:00:42.448 --> 00:00:42.789
Now question so.
00:00:42.789 --> 00:00:52.584
And also please leave your review of the podcast at the end of our sho Now question what are some of the major differences between public relations activities here and in the us and in other foreign nations?
00:00:52.584 --> 00:00:54.027
Are they press releases?
00:00:54.027 --> 00:00:55.070
Just what could they be?
00:00:55.070 --> 00:00:57.682
Well, my guest today has an answer for you.
00:00:57.863 --> 00:01:08.073
With over 20 years of experience in corporate communications, she has worked with national and international brands, including technology, entertainment, consumer goods, e-commerce, sports and more.
00:01:08.073 --> 00:01:20.572
In 2018, she contributed to the book Brand Real, the Ultimate Entrepreneur's Handbook offering startup entrepreneurs advice on when and how to hire a public relations agency.
00:01:20.572 --> 00:01:35.125
In 2004, she led Sing Communications, a woman-powered boutique communications and public relations agency with over 20 years of history, to serving leading brands such as NVIDIA, odata, transunion and others.
00:01:35.125 --> 00:01:45.153
She is a mother of three cats, no less, a wine enthusiast, a lover of new technologies and a fan of rock and pop concerts, especially when they take place in New York City, lisbon.
00:01:45.153 --> 00:01:50.792
So joining me today all the way from Sao Paulo, brazil, is Vania Gracio.
00:01:50.792 --> 00:01:53.349
She is the founder of Sing Communications.
00:01:53.349 --> 00:01:56.126
Vania, welcome to the podcast.
00:01:58.070 --> 00:02:03.512
Hi, t, so excited for having a chance to talk to you and your audience today.
00:02:03.512 --> 00:02:04.665
Thank you for having me.
00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:05.662
Oh, absolutely.
00:02:05.662 --> 00:02:17.164
One of the things that I mentioned in the opening is that, you know, there are different cultures in terms of, obviously, what our public relations observates here and there.
00:02:17.164 --> 00:02:20.211
What are some of those differences that you see?
00:02:22.980 --> 00:02:38.903
Well, I see that we differ a lot from many other countries because in Brazil, especially in Latin America, we are all about relationships, so here we are more our journalists.
00:02:38.903 --> 00:02:58.973
They are more focused on building that relationship, on relying on all the spokespeople that they can find in many companies, and also they always give much more value for what is local.
00:02:58.973 --> 00:03:27.937
So it's really important for global brands, when trying to arrive in the Brazilian market, to consider understanding better understanding our culture in the country and looking for how people like to relate with the creative relations with the brands, how they like to use social media.
00:03:27.937 --> 00:03:53.848
Brazilians are tech savvy, so usually we are the first ones to start using new social media, and so this is really important when planning to launch a brand or planning to come to the Brazilian market, and because our audience is very unique and so our is.
00:03:53.848 --> 00:04:00.811
The same applies to our, our media outlets in the country.
00:04:01.653 --> 00:04:06.742
Now, when you say your culture is unique, what give us a little bit more of what you mean by that?
00:04:06.742 --> 00:04:12.842
Because I understand that and certainly appreciate the fact that, going into a new country, you have to learn to adapt.
00:04:12.842 --> 00:04:17.880
So I'm just wondering talk about some of the uniqueness of some of the Brazilian people.
00:04:20.584 --> 00:04:30.976
For example, we really love technology, but we love having the opportunity to create relationships.
00:04:30.976 --> 00:04:52.069
So, for instance, here we do not have organized an event to celebrate, like in the US I know it's very unusual to organize an event to celebrate that the company is Starting a business in Brazil, with separate what is business and what is party.
00:04:52.069 --> 00:05:00.492
So we love relationships but Relationships and and we love party, but at night, not where, when working.
00:05:00.492 --> 00:05:13.800
So when you are, when you are launching a company here, if you are organizing an event and you are inviting a journalist, you are inviting the journalist to go there and get a piece of news.
00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:22.644
He's not going to the event only because it's a global company or only because it will be free meals and free drinks.
00:05:22.644 --> 00:05:28.535
He's going there to get news, to get something that is relevant for his audience.
00:05:29.761 --> 00:05:38.819
And so I think it is very unique and another thing that our journalists, they ask a lot and they are totally focused on their audience.
00:05:38.819 --> 00:05:45.639
So they want to show that something is really important for their audience.
00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:57.608
So if the product offers something different or it's a new service, that will bring something very unique to their audience.
00:05:57.608 --> 00:06:07.175
So they don't like to avoid objectives, so they are really focused on their audience and they are more.
00:06:07.175 --> 00:06:16.843
They like press releases, but they want not the same model that we use in the US press, for example.
00:06:16.843 --> 00:06:26.211
We need to do something really focused on the Brazilian media when we need to address the journalists here.
00:06:28.341 --> 00:06:36.050
Well, a couple of things suddenly caught my attention in that you know, having an announcement that is not the time to have a cocktail party.
00:06:36.050 --> 00:06:43.363
If you have an announcement, your journalists want to show up and hear exactly what the product is about.
00:06:43.363 --> 00:06:46.528
How does it benefit their, their audience?
00:06:46.528 --> 00:06:51.889
You know, how does it compare to other items of the similar nature, that sort of thing.
00:06:51.889 --> 00:06:55.343
So it's really about more substance than entertaining.
00:06:55.343 --> 00:06:56.185
Is that about right?
00:06:58.269 --> 00:07:00.857
yes, yes, it's also your right.
00:07:00.857 --> 00:07:11.487
And another thing that I know but I'm trying to give because I know you have a huge audience in the US, so I'm trying to bring more comparisons to what is used in the U Like.
00:07:11.487 --> 00:07:34.908
In the US you have some, like Coke and Pepsi, that for many years we saw those brands in the media and one mentioning another.
00:07:34.908 --> 00:07:48.276
This is not common here, so we usually do not compare our brand, my brand, to my competitor's brand to show how my brand is better than my competitor.
00:07:48.276 --> 00:08:13.692
This is something that our public and also the media here, does not like, so this is something that we it's one of the first things that we usually say to American brands coming to Brazil avoid making or making comments on your competitors or making aggressive statements against that.
00:08:13.692 --> 00:08:18.536
This is not seen as a good practice in Brazil.
00:08:25.879 --> 00:08:26.882
Well, let me ask you now has that been a problem?
00:08:26.882 --> 00:08:35.990
Let's say, the first time an American organizational company wanted to introduce its product in Brazil, did they listen to you first and take your advice, or did they tell you what they'd like to have happen and you had to correct them?
00:08:35.990 --> 00:08:36.611
How did that?
00:08:36.611 --> 00:08:37.783
Or has that worked?
00:08:37.783 --> 00:08:45.128
Or has there been a combination of some listened to you and then some decided they wanted to do what they wanted to do and then listen to you?
00:08:45.128 --> 00:08:47.011
What experiences have you had in that?
00:08:49.636 --> 00:08:50.759
well, we have both cases.
00:08:50.759 --> 00:09:07.293
Sometimes they they come with a recipe and they want to replicate the recipe, and sometimes they rely on our, on our advice on how what to do in in the, in our market, to best get the results.
00:09:07.293 --> 00:09:26.195
But what we usually try to show is that um, if you, if you really want to reach um, your audience in brazil, you need to, to want to better understand this audience, especially because I think this is not only in Brazil but in many other markets.
00:09:26.195 --> 00:09:39.970
Sometimes you want to, if you want to talk to the gen d generation, for example, you are not going to use the the media, you are going to use social and the traditional media.
00:09:39.970 --> 00:09:45.566
I mean, you are going to to bet on a communication strategy for social media.
00:09:45.566 --> 00:09:52.408
And for another example in brazil we have um tv and radio.
00:09:52.408 --> 00:09:55.051
They and also printed newspapers.
00:09:55.051 --> 00:09:59.613
They are the weekly source of news for about 30% of people.
00:09:59.913 --> 00:10:06.356
Because Brazil is huge want to target the youngest audience and so probably I will.
00:10:06.356 --> 00:10:20.475
I will use the social media and other channels and, for example, what's up.
00:10:20.475 --> 00:10:22.684
What's up is huge in Brazil.
00:10:22.684 --> 00:10:31.248
We have people using what's up to talk and to spread some images and messages and everything.
00:10:31.248 --> 00:10:46.114
So we really need to understand what, where the audience is, are where they, what kind of channels they use and they are the daily communication to define the best strategies.
00:10:46.114 --> 00:10:56.278
So I think it's really important for any any company trying to to to to start business in the new, in a new country.
00:10:56.278 --> 00:11:31.575
First of all, find out what is your audience and where they are, because our market is changing a lot and since the pandemic, we are reinventing ourselves all the time and looking for the trends to better find the right places to be and the right messages, because they also the motivations that get the attention of our audience is changing all the time, so we need to be updated all the time.
00:11:33.186 --> 00:11:43.639
So I certainly understand what you said about getting to know, or making sure that they use the right tool, if you will, to reach the right audience.
00:11:43.639 --> 00:12:00.236
And I guess in some cases where there might be products that reach both younger people and older people I don't know let's say maybe something like tennis shoes, or older folks might wear some tennis shoes, younger folks might.
00:12:00.236 --> 00:12:05.452
So that means you've got to use a wide variety of different platforms to reach each different group.
00:12:05.452 --> 00:12:07.230
Am I correct in saying that?
00:12:08.846 --> 00:12:09.910
That's totally right.
00:12:09.910 --> 00:12:29.470
For example, since Brazil is huge we have more than 250 million people living in Brazil, 83% of people have access to internet, and broadcast TV is something really huge in Brazil.
00:12:29.470 --> 00:12:50.312
As radio, especially when you go to the, when you, when you want to go to the masses radio and TV are really interesting media to be considered, but when we are trying to get the audience like mass audience.
00:12:50.312 --> 00:13:11.798
So that's why I'm saying that knowing the audience and the, the behavior of people, is important, because if you have a popular product or service, certainly TV and radio will be key in your communication strategy strategy.
00:13:11.798 --> 00:13:18.783
But also we cannot forget the social media, especially.
00:13:18.783 --> 00:13:19.465
What's that?
00:13:19.465 --> 00:13:23.356
Because we have a lot of groups, people here.
00:13:23.356 --> 00:13:25.924
We talk all the time on whatsapp.
00:13:25.924 --> 00:13:33.537
Now it's much more user than the like traditional phone to.
00:13:33.537 --> 00:13:40.212
So WhatsApp would be another important element in a communications campaign.
00:13:42.145 --> 00:13:45.595
Actually, in Brazil now we have more mobile than people.
00:13:45.595 --> 00:13:49.004
Usually people have two mobile cell phones.
00:13:49.004 --> 00:13:51.726
So it's another thing of our culture.
00:13:51.726 --> 00:13:52.028
It's another.
00:13:52.028 --> 00:13:55.171
It's another thing of our culture.
00:13:55.171 --> 00:14:00.615
We love to talk, love to be connected with people all the time.
00:14:00.615 --> 00:14:05.159
So communication is something that is really alive in our country.
00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:19.990
But, uh, when you know that the your audience.
00:14:19.990 --> 00:14:27.549
You know that this is uh interesting for a specific target audience that you have in your campaign if you want to, if you are a b2b company, so the strategy will be completely different.
00:14:27.549 --> 00:14:37.820
You probably work with speaking opportunities and trying to find in the the trade events that we have after the pandemic.
00:14:37.820 --> 00:14:51.416
Now we are seeing a boom of the events in Brazil, so this would be for sure, something interesting for B2B brands trying to talk to their audience.
00:14:53.267 --> 00:14:54.673
Well, it sounds like you know.
00:14:54.673 --> 00:15:09.630
Obviously, it's something that companies need to make sure they understand very well, or have individuals such as yourself who understand how to best reach the audience they want to reach and do it successfully.
00:15:09.630 --> 00:15:15.193
I would imagine that you've been at this for a while and you've been quite successful at it.
00:15:18.929 --> 00:15:45.650
Yes, that's correct, because you need to make sure that you have a local, reliable partner, partner agency or communications local communications team that will have to help you to understand the, the local scene and how to To do, to plan and and execute things in the market.
00:15:45.672 --> 00:15:49.652
I Think I have one more.
00:15:49.652 --> 00:15:50.653
I'm sorry, okay, no, go on.
00:15:50.653 --> 00:15:51.897
And you said you had one more.
00:15:51.897 --> 00:15:52.717
What is that?
00:15:57.024 --> 00:15:58.409
and you said you had one more.
00:15:58.409 --> 00:15:59.133
What is that?
00:15:59.133 --> 00:16:19.019
No, I think I have one more example talking about how birthed in is there is specific in our markets about the journalist, because many times executives they think, okay, I know my products, I know the services, I know everything, but they are, they know the product and they are not ready to talk about our market.
00:16:19.019 --> 00:16:36.804
So when they come here, the journalist waits, expects someone that is a specialist in that product or that service but also knows the impact of their offering in our market.
00:16:36.804 --> 00:16:55.052
So, for example, you already have some local clients and you have some examples of how the local clients are using this product or service in a different way and the results that they are experiencing.
00:16:55.052 --> 00:17:28.702
That and some testimonials and also show that, for example, sometimes they create some companies, they create a specific version of that product or service for the Brazilian market because, for example, we have, if you are an American product and you do not have that your you are offering, so related to Portuguese, depending on the, the audience that you are targeting.
00:17:29.085 --> 00:17:37.500
This might be a barrier because not all people, everyone in Brazil, speaks English.
00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:47.327
So it would be really important to consider the localization of a website, of a campaign using local.
00:17:47.327 --> 00:17:54.962
We have a lot of slang using the local it length to better communicate with your audience here.
00:17:54.962 --> 00:18:13.961
So I think it's really important when the brands value the importance of this localization, they can have much more results because the consumers or the public will understand.
00:18:13.961 --> 00:18:23.392
The consumers or the public will understand that they created something especially for the Brazilian market or for the Brazilian audience here.
00:18:26.414 --> 00:18:28.617
This is really key when entering here.
00:18:28.617 --> 00:18:29.898
Well, you know, I certainly agree with that.
00:18:29.898 --> 00:18:40.310
It certainly makes a lot of sense to me, and I think you've given us an awful lot of information that anybody coming into the Brazilian market needs to take heed of that.
00:18:47.901 --> 00:18:50.306
Let me ask you now is there anything that you think that we have left out in our discussion today?
00:18:50.306 --> 00:18:51.147
I'm sorry, just cut a little bit.
00:18:51.167 --> 00:18:52.932
Could you repeat, peter?
00:18:52.932 --> 00:18:59.328
Okay, do you think that we've missed anything in terms of how to deal?
00:18:59.348 --> 00:18:59.872
with the Brazilian market.
00:18:59.872 --> 00:19:02.178
Did we leave anything out, I think, I would ask.
00:19:02.178 --> 00:19:10.301
Just regarding prices, as we are talking about PR, I think, just have in mind that prices must be.
00:19:10.301 --> 00:19:19.347
It's a key element, it's still a key element in the communication strategy in Brazil.
00:19:19.347 --> 00:19:33.663
So usually global companies, they rely on news wires and I think this is good, but it's not the only thing that you need to build brand awareness.
00:19:33.663 --> 00:19:55.865
So they should consider having press releases localized, not only with less objectives, because the Brazilian journalists, they do not like objectives but also with a quote from the local spokesperson and examples and local customers.
00:19:55.865 --> 00:19:58.893
So, when possible, spokesperson and examples and local customers.
00:19:58.893 --> 00:20:19.067
So when possible, it's always important to localize the press release and since the media rooms are shrinking, sending the press release may be an opportunity to have your news published by Brazilian media as well.
00:20:21.336 --> 00:20:23.644
Well, Vania, let me say thank you so very much.
00:20:23.644 --> 00:20:32.493
I believe you provided a wealth of information to our listeners and I really do appreciate your coming on and the fact that we have a chance to talk to you all the way from Brazil.
00:20:32.493 --> 00:20:40.097
This has been a great, great opportunity for our listeners to learn more about how to be successful outside of the United States.
00:20:40.097 --> 00:20:42.240
So any parting words.
00:20:44.876 --> 00:20:46.921
Thank you so much, it was a pleasure.
00:20:46.921 --> 00:20:56.178
And, of course, anyone interested in learning more about our culture and how to do communications in Brazil.
00:20:56.178 --> 00:21:06.558
I'm totally, totally available and when I grab to I'm on the, on LinkedIn, in other social media, so you can Talk to us.
00:21:06.558 --> 00:21:07.402
It will be a pleasure.
00:21:08.496 --> 00:21:20.021
Well, thank you so very much, and I want to say thank you to my guest today, vania Gracia, who is the founder and CEO of seeing communications out of Sao Paulo, brazil, and to my guest today, vania Gracio, who is the founder and CEO of Sing Communications out of Sao Paulo, brazil, and to my listening audience.
00:21:20.021 --> 00:21:25.920
I certainly hope you've enjoyed this information and hopefully that you will also share it with some of your colleagues.
00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:34.338
And also, please don't forget to give us a review we certainly would appreciate it and also listen to the next edition of the Public Relations Review Podcast.
00:21:34.338 --> 00:21:34.902
Thank you.
00:21:40.855 --> 00:21:49.037
This podcast is produced by Communication Strategies, an award-winning public relations and public affairs firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
00:21:49.037 --> 00:21:50.178
Thank you.
