Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival is the world’s biggest street party, with roughly 5.3 million participating in 2012. But as our Brazilian correspondent Renata Acioli reports, just because the party is big, doesn’t mean that brands are invited. more
The Sparkbeat
Booze, bunda and bright shiny objects. That’s modern-day Mardi Gras in a nutshell. Theologically, the celebration heralds the season of lent, when Christians practice repentance, prayer and almsgiving for the 40 days leading up to Easter. Across… more
In the last instalment of her series on the world’s emerging markets, TNS Australia’s Carolyn Childs explains why brands should look beyond Mumbai, Rio and Shanghai to the smaller cities and towns of the developing world. more
2011 Roundup
It’s hard to believe, but 2011 has (almost) come and gone. The Arab Spring, paywalls, Steve Jobs, and Occupy Wall Street (not to mention a Royal Wedding) dominated headlines. Here’s how some of it looked through Sparksheet’s lens. more
In his last three columns, Gunther Sonnenfeld explored how brands are “co-creating” meaningful experiences with people. This time he explains the connection between branded experiences and brand advocacy.
more
Feature Article
As Brazil’s “digital middle class” emerges, brands are scrambling to show these potential new customers they understand their needs, and can fulfill them too. Brazilian journalist Jamille Barreto reports. more
Brand Brazil
Brazil’s ballooning middle class is transforming the South American country into a global competitor. On the ground in São Paulo, Sparksheet’s Brazilian correspondent Renata Acioli spoke to TAM’s marketing director Manoela Amaro about how… more
Best of the Web
SAS plans a wedding, the Arcade Fire gets interactive, and the jingle makes a comeback in this week's roundup of content, media and travel marketing links. more
Brand Brazil
In our latest foray into Brazil’s burgeoning media culture, Rio-based journalist Renata Acioli speaks to Maurício Mota, founder and chief storytelling officer of the Alchemists, Brazil’s first transmedia… more
Brand Brazil
Media scholar and "Convergence Culture" author Henry Jenkins visited Brazil this summer to check out the country’s burgeoning transmedia scene. Local journalist Renata Acioli spoke to him about a culture on the threshold of international attention.… more