Santander is planning a rebranding in Brazil. But if you think rebranding is just about changing colors and fonts, you need to read the whole column to understand what’s going on. Here’s a spoiler: it’s a global change.
Of course, I’ll touch on the subject that shocked everyone last week, but I can’t believe being a male CEO and finding out that a new stock index, called PinkChip, came to avenge us.
You’ll also see: American football and the new ways newspapers there are testing to charge for content. Luckily, here at BJ there’s no paywall. For now… Come read!
The new Santander
Santander is repositioning itself as a brand in Brazil (and worldwide). The bank is now “One Santander”: a global bank, with global accounts, global brands, a global ecosystem. The new CMO in Brazil, Juliana Cury, arrived six months ago with this mandate already in place, and the country was the first to launch the new tagline: It starts here, It’s the moment. (It always sounds better in Spanish.)
To assist with this process in Brazil, the institution hired a local agency for a rebranding. But no one thought about changing colors, no. Stay calm. Branding is much more than just visual.
The idea is to research and research and research customer behavior to communicate consistently.
Adele is coming?
The bank also wants to sponsor global events and will support international shows under the SMusic brand. Some clients are already requesting, almost begging, for the bank to bring Adele. I swear it’s just customer demands, and no one from the bank has mentioned it to the press.
A global bank wants a global agency
Another process triggered by this new positioning was the opening of a competition to hire a single advertising agency to serve Santander globally. Six groups are competing: WPP, BETC Havas, IPG, Omnicom, Dentsu, and Publicis (in other words, almost everyone).
The winner will take two-thirds of Santander Brasil’s account – currently 100% handled by BETC Havas. The competition is expected to end by the end of the year.
The remaining third…
… will either go to the agency Droga5 (formerly Soko and now owned by Accenture Song) or CP+B Brasil. Both are competing to serve Santander only in Brazil.
Who’s the better CEO?
AKQA – an agency of WPP – won the Cannes Grand Prix this year in the Glass category, proving that companies led by women perform better on the stock market than those led by men. What a shock!
The client was Degiro, a European brokerage, similar to XP. The insight was that female investors had a better return on their portfolios than men.
When advertisers delved into the case, they discovered a study showing that every time a company announced the hiring or appointment of a female CMO, stocks fell by 2% to 3%.
AKQA wanted to test if Degiro’s insight would replicate in the stock market as a whole. The agency then developed an index with only American companies listed on the stock exchange and led by women. They named it PinkChip (a cheeky reference to blue chips).
Over a four-year period, the PinkChip appreciated by over 200%, while the S&P 500 and a similar index of companies led solely by men yielded only half.
I wouldn’t want to be a CMO
And launch a campaign, like the one WMcCann did for GM in 2021, and be forced to read comments like: “Chevrolet, just don’t forget that it’s men who keep the economy going.”
What was the commercial about? Women piloting stoves, planes, surfboards, operating rooms, and whatever they want.
And the success of American football?
Visa’s CMO Carla Mita says she was surprised by the number of people who signed up for the promotion that will award a trip to the Super Bowl next year. In the first weekend, coinciding with the game at the Itaquerão, there were 1 million entries. One of the highest levels of participation in the history of Visa promotions in Brazil.
Newspapers in the fight
American newspapers are testing new ways to charge for content. The New York Times will start charging for access to older podcast episodes. Only the two recent episodes will remain available for free.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post is testing a new option: a subscription for just 7 days. The newspaper found that some readers don’t like the commitment of a recurring payment on their cards.
Source
Arwen Volkov, A graduate of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in International Finance, Arwen specializes in sustainable finance and green investments. She began her career at an investment bank in London, where she developed financing models for environmentally friendly projects. Known for her analytical and strategic thinking skills, Arwen is a sought-after financial consultant. In her spare time, she mentors fintech startups, contributing to their growth strategies. She is also a nature enthusiast and an amateur photographer.
