Entrepreneurs from various regions of the country are the stars of the new brand repositioning campaign of Itaú Empresas, a business unit focused on providing services and advice to small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) – which also features former soccer player Ronaldo Nazário to shed light on success stories of clients who have the bank as a partner in their growth. In the films, the Phenomenon makes a surprise appearance at some of the ventures, engaging the entrepreneurs in a conversation about the challenges of entrepreneurship and the successful trajectories they have achieved with the bank’s support.
From the perspective of the customers themselves, in different sectors, regions and stages of maturity, Ronaldo explores challenges and learnings, creating immediate identification. Composed of more than 15 films for TV and digital, in addition to other fronts, all under the concept “Playing Together”, the campaign, created by the agency GALERIA.ag, highlights how the evolution of Itaú Empresas’ value proposition in recent years was fundamental to supporting its achievements, consolidating the bank as the best and most active partner for entrepreneurs.
“When we started this project, we were certain of one thing: we would give birth to our clients. The world of an entrepreneur is challenging and lonely, and we needed to create an immediate connection. Our clients are diverse, from various sectors, have businesses at different stages of maturity and are located in different parts of our country; they were the best people to explain each of the pillars of our new value proposition,” says Aline Bozzi, marketing superintendent at Itaú Unibanco. “Ronaldo reinvented himself as a very successful entrepreneur in this new phase of his career. His story had challenges and setbacks, just like those of our clients. Bringing them together, sharing their stories, reflects our quest to understand the pains and challenges of each client. Working together means being close and making a real difference in what they need.”
Among the entrepreneurs who share their experiences and are surprised by Ronaldo in this new phase of the campaign, after the film Manifesto (see below), are Clemilson Correia, CEO of Buysoft; Isabela Akkari, founder of the brand of the same name specializing in healthy and artisanal sweets; Eduardo Rocha Filho, CEO of VRZ Blindados; and Raul Matos, founder of Biscoitê. In each content, they highlight how the bank is a great ally and was essential at various moments in their entrepreneurial journeys, helping to enhance their results.
“The needs of SMEs have changed a lot in recent years. In addition to financial services and products that provide excellence in their daily banking needs, they increasingly need strategic advice that supports them in decisive moments for their company. Therefore, we have restructured our business, moving from a transaction- and product-oriented approach to a consultative, integrated and close-knit model. We focus on the main pain points of Brazilian entrepreneurs, seeking to act as a partner to solve their problems and help them prosper. Loneliness is a very present theme in the lives of entrepreneurs and we understand that we could play an important role in supporting them in their own journeys”, says André Rodrigues, Director of Small and Medium-Sized Companies at Itaú Unibanco.
Ronaldo visits company in Maringá-PR
In the film, the Buysoft team, headquartered in Maringá (PR), is surprised at the office when they realize that Ronaldo is sitting at one of the tables, participating in a video call with Clemilson Correa, the company’s CEO. After the surprise, both share the main difficulties they faced in their business. Clemilson tells how the partnership with his manager, Pedro Branco Junior, was essential to achieve growth – showing how the close relationship and understanding of the business were decisive factors in the evolution from the ground up.
“When we are at the beginning of our journey, it is very common to receive a no and this devastates us, and it was no different for me. It was with Pedro, the manager of Itaú Empresas, that I got my first yes. After contacting him, he came to my house – the first headquarters of my company, located on the outskirts of Maringá, in Paraná. We started with a checking account and a special check of three thousand reais”, says Clemilson. “A few years later, when our third office was opened, Pedro was there and I saw him crying with emotion. For me, this scene sums up what Itaú is: it is always human, with a team prepared for day-to-day, important moments, with people who work together to grow together”, he details.
According to the businessman, Itaú is present in more than 80% of Buysoft’s operations. “Year after year, we are growing continuously, and to finance this growth we need to have reliable partners who understand our situation and recommend the appropriate tools. There are multiple products on the market, and I can say with great conviction that I completed a postgraduate degree in finance with Itaú. I learned about and used many solutions and products available to us to boost the company, knowledge that no college can teach us.”
Car Talk
Eduardo Rocha Filho, CEO of VRZ Blindados, from São Paulo, SP, is driving one of the armored cars on the streets of Maringá and parks in front of a branch when he sees Ronaldo getting out and coming towards him. The Phenomenon gets in the car, and Eduardo tells how he led his company from scratch to become the second player in the armored car sector. For him, Itaú Empresas was much more than a financing agent: the bank acted as a true consultant that helped direct the company’s growth – indicating when to accelerate and when to slow down, and being close enough to understand the pain points and offer customized solutions that he needed at each of the moments he went through. His business is associated with providing security; that is why it has always been important for him to have a partner that offers proximity, solidity and high performance. Review below:
“I see that Itaú Empresas is positioning itself to be close to its customers. At the beginning of my journey, I felt very alone, but I always had Itaú as a consultant to help me direct growth, and in a specialized way, understanding the pain points of my business and offering what I needed to buy, not the product they wanted to sell. These are the attributes that set it apart from the competition”, highlights the businessman. With more than 3,000 vehicles delivered in 4 years, VRZ is constantly evolving, investing in new tools and workforce training, delivering to its customers the most technologically advanced automotive armoring. In 2022, when they underwent their second production expansion, they moved to a 10,000 square meter factory, with a production capacity for up to 400 cars per month.
Surprise in the store
In the case of Isabela Akkari, confectioner specializing in healthy and artisanal sweets In São Paulo, the surprise happens when she arrives at her store and comes across Ronaldo selling her products. Isabela tells how, in February 2020, a month before the pandemic, she was thinking about a solution for her Easter sales, and Itaú suggested working capital so that she could buy the chocolate she needed in cash. A move that made all the difference and allowed the company to take a big leap in terms of visibility and revenue. “Our customer service manager has always been very close. It’s a humanized relationship, as if he were already part of our team, providing assertive solutions for each moment of the company, and already anticipating future demands that we will need. It’s something that helps a lot in growth and I feel very safe being with Itaú Empresas”, she reinforces. A pioneer in healthy confectionery in Brazil, the Isabela Akkari brand has been in the market for 10 years and has been gaining more space and customers every day, becoming a reference in gluten-free, lactose-free and refined-food confectionery.
Ronaldo at the Factory
On a visit to the factory Cookie (click here to watch), in São Paulo, Ronaldo appears by surprise in the production, offering his help to Raul Matos, who was talking to some employees at that moment. The entrepreneur says that he had already had other companies, and with the help of a business plan and data analysis carried out by the Itaú team, he decided to expand into a franchise model – a way to grow and get more people to share in his dream. “I love entrepreneurship and I want to help other people in this sense. Itaú Empresas was essential for us to have this entrepreneurship platform. When we decided it was time to take the leap in governance, to audit the company, open more stores, expand the production line and workforce, Itaú was already ready for this step, with a complete and precise business plan. The relationship we have is one of trust and advice. It is a job they do to contribute to the business”, recalls the entrepreneur. Founded in 2012 with the mission of transforming the passion for fine cookies into a true art, Biscoitê has transformed itself in recent years into a thriving chain with more than 50 boutiques spread throughout Brazil.
More entrepreneurs throughout the campaign
In addition to the films with Ronaldo, the campaign also features videos of 11 more stories from clients from different regions of the country, online strategy, Out-of-Home media, vignettes, radio, print media and content production.
The entrepreneurs who tell their stories are:
- Carolina Meirelles, CEO of Floresta Coffee Farm
- Monica Cavenaghi, director of Cavenaghi, a car adaptation company for people with special needs
- Ana Lygia Faria and Alexandre Silva, founders of the PikurruchA’S confectionery
- Thiago Miranda, director of Mirandinha Group, plastics industry
- Fernando Baraldi, founder of Baraldi Imóveis, condominium management company
- Eliana Morita, founding partner of CITI Hinode, an infertility treatment clinic
- Felipe Cassola, CEO of SEV Exclusivv, glass industry
- Patrícia Fonseca, transplanted triathlete and founder of the Sou Doador Institute
- Julia Vergueiro, founder of Nossa Arena, a company specializing in women’s football
- Gustavo de Barros, founder of Saint Judas Medical Materials
- Edgar Mothe, founder of Bio Mundo, a chain of natural products and sports nutrition stores
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