CEO of The Group, Fernando Guntovitch also talks about the return of face-to-face events, ‘which brought a new spirit to the market’
There are 28 years of activities and a constant search for innovation to support the business needs of clients such as Basf, Claro and LATAM, for example. Founder and CEO Fernando Guntovitch believes that The Group has remained among the country’s leading live marketing agencies due to its ability to adapt to changes, as happened during the pandemic.
The return of face-to-face events brought a new spirit to the market. There are no dates in the fair spaces. The hybrid environment is irreversible. The billing
industry is growing, says Guntovitch.
How is the business behavior in 2022?
2022 is a year of learning, as we adopted the hybrid format and are implementing and improving some processes at the branch. It has been a great learning experience in relations with customers and employees. After the end of the pandemic, we are reconnecting with social and professional life. The resumption of face-to-face events was also important, keeping online in scope. The next step is to use the data that technology can provide us to analyze the results of the events and give us subsidies for planning for the coming years. Investments in the last quarter have grown in a punctual way, as we have important events such as the World Cup at a completely unusual time, together with the end-of-year festivities.
Has it evolved compared to 2021?
There has clearly been an evolution in the way of working, especially in the agency/employee and agency/client relationships. The presentations and meetings on digital platforms were maintained in their entirety, the hybrid format from planning, creation to production, something that changed the way of working. Through the use of control tools and processes, the evolution of each area and each professional becomes increasingly transparent. Undoubtedly, we are more professional in the evaluation of structures and remuneration versus work demands.
What kind of effect is the resumption of face-to-face events having on the business?
We believe that people are lacking face-to-face relationships. And this has been proven over the course of this year, with the increase in live experiences. Companies have the need to demonstrate their products and services through experiences. And, really, the only way to have an experience in which we use the five senses is face-to-face. Technology helps us to enhance experiences and measure results. But the live, with relationship, has no comparison. By the end of the year, there are few places available for holding events. This is a proof of this reasoning.
How do you view this paradigm shift?
Naturally. Because with the face-to-face resumption, the joy of the Brazilian to celebrate appears. Isolation showed that there is responsibility when necessary. This year, for example, the attention signal was activated with the micron. A lot of programmed stuff was left in the waiting room. As science gave the go-ahead, major face-to-face events were triggered, such as Rock in Rio. Now we have Black Friday, World Cup and Christmas. And all that can be generated for the brands during the summer.
Has the revenue expectation increased?
Revenue has grown in certain segments and decreased in others. On average, I imagine that we will reach the end of 2022 with the same turnover. What happened, without a doubt, was the increase in live, face-to-face events.
What about hiring professionals? Is demand growing?
Yup. This year, we once again hired more professionals in the hybrid model. The challenge lies in retaining talent that ended up finding other opportunities in areas other than live marketing. This is a reality for the entire production chain. The sector, in general, was deeply affected and, what was supposed to last a few months at the beginning of the pandemic, took practically two years. Plenty of time for a professional to sit still. Now we are feeling the reflection. On the other hand, new professionals have arrived on the market, but they still don’t have the necessary experience to make it turn at the speed we were in the pre-pandemic.
Why is the migration to other segments attracting these professionals?
It is very difficult to make an exact weighting. But I believe that the new generations are more prone to challenges and to experiment. Other markets are looking at the versatility of those who know how to work with advertising and promotions. In the case of live marketing, even advertising agencies are making offers for them.
Why?
Due to the hybrid mindset that is part of live marketing. That takes care of its usual tasks, but does not ignore the need for publicity in the customer’s communication mix. 360 communication requires ideas to gravitate across multiple platforms.
Did digital contribute to this?
No doubt! Digital has no borders. Its territory involves activation, branded content, influencers, incentives, trade marketing, promotions, CRM and advertising. At The Group, of course, we focus on our expertise, but customer service is not restricted to our business universe. Even if we don’t do the execution, we can recommend a partner with the necessary expertise for the project. Knowledge, however, we need to have at home.
What learnings from the pandemic will be added to the live marketing ecosystem?
The hybrid format without a doubt. The best use of online, including the analysis of data and information that before the pandemic were not considered relevant due to lack of tools. Anyway, I believe that we are in a process of understanding the experience we went through. We will still have changes and accommodations in relationships in general.
Did promotions get a new look? Are you more technological? Could you cite examples?
Promotions are even more flexible, from the regulatory process to production. Technology continues to be a differentiator to facilitate consumer participation and also to measure results.
Which campaigns stood out in these years?
In these 28 years of activities, we have had so many memorable campaigns that it is not possible to highlight just a few. The interesting thing is that creativity is an asset that goes beyond the aesthetic rule. It has a close relationship with the brand project, usually related to the business environment. Live marketing is a discipline that is 100% linked to business development. It has a close relationship with the brand project, usually related to the business environment. If creativity is aligned with the sales strategy and measures the desired results, it will be perceived as a differentiator. But otherwise, it will have no recognition. TG seeks creativity in everything. From a toast that being in the hotel room of someone who is attending a convention, on the transfer, etc.
Is the hybrid model here to stay?
Yup. But we are still learning to work and measure results. There are diverse interests that need to be accommodated and made financially viable. Pricing is linked to the efficiency demanded by customers in this hybrid scenario and with so many demands. The prevailing ROI in this era of charging for every penny invested and with the competition trying to make room to show their work. The hybrid model goes far beyond work being part home office and part face-to-face. All hybrid. If renewable energy, live marketing is all about communication as well.
O phygital irreversvel?
Certainly! Online shopping and consultations tend to grow, but sometimes leaving home and looking in a shop window makes more sense for the consumer. E-commerces have gained maturity and credibility. That’s why they invest in experience to provide something memorable. The purchase can be on the internet, but physical delivery. What no one can forget is that the experience will be charged.
How will data management, technology and innovation make a difference?
Not all customers are consolidated with data management. Still very departmentalized, as are technology and innovation. The insights generated in a given area are not available in a unique way for the other areas. Communication is lacking, no matter how absurd. Some companies have as many as 20,000 engineers working with data. But how can they contribute to the brand’s discourse? How to extract information to generate the desired connections. It is not a specific sector, but a step towards marketing intelligence.
Are experience, activation, engagement and other resources for approaching the public key to the new live marketing? Although this was already on the agenda?
No doubt. what we seek. Measure the result of our actions x sales. And demonstrate the effectiveness of our work and delivery. Since the days of classic CRM, we have been monitoring what really matters to the consumer.
What are your expectations?
It’s been 28 years of activities, but The Group maintains the same energy. I believe in recovery. The work increased, but our enthusiasm did not diminish.
