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ARGENTINA
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
TOP 50 MOST VALUABLE LATIN AMERICAN BRANDS 2015
MARIANA FRESNO APARICIO
Client Service Director
Millward Brown, Argentina
Mariana.Aparicio@millwardbrown.com
CHANGE IS
INEVITABLE;
DEVELOPMENT
IS OPTIONAL
We are living in a liquid age, since nothing
seems to be stable, nothing lasts forever.
Suddenly, those things that were safe turned
into something unstable, while some new trends
arose and changed the rules. We all live and
work in the same environment, and in the jungle
of business, those who best adapt to the current
context are the ones who thrive and survive.
The political and economic context poses
short-term challenges and mid-term
uncertainties. But all-level management
is used to facing changes, and brands
in Argentina have mastered the skills
of elasticity. As a result, we see a lot of
examples of brands that look ahead,
despite the success of their past.
CREATING
EVER CLOSER
RELATIONSHIPS
Technological development and its
cascade to a larger population have
enabled a dramatic change, since the new
media environment is shaping the way
we communicate with our friends and
family. By using different applications
and platforms, we are able to talk with
someone who is in China, at no cost, while
sharing files and videos. In this context,
the notion of distance and closeness has
to be redefined. And this also applies to
the relationship between brands and
consumers: What does it mean for a
brand to be close to its consumers? How
can we foster the technical advancement
to get closer? What does it take to
remain meaningful?
Let’s consider some concrete examples
of brands that are surfing the new trends
while tackling specific consumers’ issues:
• In Argentina, Unilever is the
undisputed leader in the personal
care market in general, and in
antiperspirant deodorants for women
in particular, is managing two wellknown
brands: Rexona and Dove.
While taking care of the environment
is an established trend, consumers are
not so willing to spend more money in
favor of eco-friendly products, since
many of them could not meet the
basic functional needs of the category.
But Unilever is challenging this
pattern, because they are launching
smaller packaging which saves raw
materials (less aluminum and others)
but keeps the protective power of the
product, promising to last the same as
the original pack. This bold initiative
requires a clear communication using
a wide range of touchpoints in order
to convey the message in a believable
way. We are confident that with this
Unilever will reaffirm its leadership by
offering a technical solution that keeps
protecting you against perspiration
while setting new trends in the
category.
• Ford Argentina is another illustration
of a brand clearly focused on using
technology as a way to differentiate
from competitors and to command a
premium price. All the recent launches
have endorsed the idea of “Kinetic
Design”, which allowed the parent
brand to leverage all the efforts made
by each model in each segment. The
last campaign successfully introduced
specific features (automatic opening,
push-bottom star, active park assist,
lane-keeping system, automatic brake
at low speed) using an impactful
and synergetic communication that
promoted both the vehicles and the
brand. As a result, Ford remain close
to their customers and challenges
the status quo of the category by
implementing high-end technology.
• There is a preconception that
traditional media such as newspapers
or TV channels are the most
concerned about the development of
new platforms. However, successful
companies are able to see the
opportunity in every crisis, and TV
channel Telefé is proof of that. Instead
of fighting the alternative screens,
they look for ways of integrating
them into their content, thus they
can create a new experience for the
audience. They have launched a mobile
app (Mi Telefé) that allows people to
see exclusive content that enriches
the experience of watching a TV show,
by giving the chance to participate
and to follow “behind the scenes”.
TV Series “Aliados” was a hit among
teenagers, because they could interact
with the story wherever and whenever
they wanted, and they could watch
webisodes before aired.
In conclusion, the key to success is to
embrace technological change in a way
that creates value for the consumers,
making their lives easier and more
enjoyable. Following Socrates’ principle,
the secret of change is to focus all the
energy not on fighting the old, but on
building the new.
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