Q&A with Anselmo Araujo, Creative Content Director, Publicis One

January 19, 2017

Brazilian born, Anselmo has multi-country working experience that spans over 9-years in Marketing Communications, Creative Content Strategy, New Business Development and Ad Tech disciplines. Currently Anselmo has been instrumental in growing new business for LiquidThread Globally by collaborating in innovative product development, delivering market first product for brands such as Mondelez, Visa, Samsung, P&G, and Lego among others.

Anselmo is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese and in the last two years as Creative Content Director. Since he joined LiquidThread in 2014, Anselmo has been able to surpass objectives, increasingcontent activities in the Americas by 40%.

Why should agencies/advertisers enter the World Media Awards?
Anselmo: The WMA is one of the most innovative awards globally. While some could think that the best awards events are the ones with more tradition, those can be more commercial than having the pure spirit of recognition to good work. WMA brings back what an awards ceremony should look like. Entries are carefully analysed through a great selection of talent from all over the world. Agencies and Clients should definitely participate.

What will you be looking for from the entries?What will make a winning entry?What does great branded content look like?
Anselmo: The ability of combing Tech, Data and Innovation to an idea is what sets it apart from just plain idea. The simplicity of a concept should be seen and felt in the first few seconds facing the entry. I will be looking for details that combined makes it an awards winning entry.

Why should advertisers use branded content – what is it best suited to achieve?
Anselmo: Building content is far beyond better than borrowing and that is obvious. The power of being able to build the right content, respecting time and brands’ needs is crucial. The more we fully build, the riskier it becomes, but consequently it brings much higher and valuable results.

Does branded content have to work harder than editorial? If so, how do you make that happen?
Anselmo: Yes, although more fluidly. When the content is branded properly, the brand should not have to speak up, it should be subtle. The gradualism of believing in branded content is not by shocking the audience but emerging them into a story that tells the truth of a brand with a beautiful perspective that can be slowly and silently introduced into a person’s life and beliefs.

Are there any issues around ownership of branded content depending on who authored it? What does this mean in terms of copyrights, who can share it and where you can share it?
Anselmo: There are many ways to organically embed a brand into an existing content. We do need to understand that no content was created without the signature of an author, even if talking about UGC. Brands need to respect the authors of any kind of content. IP is useful but the credits of rights have to be respected.

What are the challenges and opportunities of integrating branded content across different platforms – from print to video, from mobile to TV?
Anselmo: The challenge remains when we try to integrate the content that was not originally sought out to have been amplified on the right platforms. It is messy to believe that a 30 seconds traditional spot could or should become the only and main asset for a full content campaign. The right way to have a uniform and well versatile campaign, platform-wise thinking, is to select the mediums first. The platforms should be selected prior to creating the main ideas and then when the idea is thought out, the platform will have its specific versions respecting its implications and benefits.

Do content-driven communications work better for brands in some industry sectors than others?
Anselmo: Definitely, but the universal truth of content is on its storytelling. When we know how to tell a good story, it doesn’t matter much where and how you tell it.

What should clients look for in a native advertising/branded content proposal? And what should they look for in the team who will be delivering it?
Anselmo: The ability to imagine from a content consumer perspective. When we are on the other side, we create for the other side.

How do you measure the ROI delivered by branded content campaigns? E.g. What KPIs should be measured? Is 2 seconds of video content really enough in terms of viewability?
Anselmo: ROI is measured by how much the audience is engaging, and of course each brand can decide on how much of an engagement metric could define a unit of ROI. Selling is and will always be a brand’s foremost objective. The way to sell has changed. Hard sales or sales with loyalty? Loyalty is what keeps consumers happy, therefore buying more year after year. Loyalty is an adjective of engagement. The more engaged the more loyal the more loyal the more sales, ROI peaks up.As for video viewability, in an era where auto-play is overused, 2 seconds isn’t enough to capture the acceptance or rejection of a content, good or bad. A consumers’ mind cannot assimilate ads from entertainment in matter of two seconds.

What are the biggest challenges in planning and implementing an international campaign across four or more international borders?
Anselmo: After implementing many global campaigns, the biggest challenge is 1. Landing on an idea that fluidly works cross borders and respects consumer’s beliefs and cultural backgrounds equally. 2. Being able to implement the concept on different languages.

How do you balance what needs to be carried out from head office and what needs to be carried out locally in international content campaigns?
Anselmo: The main idea should always become the unchangeable umbrella of a global campaign, locally, it can and should be tropicalized. We should always allow a percentage of flexibility to change the idea and adapt to the local markets. It is crucial that although we allow it to be moulded, that some of the core concept remains intact.

What is the role of media in helping to execute ideas internationally?
Anselmo: Media can amplify the idea giving it a second look and a second chance to adapt to timings and placements that perhaps were not originally planned. Media allow more flexibility on planning and execution for the idea across different markets.

Summarise yourself in three words.
Anselmo: Futuristic Innovative Thinker

What made you want to pursue a career in media and marketing?
Anselmo: The ability of changing life based on what they see naked eyes.

Describe your ideal client.
Anselmo: Myself

Where is your ideal meeting venue?
Anselmo: The Beach

What is your favourite restaurant?
Anselmo: Spot (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Deadline for entries 16th February 2017 – ENTER NOW