“SMART” Insights on Public Relations in Brazil

From a shrinking media landscape to increasing competition for journalists’ attention, public relations professionals across the globe face many of the same challenges. However, thanks to a recent visit from Ana Julia Castilho, an account manager with our Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) partner SMARTPR, the LCWA team got an inside look at the unique environment and role of the public relations industry in Brazil.

With clients such as Buzzfeed, Waze and Pinterest, SMARTPR specializes in technology and digital clients. While overall strategies and tactics for securing coverage may seem similar to our own practices, Ana pointed our several unique aspects that she and her colleagues must consider to maximize reach in Brazil:

• Brazil is still recovering from a deep economic crisis, as well as several political corruption scandals. As a result, some journalists can be wary of intentions, and the public remains skeptical of news media in general – particularly news involving politicians or the government. 
• Layoffs continue to plague the journalism industry. According to Ana, more than 5,000 journalists have lost their jobs since 2012. Many former editorial staffers now freelance for multiple outlets, which makes staying on top of appropriate editorial contacts particularly challenging. In addition, regional and local news receive little coverage, as outlets simply don’t have the staff to devote it. 
• Another impact of the shrinking number of journalists is that many reporters no longer have a particular “beat” and instead cover a wide variety of topics. This is especially true for technology reporters. When it comes to securing coverage, one can't rely on job titles when determining the best contacts to pitch.
• Social media in the United States features many popular influencers, but their popularity in Brazil is decreasing due to eroding trust. Several successful influencers have begun selling their own products, while others have been brought down by legal troubles for failing to disclose partnerships. 

Despite these challenges, the public relations industry in Brazil is booming. Global companies such as Skype, Avaya and Amazon Web Services (all SMARTPR clients) continue to enter the market and expand their presence – making SMARTPR’s work all the more important. We’re grateful we were able to host Ana and gain more global perspective from one of our newest PRGN partners!