At São Paulo Innovation Week, the debate on Brazilian soft power revealed something that cases like CBF, Natura, Havaianas, and Seara already prove: Brazilian identity has a strategic depth that the world is ready to receive.
When Brazil enters the room
In May 2026, the São Paulo Innovation Week, [Name of event], one of the biggest technology and innovation events of the year in Brazil, brought together thinkers, executives, researchers, and leaders of relevant brands to discuss the future of business. In one of the event's most thought-provoking panels, the conversation moved beyond the realm of technological innovation and into a less obvious, yet far more urgent, area: [missing text - likely "the future"]. Brazilian soft power and the role of brands in building Brazil's presence abroad.
Danilo Cid, Partner and VP of Creative at anacouto, and Daniela Zucchini, The Marketing and Trade Marketing Director of Seara, [Name], were the keynote speakers who led the discussion on the theme "Product and service marketing as a means of fostering Brazil's presence abroad." The panel was an initiative of Brasil para o Mundo (BPOM), an organization dedicated to strengthening Brazil's soft power, and was moderated by Victor Drummond.
And what came out of that conversation is worth taking forward. In this article, we've compiled the main insights from the panel with... branding case studies, like CBF, Natura e Havaianas, to show how Brazil already has brands that have crossed borders with authenticity and strategy, and what other organizations can learn from this path.
Territory isn't invented. You make it emerge.
When you think about internationalization of Brazilian brands, Some territories naturally come to mind: Carnival, football, beaches. These are legitimate entry points, with real cultural value and global recognition. What the most relevant brands have discovered is that these territories have layers. And it is in the deeper layers that strategic value emerges.
Brazilian football is a prime example. How Danilo Cid commented during the panel: “"Brazil is not just football. It's football in a way that only Brazil does. There's an art, a talent, a virtuosity, a creative subversion that permeates this sport and goes far beyond it."” When an organization delves deeper into these territories instead of remaining on the surface, it discovers a power that no stereotype can capture, and that no competitor can imitate.
This power has two mutually beneficial origins. Brazil is the country with the greatest biodiversity on the planet in terms of fauna, flora, and ecosystems. But it is also one of the most diverse populations in the world in terms of human formation, cultural mixing, and references that intersect and generate something genuinely new. From this dual biodiversity is born a creativity that is, in itself, a... brand asset. “"Brand territory isn't invented. You make it emerge."”, "That reinforces Danilo Cid. And Brazil still has much to emerge," he says.
From the Brazilian table to the world: Seara's strategy.
On the panel, Daniela Zucchini, from Seara, brought a concrete perspective on what it means to take Brazilian food abroad with brand strategy e market intelligence.
A Harvest It is one of the largest exporters of animal protein in Brazil, and the work of internationalization It goes far beyond opening new markets. Daniela brought to the debate the importance of local operations: in Asia, for example, each country has completely different cultural, religious, and regulatory requirements. There is no single approach. There is listening, adaptation, and respect for the specificities of each territory, without abandoning the brand's personality. This intelligence is rigorously built: Seara brings its global leaders together in annual conferences precisely to ensure that the business vision and local sensitivity go hand in hand.
This balance between global consistency and local sensitivity is one of the central challenges of internationalization of Brazilian brands. And the Harvest This shows that it's possible to navigate it methodically: building intelligence about the local consumer and making decisions that respect both the brand's DNA and the particularities of each culture.
Branding isn't just about visual identity. It's what drives the business forward.
One of the most costly beliefs for brands seeking internationalization it's about treating branding As an aesthetic matter. Therefore, colors, typography. Branding is the alignment between brand strategy, business strategy, and communication strategy. It is this integration that moves the needle. And it is precisely this that determines whether a brand can cross borders with authenticity or simply export a product without building value.
“Branding isn't limited to brand strategy. It's the alignment between brand strategy, business strategy, and communication strategy. That's what moves the needle on the business.” – Danilo Cid, Partner and VP of Creative at Anacouto
With the CBF: when Brazilian identity becomes a business strategy.
In 2019, when the Anacouto agency she was invited to CBF rebranding, The challenge wasn't aesthetic. It was about business and reputation: a worn-out brand, with a negative perception, disconnected from an entire generation and without a clear purpose to guide its decisions. The work began with a thorough diagnosis, including research with fans, interviews with sponsors, federations and clubs, and the definition of a purpose capable of repositioning the CBF as a real promoter of Brazilian football. The central idea: to move from "passion" for football to "love," the kind that cares, wants to see things go well, and is willing to build a solid relationship with the sport and with society.
Based on this, the anacoute It built a complete brand universe, both visual and verbal, anchored in Brazilian identity with historical depth. The graphics are inspired by Athos Bulcão, the typography developed by Brazilians, and the tagline "joga bola" (play ball) accurately summarizes what Brazilian football represents to the world. 2026 World Cup It starts in less than a month, and the shield that will represent Brazil on the biggest stage in world football carries a Brazilianness that wasn't improvised. It was built with strategy, data, and intention.
Learn about the case: Anaconda and CBF: the rebranding of the Brazilian National Team
Havaianas, Natura, and what Brazil can teach the world.
Two Brazilian brands showcase different yet equally powerful paths of how... Brazilian brands' presence abroad It can be built with depth.
During the panel discussion, Danilo Cid explained how... Havaianas It makes tangible something that Brazil has that is unique in an increasingly tense world: the ability to ease tensions in relationships. A sandal that has become a global symbol of a relaxed, colorful, authentic way of being in the world. That is soft power. This isn't marketing. It's Brazil being Brazil with such clarity that the world recognizes and embraces it. anacoute He participated in building this narrative for the global market, helping the brand articulate Brazilian flair in a... fashion vision global, without losing what made it inimitable.
Learn about the case: Havaianas: Global Visual Brand Identity
A Natura It is one of the Brazilian brands that has best managed to transform its origins into global authority. Its presence in other countries doesn't begin with the campaign: it begins in the Amazon, in the ecosystem that the brand helps preserve, and in the communities with whom it has been building value for decades. In 2026, the anacoute deepened this work in Natura's brand book, developing a complete universe of expression—visual, verbal, and auditory—inspired by Brazilian biomes, the country's diverse beauties, and a language that translates, in Portuguese and Spanish, what only Brazil has to offer the world.
Learn about the case: Natura: check out the new brand book
These cases reveal that Brazil has extraordinary products, and that branding and communication They are the means by which this wealth is brought to the world with the power and impact it deserves. Havaianas and Natura didn't conquer the world despite being Brazilian. They conquered it because of that.
It Is, It Does, and It Says: What separates Brazilian brands that conquer the world from those that only export?
Brazil possesses something that the world increasingly seeks and increasingly finds less and less: Authenticity with depth. Diversity of nature and people, creativity born from mixing, warmth that eases tensions in relationships, an emotional connection with nature and with people that few countries match. When these assets are managed with consistency and differentiation, they not only differentiate products. They generate value for people, for organizations, and for the society that receives this presence.
It is with this vision that the anacoute Works: aligning what the organization... É, her personality and DNA, what she FAZ, its value proposition, and what it FALA, ...your communication with the world. When these three dimensions are integrated, the business model gains global market potential without losing its ability to adapt locally. The purpose remains. The presence expands.
Cases such as CBF, Havaianas e Natura They show that when the organization unites branding strategy à corporate strategy, What Brazil exports ceases to be a product and becomes a symbol. The world is more receptive to this type of presence than we imagine. And the time to build this narrative is now.
“We have to leverage our cultural relevance to build our narratives and occupy our spaces in the world.” – Danilo Cid, Partner and VP of Creation at Anacouto
Does your brand know what narrative it wants to build in the world?
The conversation that started in São Paulo Innovation Week It needs to remain within the organizations and with the leaders who will decide which... Brazilian brands The world will find out in the coming years.
A anacoute works with organizations market leaders who understand branding as a lever for growth, international expansion, and value consolidation. If you are leading one of these decisions, the conversation starts here.
