Media Passport The lowdown on local media landscapes

Feature

Brazil’s TV keeps nimble footing

Watching TV features heavily among Brazilians' pastimes. To keep it relevant, on-screen advertisers are now cleverly hooking up with new media platforms, writes Rodney Ulrich

Watching TV in Brazil is really unique, with some programmes decades-old, due to the importance they have in people’s everyday lives.

The main channel in Brazil has almost 55% total audience share. Indeed, the top five TV networks in the country have far higher average audience levels than in other nations, where there is much greater fragmentation.

The country’s geography also contributes to TV’s important role. In order to reach more than 190 million Brazilians across such a large land mass, the medium is very efficient, both on a national and local level. The possibility of booking regional spots is a further strength for the medium, with investment possibilities available at more than 350 local stations.

Media integration

Advertising campaigns have the opportunity to highlight that other media, combined with TV, can have more meaningful results for advertisers. It is clear that digital media itself generates great results, but with the correct strategy, television can further extend its reach. By including a web address in a TV commercial, brands can expect a considerable increase in traffic to the campaign website. The same applies to the interaction between print media and the internet.

This integrated environment is an opportunity for gains for the market as a whole. The Brazilian middle class represents a real opportunity for business growth and for attracting advertising revenue for pay TV – growing at a rate of 30% per year – and for print. Titles aimed at this audience are becoming more important.

TV viewers consume several media simultaneously. Brazil has the second largest number of Facebook users and the most for Orkut. Subjects covered on the ‘big screen’ and digital platforms are already totally in sync.

Online TV in Brazil is growing and is already an important source of advertising revenue for the main vertical portals. The country’s largest TV network invests more to make the generated content on ‘Mother-TV’ be ‘re-seen’ online. YouTube also has a large audience. But regardless of the distribution platform, it is certain that TV will remain integral to Brazilians.

Rodney Ulrich is media director for Z+ (a full service agency of Havas Media, Brazil)