Contagious Spotlight on Latin America: December 2021 /

Pix is an instant payment platform created by the Central Bank of Brazil that allows people to transfer money free of charge. The platform, which is just over a year old, is popular among shopkeepers and sellers due to the convenience and speed of transfers (via cell phone number or even a QR Code). 

To encourage street commerce entrepreneurs to use the tool – and tell customers about it – MercadoPago, Mercado Livre's payment service, released a collection of branded clothing and accessories that come with the QR Code that links to small vendors’ Pix accounts. The 3,000 personalized pieces (aprons, buttons, caps, shirts, among others) were distributed for free on beaches and other public places.

Making life easier / By investing in personalized items, MercadoPago positions itself as a partner that understands the difficulties that its target audience – street sellers – face day to day. ‘The Meu Pix collection came to make life easier for these entrepreneurs, to make sales faster, more practical and even more stylish,’ said GUT creative directors Juliana Utsch and Sofia Calvit. And the MercadoPago brand goes with it, of course.

Trending / Pix is much more than a payment service in Brazil, the platform is a cultural phenomenon, which has its own theme song and is used by some people as a platform for flirting. Far from the image of seriousness and bureaucracy that traditional financial institutions emanate, Pix is young, modern and cool – attributes that match the freshness of fintech MercadoPago.

Ridesharing app Cabify has released a board game about the streets, culture and history of the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.

The game, which was made by creative agency The Juju, is called ‘El Juego de las Ciudades’ and will be available to the public in the summer of 2022.

Making the brand tangible / El Juego de las Ciudades embodies Cabify's global tagline, ‘The city is yours’.

‘We found the game idea interesting because it makes the brand proposal tangible in a playful way and brings us closer to users through a fun experience to share with family and friends,’ said Florencia Sassone, head of brand marketing for Cabify in Argentina. 

Local connection / Bonding with local communities is a challenge for global brands like Cabify. Investing in a board game is a good way to connect with the local culture, in tune with the brand's purpose – a path that brands like Australian insurance company NRMA have used successfully in the past.

According to a survey by the British Council, only 5% of Brazilians have some fluency in English – but conversations in the corporate world are often peppered with phrases and expressions in the language of Shakespeare.

Meta (formally Facebook) has created ‘Me Bote na Conversa’ (‘Put Me in the Conversation’), a chatbot for Whatsapp that translates and explains Anglicisms. The tool was initially loaded with 350 terms but will expand with use.

D&I in focus / Language barriers can prevent underrepresented groups from ascending professionally, with impacts ranging from practical difficulties to psychological insecurity. Me Bote na Conversa is one of Meta's ways to address the issue externally and at home: the chatbot will also be used as a facilitation tool in the company's recruitment processes in Brazil.

Tech for good / WhatsApp is an integral part of Brazilian life and Me Bote na Conversa is a creative way to use the platform, but also an useful one. Meta used its powers for good, in a very concrete and practical way. As we keep saying at Contagious, when it comes to impact, it's time for action.