The World Cup is finally upon us and, as with the Olympics, everyone has jumped on the bandwagon, whether it’s to support their own team, to celebrate Brazil or just to bring some World Cup glitz to their brand.
But although the fever will fade once the tournament is over, the focus on Brazil is certain to remain. The country may be suffering economically at the moment but, as Michael Harrington highlights in this week’s Spotlight, Brazil is fast becoming a major focus for international brands. To get round the country’s sometimes challenging regulatory system and compete with local brands, they are setting up local operations – and São Paulo is gaining a place as one of the world’s top cities for perfumery and cosmetics manufacturing. Local Brazilian companies are also making their presence known on the international scene. Last year, Natura Cosméticos acquired a majority stake in Australian personal care brand Aesop, and Forbes has ranked the company tenth in its list of the world’s most innovative companies.