Portada: Can you explain a bit more the offerings of IG Brazil and the place itoccupies in the Brazilian online - Internet landscape?
Bruno Almeida.: “iG has 21 million unique users and is the portal that has grown the most in the past 12 months. iG holds a higher share of audience as a portal than Yahoo and competes with Globo and Terra as all three have 13% share of the audience.” The site was created in 2000 as source of news, economy, sports, videos, entertainment, and music by advertising mogul Nizan Guanaes.
What % of unique visitors of IG Brazil do come from outside of Brazil?
B.A.: “Approximately a 10%.”
What opportunities are there to reach Brazilian audiences, particularly through the online medium?
B.A.: “There are many vehicles through which Brazilian audiences can be reached, but Internet was the medium that grew the most in Brazil in 2008 and there are no signs of it halting. To give you an idea, Brazil has a population of over 194 million of which more than 62 million residents are currently surfing the internet. Last year alone there was an increase of 20% in sold computers in Brazil which is a small factor showing how powerful online as a medium is and will continue to be to reach the Brazilian market.
Do you have a figure for the size of the Brazilian online advertising market in 2009 and what a % of those ad buys come from international clients (outside of Brazil)?
B.A.: “It is estimated to be 450 million dollars and we believe that 4%-8% of the investment comes from outside of Brazil. We hope to have a very big growth in the next 2 years with all the government efforts giving internet access to lower social economic levels who didn’t have it before. The efforts consisting of internet access in schools, public places, and cafes are increasing the total penetration. Currently, 30% of the population is online and we hope for that number to continue to increase.”
What impact will the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games have on Brazilian advertising and media?
B.A.: “The fact that the 2016 Olympic Games will be in Brazil will have an impact not only in the different opportunities that will be available to reach the Brazilian market but the worldwide fans that will be traveling to the country or watching the games from abroad. The usage of communication mediums will increase during the Olympic Games as people will connect to the internet, radio, television, mobiles, and other vehicles to be informed. This creates more opportunities for brands to be present and become part of historical moments.”
What categories do you see most suited to advertise in Brazil through online media?
B.A.: “The categories that I have seen the most suited for online media in Brazil are automobiles, travel, freights, technology manufactures, and .coms such as games and online stores among others.”
Do you see a trend? Are there more brands/advertisers advertising in Brazil only, or panregionally (two or more countries)? Has there been an increase or decrease of panregional advertisers advertising in Brazil?
B.A.: “Both exist, those who only advertise in Brazil and those who advertise panregionally and it has a lot to do with the structure of the company. Companies that are more advanced and have marketing divisions in or for brazil tend to buy locally, so Brazil wouldn’t participate from those buys. There are those that are just starting in the Brazilian market and handle the accounts from the United states, and hence buy pan regionally. There has been an increase in the Brazilian market as regardless of the world-wide economic crisis, the Brazilian economy is stable with investment in mediums increasing, penetration of internet increasing, and there will be a bigger boom with the nominations of Brazil as the home for the 2014 Soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.”