The internet has radically changed the mass broadcast media industry and, as a result, the way businesses advertise and communicate with consumers.
A recent study ranks Brazil fifth among countries with highest internet users.
We wonder how new platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are transforming Latin America’s media landscape.
Carlos Moreira offers insights on it, the new technologies that are impacting the media ecosystem and his current role leading Globo’s newly launched program in Silicon Valley. A lifelong media entrepreneur who co-founded Esporte Interativo, Brazil’s first national television network dedicated to live sports acquired by WarnerMedia, he also shares some strategies startups can use for a successful social media campaign.
BayBrazil: Globo Group is the largest Latin American media company and has recently launched a program to enable cross border value creation in digital advertising, D2C platforms, data services and new business development in the region. What is a qualified partner profile to participate in it?
Carlos: We’re interested in working with any mediatech companies that are innovating in one of our four focus areas:
(1) Digital Advertising: This includes contextual advertising, sales attribution, and the ability to convert audiences to subscription models.
(2) Data Services: With over 110 million Globo IDs, we’re very focused on ID resolution across devices, channels and platforms so that we have a clearer, more cohesive view of our individual consumers.
(3) Deep Watching: This refers to anything that transforms a digital video into an interactive video.
(4) Short Video: It’s becoming part of the media matrix to have a decentralized way to distribute video, especially short video, on the open web.
I’d also like to mention that the nature of our partnerships varies from company to company. Sometimes Globo is integrating technology from partners into our core business or operations. Other times, we’re working with partners to develop a new solution altogether. The most important thing is strategic alignment and making sure the partnership is mutually beneficial. For that reason, we generally conduct a three-month experimentation period before considering a direct investment or entering a longer-term contract with potential partners.
BayBrazil: Some of your announced partners are Firework, TheTake.ai and nFlux. How does the program contribute to those companies’ success?
Carlos: The Globo Partner Program is a really great way for mediatech companies to grow quickly in Latin America—all without having a physical presence in the region. As the founder of Clash, one of the companies we are currently in conversations with, put it, we jumpstart the go-to-market approach for companies in Latin America. Short video startup Firework, for example, increased its Latin American user reach by 50x in just six months after partnering with Globo. TheTake.ai, meanwhile, was able to test out shoppable video at scale on Globo’s channels.
By joining the program, companies not only gain access to Globo’s 100 million daily users, they also benefit from Globo’s legacy knowledge of Latin America’s business and regulatory environment, as well as our technology. Globo employs 5,000 engineers, 3,000 of whom are dedicated entirely to mediatech platforms. By working with an established media player like Globo, companies—especially smaller startups—are able to test and improve their solutions, all while accelerating their growth in Latin America.
BayBrazil: Globo Group has about 100 years of operation and exceptional expertise in Latin American media market. Could you tell us about the media market evolution, especially in Brazil?
Carlos: Like elsewhere in the world, Latin America’s media landscape is rapidly evolving with the rise of newer forms of media—think TikTok and Instagram, streaming services, and virtual reality. On top of that, internet and mobile phone usage are skyrocketing among the region’s 660 million residents. Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina now account for some of the highest-ranked markets worldwide for total hours per week spent on the internet, much of it on mobile devices.
On the other hand, Latin America’s media audience remains concentrated in a few, select media networks. You have Globo in Brazil, Televisa in Mexico, and Clarín in Argentina. What this means for advertising and media innovators is that if you’re able to partner with one of these three players, you take a huge step in building your audience and market in Latin America. That’s exactly what the Globo Partner Program offers startups.
BayBrazil: Is the program a move in the mediatech space? What are new technologies to impact the media / advertising ecosystem?
Carlos: The program is very much about innovating in the mediatech space. We operate a lot like a VC in that we connect the supply side of media technology (our partners) with the demand side of media technology (Globo and our users).
A lot of the innovation in media and advertising boils down to the four pillars around which the Globo Partner Program is structured. It’s become clear, for example, that the way to communicate and connect with modern audiences is moving toward a short-video format. Other exciting technologies that we’re watching are those enabling live e-commerce, interactive video, and data services. At Globo, for example, we’re looking to create a data clean room that’s GDPR compliant. We’re also working with companies like LiveRamp to address ID Resolution that will eventually lead to a regional data marketplace.
BayBrazil: Many countries in Latin America are still struggling with Covid, we are facing a turbulent political climate and the economic recovery is lagging behind other emerging markets. On the other hand, according to Crunchbase data, at least 23 Latin American startups have crossed the 1 billion dollars threshold, proving it is a large and fast growing market. Is it a good moment to invest in Latin America? What are some opportunities for digital and data business in the region?
Carlos: There has never been a better time to invest in Latin America! As our growing suite of homegrown unicorns illustrate, Latin America’s startup and VC ecosystem has grown tremendously in the last five years. The region’s regulatory infrastructure has also developed a lot, both from a founder and investor perspective. On top of that, Latin Americans are among the most digitally active consumers in the world, with 70% of Brazilians spending up to 9 hours a day online. They’re early adopters of new technology and represent a great market for experimentation. Finally, the current exchange rate with Brazilian real means that it’s less costly to invest and develop in Brazil than it has ever been before!
BayBrazil: A recent Pew Research Center survey shows that YouTube and Facebook continue to dominate the online landscape, with 81% and 69%, respectively. Are we seeing the slow death of traditional TV?
Carlos: We’re certainly seeing an evolution in TV and the way people consume content. Traditional TV and media companies are at an inflection point. They can either innovate and integrate newer forms of media and technology or fall behind.
That’s exactly why the launch of our program really represents the future of Globo. Globo comes from an era in which it would either buy companies or develop solutions and technologies by itself. Today, however, the media landscape has become an interconnected ecosystem in which you have to focus on the things you do best and partner with companies to develop the capabilities you wouldn’t be able to do by yourself. The program allows Globo to work with other mediatech companies rather than compete with them.
BayBrazil: For marketers social media can be an extremely relevant tool. Can you share some strategies of a successful social media campaign? Many startups in the BayBrazil hub have a limited marketing budget. What are the most important steps to create a cost-effective digital campaign?
Carlos: The basics of a successful digital media presence pass through belonging to the conversation as a creator, a brand or a publisher. Just like mingling in a real life social event you should not just say things without listening first. And here are some best practices to generate engagement when you position yourself:
- Mark companies, founders and MPs with @
- Always use existing #s + high relevance powerful #s
- Never use links on posts because the algorithm will lower your visibility as your post becomes an exit to your audience from the platform
- Always end posts with an easy&catchy CTA (call to action)
- The algorithms love videos. That’s how they make more money selling ads. if needed to show information from the web, post with image of print-screen from the desired website so that the algorithm does not rank you lower
- Add links to comments section and not on the actual post
