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Startup enters the market transforming the concept of rental guarantee

Operating in the rental guarantee and residential insurance segment throughout Brazil,Alufacil, a startup founded three years ago in Porto Alegre, is already showing significant results. The company closed 2024 with a revenue of R$ 7.5 million and so far, has partnerships with over 500 real estate agencies across Brazil and 1,300 contracts in its portfolio.

"The results are the product of a work system that has transformed the rental guarantee segment, dispensing with old methods such as the existence of a guarantor or deposit guarantees, which often make property rentals unfeasible," explains Alufacil's founder and CEO, Guilherme Colpo.

With the mission of facilitating and streamlining the property rental process by providing effective, fast and affordable solutions that simplify the lives of real estate agents, brokers, owners and tenants, Alufácil's distinguishing features are the rental guarantee system and the agile and personalized way of interacting with partners and customers.

With annual investments of R$500,000 in R&D, the company provides its customers with an intelligent system via WhatsApp that activates 18bureauscredit check services such as SPC, Serasa, Federal Revenue, Central Bank, among others, and approve or deny the credit in less than 3 minutes. Additionally, the personalized service informs the customer of the obstacle regarding the unapproved credit and suggests solutions to try to facilitate the process in some way. For the real estate agency, the service is also personalized through a group of specialists who provide customized and humanized assistance.

Access to more people

"In the country's economic scenario, with the lack of real estate credit for property purchases and high interest rates, the rental service has been growing, as well as, often, cases of default. In this context, Alufacil arrives as a facilitator to provide more people the possibility of renting a property with less bureaucracy," says the CEO.

In this context, Alufacil's prospects are positive for 2025. "We continue investing to expand our operations across the country and believe we will end 2025 being recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the sector in Brazil," says Guilherme Colpo.

Sales Block | 3 tips to sell more at Carnival 2025

Carnival is one of the most anticipated times for Brazilians after the end-of-year festivities. Some people take advantage of the holiday to travel, while others prepare to skip the street parties or go for a walk with their family. This movement becomes important for merchants, especially those operating in e-commerce.

For brands aiming to achieve sales success during this year's Carnival, it is important to start planning strategies and preparing as early as possible, especially in e-commerce, which has become the main purchasing channel for consumers. Daniela Torres is a Partner and CEO ofSimple Innovation, a company focused on business modeling for e-commerce, believes that this is the best way to get ahead of the competition.

"It is important for brands to take advantage of this available time to structure their online stores. The first steps to orchestrate the future are to analyze last year's data, see what can be done differently, stay attentive to trends, new technologies, and the main changes in consumer behavior," he comments.

Thinking of helping entrepreneurs and retailers with this preparation, Daniela has set aside other simple tips for the period. Check it out

Keep an eye on your cash flow

Economically, this is the most important process for businesses, as it determines the financial health of companies. During periods like Carnival, when there tends to be a higher cash flow, it is important to be attentive to the inflows and outflows of money to prevent any loss of control. Planning issues such as promotion and discount values, free shipping, average ticket, supplier payments, and investments should come first.

“It’s very difficult to know what will happen in a month’s time, especially when it comes to online sales. We can’t have an exact idea of how many people will buy, what the best-selling products will be, inflation, among other metrics. So, the idea is to outline possible financial scenarios, so that you have greater control over the situation of your business,” explains Daniela.

Organize your inventory

Managing inventory is no longer an easy task, especially when there is a high number of orders in a short period of time. To avoid problems such as product shortages, merchandise waste, shipping delays, and other difficulties, it is ideal to prepare the storage and distribution logistics in advance.

Mapping stock data can help identify which products sell the most and the replenishment frequency of each item. Another tip is to maintain a good relationship with suppliers, as they will be responsible for restocking and delivering the goods, even urgently. Still regarding stock products, it is important to pay attention to quality and expiration date, as this influences the customer experience.

“Investing in inventory management solutions is a great path for companies that are just starting out or that are experiencing difficulties in this area. Technological advancements require tools to keep up with this evolution,” says the executive.

Manage your shipping logistics

The shipping stage of the goods is also an important point in the consumer's purchase decision. Companies need to be concerned with delivery logistics, as customer expectations for receiving their products easily, quickly, and correctly will be on the rise.

Some tips for efficient shipping logistics are: planning delivery processes, mapping out possible unforeseen events along the way and creating alternative routes; investing in product tracking technologies, which reassure and empower the customer, contributing to a good experience; and investing in reverse logistics, which facilitates the exchange and return of goods, avoiding major problems and further improving the purchasing journey.

SEO for Them 2025: Empowering and Promoting Women in Digital Marketing

In its 3rd edition, SEO Por Elas returns in 2025 with a special program in honor of International Women's Day. With more than8 hours of free content, the event will be held on the dayMarch 11 (Tuesday), from 9am to 6:30pm,in the formonline and live. The objective is to strengthen the female presence in the digital market, promoting knowledge, networking and opportunities for professionals in the area.

Organized bySEO Agency Hedgehog DigitalSEO Por Elas is more than an event; it is a movement that encourages inclusion and the growth of women in the SEO and digital marketing sector. The lectures and panels will featurerenowned experts, bringing valuable insights and innovative strategies for those who want to stand out in the market. Among the participants, there will be renowned names from previous editions and new voices that are revolutionizing the sector.

In addition to the exchange of knowledge, the event also has a social impact: all donations raised will go toWoMakersCode, an NGO that works to train women for careers in technology, promoting education, employability and diversity in the digital sector.

Women in charge: an event made by them and for them

SEO Por Elas' mission is to give a voice to women in SEO, offering a welcoming and inspiring space to share their knowledge and experiences.

Unlike many events where the selection of speakers follows a more restricted format, often limited by organizational criteria, SEO Por Elas aims to expand opportunities and encourage diversity of voices. Therefore, we open registrations so that new professionals can present their ideas and trajectories, promoting a more inclusive and dynamic environment.

In addition to having experts already recognized in the market, we will also provide space for women who want to stand out and contribute to the growth of the SEO and digital marketing community.

Although it is aimed at women, the event is open to all interested in learning and connecting with leading professionals in the industry. Among the confirmed names for this edition are Bibi The Link Builder, Crystal Carter, Isis Fonseca, and Laura Bernardes.

Guarantee your participation and be part of this initiative!Register for free and follow all the news on the event's official website.

IAB Brazil launches guide for managing security incidents involving personal data

To support companies in preventing and managing incidents involving personal data, IAB Brazil launched the "Personal Data Security Incident Guide." The guide, which addresses the needs of various members, was developed by the Legal Affairs Working Group and also involved the participation and engagement of representatives from several companies. The material presents incident response guidelines, helping organizations comply with the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) requirements and strengthen their privacy governance.

In the face of increasing digitalization of businesses and the rise of information security challenges, the guide details best practices to prevent and mitigate risks. The document clarifies the role of data processing agents – controllers, operators, and processors – and provides guidance on classifying incidents according to impact and risk level.

The guide also explains the mandatory communication protocols, including notification to the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) and the data subjects, in high-risk cases. IAB Brazil has developed a step-by-step guide for properly reporting incidents within three business days, as stipulated by current legislation.

“Information security is an essential pillar for building digital trust. We developed this guide with the aim of enabling companies and professionals to respond appropriately and efficiently in the event of security incidents, ensuring transparency and mitigating damages,” says Denise Porto Hruby, CEO of IAB Brazil.

Available for download on the IAB Brazil website, the material can be accessedhere.

How mentoring accelerates startup growth

For a long time, mentoring was an exclusive resource for large corporations, such as those listed on the U.S. Fortune 500, where 97.6% already have structured mentoring programs. However, this scenario has changed: today, more and more entrepreneurs and startups are turning to mentoring to accelerate growth, avoid strategic mistakes, and develop a high-performance mindset.

The numbers confirm this trend. According to the Brazilian Association of Business Mentors (ABMEN), the number of mentors in Brazil increased by 78% between 2019 and 2020, reaching 35,000 professionals—and continues to grow, with an average annual growth rate of 19.5%.

For Filipe Bento, founder and CEO of Atomic Group, the pursuit of mentorship reflects the need for continuous learning and a well-defined strategy. "Successful entrepreneurs do not grow alone. Access to a qualified network, strategic vision, and the right mindset make all the difference in scaling businesses in a solid and sustainable way," he/she states.

What sets high-impact mentoring apart?

Contrary to what many imagine, mentoring is not limited to occasional tips or exchanges of experiences. It is a strategic acceleration tool that combines access to qualified networks, evidence-based decision-making, and the development of essential leadership skills.

Filipe Bento, who leads companies such as Br24, Atomic Ventures and Atomic Growth, explains that top-level mentors focus on developing power skills—advanced skills that include leadership in uncertain scenarios, negotiation, influence and executing ideas efficiently.

“Startups are increasingly aware of the importance of mentoring. The market demands agile and informed decisions, and interaction with experienced mentors provides a valuable shortcut, offering validation, guidance and new opportunities for growth,” says Filipe.

The entrepreneurs seeking this type of support, according to him, are visionaries looking for exponential growth. However, they face challenges such as fundraising, process structuring, and defining scalable strategies.

Six Strategies for Solid, Scalable Growth

With experience in accelerating businesses and transforming companies into highly profitable operations, Filipe Bento highlights six fundamental pillars that he works on in his mentoring sessions for entrepreneurs:

Strategic alliances – Sustainable growth requires solid partnerships, whether with suppliers, partners or strategic investors.

Timing and speed – Structuring agile teams and creating well-defined operational processes are essential for scalability.

Operating systems – Efficient procurement, delivery and after-sales models are the backbone of a sustainable business.

Growth mindset – Breaking internal barriers and limiting beliefs is a differentiator for leading and innovating.

Impact and recurring revenue – Profitable companies do not depend on one-off revenues, but on predictable and sustainable models.

Scalable growth – The structuring of processes and products allows a business to grow in an orderly and exponential manner.

For Filipe, mentorship is not a ready-made formula, but a process of strategic personalization. "We adapt the approach according to each entrepreneur's reality and challenges, ensuring they have the necessary tools and support to achieve concrete and sustainable results," he concludes.

Artificial Intelligence reduces Johnnie Walker Blue Label campaign CPM by 68.8%

With the goal of optimizing the advertising costs for the Johnnie Walker Blue Label product, Diageo, the world's largest distilled spirits manufacturer, invested in the use of artificial intelligence. Through Vidmob, a leading global platform in AI-based creative performance that uses data analysis to drive marketing results for major brands, Diageo achieved a 68.8% reduction in CPM (cost per thousand impressions) for its campaign.

The "Deserves a Blue" campaign, with videos on Instagram and Facebook, aimed to expand the single message of the product to fans and consumers of Blue Label whisky. Associated with a sophisticated lifestyle, Scottish whiskey has been gaining increasing popularity in Brazil. Data from the Scotch Whisky Association reveal that the country has become the fourth largest market for Scotch whisky in the world, with a 215.2% growth post-pandemic.

In the case of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label campaign, Vidmob's exclusive tool analyzed, frame by frame, all the elements present in the videos' creatives during their broadcast on Meta's social networks, as well as the more than 39.5 million user impressions, such as reactions, comments and shares.

As a recommendation for Diageo, Vidmob suggested starting the creatives with impactful messages. Just like in the initial guidelines for "Deserves a Blue," the uniqueness argument – with messages "Only one in every 10,000 barrels can deliver the flavor of Blue Label" and "A blend made with the most extraordinary Scottish whiskeys" – was 8.09% more effective when using videos up to 15 seconds long.

However, the how-to pitch – with the message “Pour 45ml of Blue Label into a whiskey glass without ice” – performed extremely well with shorter creatives, reaching 9.76% CPM.

Colors also played a fundamental role in the insights generated by Vidmob. Throughout the campaign, the warm yellow tones did not align well with Blue Lake's messages. The recommendation was to use gold at the beginning of the creatives, but prioritize blue in the middle to the end scenes, achieving a 30.11% increase in CPM.

"With Vidmob's AI, we realized that the gold color, common in all whiskies, was not as impactful as the blue color. With these insights, we were able to focus on the main creative recommendations for the campaign and at the same time optimize media investment in our ads. Notably, by replacing gold with blue, performance improved," says Lindsay Stefani, head of media, data, growth, and brand experience at Diageo.In other words: the use of AI provided actionable insights for the creative team in a highly efficient partnership on this ground-breaking campaign.

Animations that featured scenes focused solely on the movement of the liquid performed poorly in the new campaign, with a decrease in CPM. To reverse this situation, Vidmob recommended prioritizing the image of the bottle highlighting the glass and Blue Label label.

"Vidmob has been empowering campaigns for major brands, and it was no different with Blue Label's media actions. The videos that were already running on social media had an even more significant result after the insights generated by our Artificial Intelligence. Images like the bottle, for example, make more sense in those few seconds that need to capture attention and catch the audience's eye," says Miguel Caeiro, Head of Latam at Vidmob.It is important to highlight that with the reduction of CPM, it is possible to optimize campaigns, expand the brand's reach, and reach a larger number of people more effectively.

The importance of websites grows amid the uncertainties of social networks

STF decision drops X network, Meta removes verification, and the Public Ministry demands explanations. The United States bans TikTok, which is given more days to defend itself. Headlines like these are becoming increasingly common in the digital marketing world, causing problems not only for users but also for companies with various communication issues.

This is the case of businesswoman Taísa Gruber from Brexó Restore, who centralizes 100% of her store's advertising and communication on Instagram:“When the tool goes offline or that time WhatsApp is blocked, we lose all communication.”

The dependence on social networks for communication and marketing has been a constant in recent years, but the recent instability of these platforms has highlighted an important warning: companies need to strengthen their digital presence through their own channels.

Among them, corporate websites stand out as a fundamental pillar of credibility and security. These scenarios demonstrate that, despite being important for marketing, social networks cannot be the only point of contact between companies and audiences.

For KAKOI Comunicação Planner, Boby Vendramin, unlike social networks, corporate websites are digital properties controlled by the brands themselves, offering stability, without interference from algorithms or risks of interruption:

“More than that, the websites allow for a personalized experience aligned with the company’s identity, with institutional content, product and service portfolios, and direct communication channels,” he says.

According to market studies, in 2023, more than 81% of global consumers stated they trust information provided directly by business websites more than social media posts. This data reinforces the strategic role of websites as sources of reliable and well-structured information.

According to the expert, maintaining communication and marketing on social networks is essential for any type of business, but keeping an updated and well-structured website online can make a difference in credibility and also in times of blackout:

”In addition to security and credibility, the sites offer exclusive advantages such asSEO and visibilityreaching new audiences organically. They serve as a communication hub in addition to providing detailed monitoring of the entire business," completes Vendramin.

Carnival generates temporary jobs in the live marketing sector

With the arrival of Carnival, new opportunities for temporary jobs arise. In the live marketing and corporate events segment, the agency "Joia – Experiences that transform" increased the hiring of professionals for the season by 50% compared to last year.

The agency strengthened its team with 15 professionals, including promoters and producers, to work on promotional actions and activations during São Paulo's street Carnival. "We select professionals with experience in large-scale events and, at the same time, with the ability to quickly resolve any eventuality that may arise," says Flávia Morizono, operations and planning director at Joia.

The temporary staff are undergoing training focused on excellent service. "Furthermore, we reinforce our pillars of inclusion, respect, and empathy, not only with guests and clients but also with our partners and suppliers," emphasizes the executive.

The increase in temporary job openings at Joia reflects the market situation. The 2025 Carnival is expected to generate more than 32,000 temporary jobs, approximately 2% more than last year, according to estimates from the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services, and Tourism.

Although the hiring period is only one month, “there is a possibility of hiring producers in particular”, concludes Flavia.

Asian E-commerces Conquer Half of the Ranking of the Largest Online Stores in Brazil

In a clear demonstration of the rise of foreign platforms in the Brazilian digital retail sector, five of the ten largest e-commerce sites accessed by consumers in the country are of Asian origin. Shopee, Temu, Samsung, Shein, and AliExpress have consolidated their positions among the leaders of the national e-commerce sector, accumulating an impressive 639 million visits in January 2025 alone.

The imported goods sector registered significant growth of 68% compared to January 2024, jumping from 197 million to 331 million monthly accesses, confirming the growing trend of dominance of Asian platforms in the Brazilian market.

Among the Eastern giants, the Chinese Temu stands out as the great growth phenomenon. In January alone, the platform experienced a 38.5% increase in its traffic, recording 39.7 million more visits compared to the previous month. In the annual comparison, the numbers are even more impressive: a meteoric growth of 11,000%, rising from just 1.1 million visits to 142.9 million in January 2025.

Temu's impact was so significant that the company was responsible for 92% of the growth in the imported goods sector last month, boosting the entire category.

Taking advantage of the back-to-school period, the Education, Books, and Stationery sector led the monthly growth among all categories, with a 30.3% increase in January. Gran Cursos Online took the top position in the sector ranking, being the main responsible for the category's positive performance.

Other sectors that recorded exceptional performance were Gifts & Flowers and Pet, achieving their best results in the last 13 months. Gocase stood out particularly in the gift segment, growing 49% compared to December, with an additional 1.9 million accesses.

The consolidation of Asian platforms in the Brazilian market represents a growing challenge for national retailers, who need to develop competitive strategies to face these global giants that combine a wide variety of products with attractive prices for Brazilian consumers.

Global football platform accelerates expansion in Brazil, Mexico and the US with new commercial partnership

OneFootball, one of the world's largest digital football platforms, is advancing its global expansion strategy with a new and exclusive digital advertising agreement withUS Media, the leading media solutions hub in Latin America. The partnership will enable brands to connect directly with millions of football-loving fans in the strategic markets of Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, leveraging the rapid growth of online sports advertising.

Headquartered in Germany, OneFootball has 30 million followers on social media and a community of over 200 million fans, including 42 million in countries such as the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company stands out for offering services such as: coverage of over 200 leagues in 12 languages; personalized feeds with news and original content from clubs, championships, and players; live broadcasts without subscription, ensuring exclusive access to matches; and various other integrated and non-intrusive digital experiences for football fans.

This guarantees fans unparalleled content and various integrated, non-intrusive digital experiences for football enthusiasts. "Through this partnership, we aim to leverage our global reach to bring highly relevant and engaging advertising solutions to brands in the region and worldwide," said Tom Muller, GM of the OneFootball Platform. With over 42 million users in key markets such as the US and Brazil, we are ready to help brands reach one of the most passionate and engaged audiences that exist.

Digital football and sports advertising: a growth scenarioAccording to a study commissioned by IBM and conducted by Morning Consult, 56% of the more than 18,000 respondents say they use social media to access additional sports content. Additionally, 50% of respondents view the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on sports positively, with the prioritized improvements associated with this technology being real-time updates (34%) and personalized content (29%).

For the CEO of US Media, numbers like these reinforce how digital advertising has been growing in the sports sector in recent years. It is a segment with a sea of opportunities to increase consumer engagement and generate tangible results, especially with diversified strategies on premium digital platforms. Brands that recognize this trend and invest in customized and integrated solutions will strengthen their connection with the global audience of passionate football fans, he concludes.

"Digital football has become a powerful channel to connect with sports enthusiasts, and online sports consumption continues to grow. Therefore, we believe in a future full of innovation with this partnership," said Maurits Schon, COO of OneFootball. By combining our vast football content with US Media's targeted advertising strategies, we aim to offer brands unparalleled engagement opportunities and measurable results.

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