Antonin Bartos Filho, Director of Abest meets the Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan at the Apex hospitality
IndyCar Series Helps Fashion Industry of Brazil in Canada
The partnership of Apex-Brazil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, which became the official Energy and Trade Partner of the IndyCar Series may open new doors to the fashion industry of Brazil in Toronto.
One focus of the strategy of this partnership with Apex and IndyCar series was to expose products and services from Brazil interested in doing business with Canada. Among the guests who accompanied the mission of Apex, was Antonin Bartos Filho, Director of Abest – the Brazilian Designers' Association.
"This is the first time I come to Canada. I came to get to know the market and see how we can carry out a marketing plan to meet the Canadian market. From what I’ve learned so far here in Toronto, there are excellent opportunities to invest based on the differential fashion that Brazil has to offer", said Bartos Filho.
According to him, Apex gives total support to the exporter of Brazilian designer which is already present in more than 40 countries.
The positive results of this first visit of the representative of Abest clearly reflect the goals of the plan of marketing for Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.
"Besides showing Brazilian ethanol as a powerful reality, we are also showing the same energy that comes from Brazil and which gets the race cars moving can be translated to other Brazilian products. We have the quality, the technique and we are prepared to meet the most demanding markets. We want to promote brands, products and services”, said Mauricio Borges, Business Director of Apex-Brazil.
According to Borges, the idea of allowing the Brazilian companies to invite its customers or distributors to watch the IndyCar race as VIPs was an opportunity to strengthen relationships that will lead to future contracts.
"There are various promotional mechanisms, we can bring Canadian buyers to participate in fairs in Brazil, we can sponsor Brazilian companies traveling to Canada to make contacts within the Canadian market. The idea of inviting them to watch the IndyCar when UNICA, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association is supplying the fuel for all cars in all races was another marketing tool to work with the commercial relationship between Brazil and Canada", said Borges.
The result of the marketing strategy was evident in the approval of participants who enjoyed Sunday in Toronto in a unique opportunity to watch the IndyCar Series. This was the case of Doug Malcolmson, from the “Get Outside” store in Toronto, which sells the Brazilian sandals Havaianas. Malcolmson was invited by James Niclasen, Sales Coordinator of Gredico Footwear, exclusive distributor of Havaianas in Canada. " We have been selling Havaianas for more than a year and have never had any problem with regard to product quality. Some of our customers come to the store looking for the Havaianas", said Malcolmson.
Another participant who visited Canada for the first time was the Brazilian Association of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Industry (ABIHPEC) represented by Gustavo Vale, Trade Promotion Analyst. As Bartos Filho, of Abest, Vale should participate in meetings during the next few days to learn about the Canadian market and implement possible business contacts.
In 2008, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Industry (CT & F) in Brazil, made U.S. $ 21.7 billion in extra-factory sales and reported a 10.6% growth in relation to 2007. Coincidentally, the average annual real growth in the last 13 years has been 10.6%. The growth in CT & F industry sales for January to June 2009 was estimated at 18% (without discounting inflation) a body that brings together companies that represent 90% of national CT & F production in Brazil.