As head of G.Lab — the branded content studio of Brazil’s O Globo — Silvia Rogar has played an instrumental role in moving the studio forward to deliver “amazing experiences” for its clients. 

During the recent INMA Latin American Conference, Rogar shared the toolkit the company has developed to create those experiences.

Last year saw the content studio produce more than 10,000 branded content pieces that were integrated with editorial and aligned with brand needs — all whilst meeting audience expectations. With 27 brands encompassing newspapers, magazines, radio, and Web sites, Editora Globo has the advantage of mass media with specific niches that can cater to audience needs. 

“We think about both sides and always deliver results for clients that we can measure and also be proud of because of the quality,” Rogar said.

Creating a campaign begins with understanding the advertiser’s needs and analysing the audience, including how and where it consumes content: “We research how people are connecting with that subject and with our brands. Then we plan where this branded content should be and how you’re going to distribute this to achieve the right audience.”  

Rogar shared the six solutions that comprise the toolkit and explained how each one works:

1. Integration with editorial style

Native ads play a critical role in branded content, Rogar said. When coupled with the correct context, it becomes an effective vehicle for engaging audiences. 

For example, for beauty brand Monage, O Globo called upon influencer Camilla de Lucas to show the importance of self-care and promoted the campaign through Marie Claire magazine.

In addition to appearing on the digital magazine cover, de Lucas promoted the content on Instagram and Facebook and participated in an in-person talk at a Sao Paulo hotel. Branded content included two pages in the print magazine and digital coverage of the in-person event. 

“O Globo events are a big part of the content,” Rogar noted. “We have the branded content, but much of the time we also have an event.”

2. Depth

“We use the content to have a deeper conversation with consumers,” Rogar said as she shared a B2S — or “business to society” — project. 

When businesses need to share their values or have deeper conversations with customers, branded content provides the solution. For example, a project on agribusiness was promoted in both the Valor Economic newspaper and the Globo Rural magazine, driving home the importance of agribusiness. A live event supported the content and used brand lift surveys to measure the results. 

But perhaps its greatest success story is with Bradesco, a bank that was looking to promote its connection with innovation and entrepreneurship. The six-month campaign used surveys, social media, and 56 pieces of branded content — and saw a 20% increase in brand perception. 

The campaign won an award in the Native Advertising Awards and changed some of G.Lab’s practices: “After that, we started to do surveys before we start a campaign and after a campaign to measure the impact [of the campaign and] the perception of that specific brand.”  

3. To be the answer and to be discovered

As more people are looking for answers online, Rogar said it is crucial for brands to be an information source. 

“People are searching for answers,” she said. “We want to bring the answers and connect people.” 

Newspapers and magazines are natural resources and provide long-standing timelines of information. Companies that align with publications through the use of branded content can boost their credibility whilst benefiting from the publications’ strategies and expertise in developing content and events.  

When a large health company in Brazil wanted to address topics such as excessive screen time use, chronic pain, and burnout, G. created 14 pieces of content that were published in O Globo. 

The result? A 20% brand recall advantage over competitors, with 45% saying the campaign motivated them to take action.

4. Standing out from the noise

SEO can help brands cut through the digital noise, Rogar said. When nutritional supplement Sustagen Kids wanted to broaden its reach, G.Lab developed branded content that addressed common questions, then published it in Crescer — a trusted media outlet targeting parents. 

“At the end, the result was that this branded content was No. 1 in organic Google search results,” she said.  

5. Brandformance

Analytics and performance tracking is crucial to show clients the success of campaigns, and G.Lab developed a client dashboard to allow them to see in real time how the branded content is performing.  

“Real-time performance gives the advertising this feeling that the investment value is a lot,” Rogar said.

A project with Banco Safra was so effective that, three years later, the company remained top of mind for investments. “It was a huge project for us,” she said.

6. Expertise to influence

With both depth and breadth across publications, G.Lab is using its authority to drive more partnerships. 

In December, it began using specific publications to pair with influencers in the areas of fashion, beauty, celebrity news, and home décor. Those influencers have existing relationships with followers, which broadens G.Lab’s reach and makes them “like an in-house influencer.” 

“We are starting to create projects with brands,” Rogar said, explaining they are doing product launches and interviews with brand ambassadors. 

However, the lab has also created a strict set of guidelines: “For example, an editor-in-chief cannot do it; it is only new talents and people like niche experts who present the launches and new products.” 

Launches have included L’Oreal’s Mela B3 Serum and a new fragrance from Avon. Both included text and video, and the Avon launch included a four-episode mini-documentary for the Web.

Having learned what works, Rogar said this new toolkit, developed over the past five years, has created a new standard for how G.Lab operates. The results are impressive: Since 2019, it has seen a 332% increase in volume of branded content.

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