Devassa, a beer brand, aimed to reinvent itself and strengthen its identity as an authentic Brazilian brand. For this reason, it was important to highlight the cultural diversity in Brazil, including different aspects of local and regional culture from the North and Northeast regions, where the brand has a significant presence.
Even in these regions, where the majority of people are Black or mixed-race, access to entertainment events is unequal.
Although beer consumption has always been high at such events, most breweries have always ignored a difficult truth: White people occupy the stage, while Black people are usually present as backstage workers.
This clear division meant an important part of the audience was being excluded from these events, which also meant that fewer people were drinking Devassa.
In order to make itself more present in the lives of its consumers, Devassa had to create a connection with the communities in these regions, highlighting them and positively impacting the local culture.
Devassa is a sponsor in many music venues in the North and Northeast of Brazil and has recognized the need to increase its relevance in these regions. To achieve this, the brand focused on collaborating with local artists to create unique and culturally resonant content. This strategy allowed Devassa to tap into the vibrant local music scenes and engage directly with audiences who are passionate about their regional sounds.
However, Devassa is not the only brand adopting this approach; other brands are also partnering with local talent, making it essential for Devassa to find distinctive ways to stand out and connect more deeply with the communities it serves.
Devassa's main target audience is young adults, aged 18 to 35 years. This group is composed of people who appreciate new and varied experiences, who value authenticity, diversity, and Brazilian culture.
However, there is a demographic in this audience — people who are Black or mixed-race — who do not have access to "high energy" entertainment, such as concerts or festivals. They are isolated from many cultural events, unable to participate as audience members, due to high ticket prices, nor as artists, due to a lack of career opportunities.
To ensure its space, Devassa had to connect with these people. Tudo Nosso aimed to boost the protagonism of Black people on two fronts: artists and audiences.
First, the brand gave Black artists the opportunity to showcase their talent in some of the most important music festivals in Brazil, performing to Black people in the audience during these events as well.
On the brand's website Devassa created an "artists' area," where Black artists could register to participate in an assessment panel before an expert evaluation, as well as high-level meetings and online mentorship sessions with celebrated artists. This allowed the brand to understand the performance of each artist and which festival would suit them best.
And the brand went even further. Further, the company offered these artists the opportunity to perform to an audience and showcase their talent, first on the brand's social media channels and later at festivals sponsored by Devassa.
Devassa also created the "audience area" on the website, with special offers and give-away opportunities for people who wanted to attend the festivals. At the same time, Devassa was taking Black people to occupy new spaces, Devassa was also giving them the opportunity to watch other Black people on stage, celebrating their achievements.
The campaign had three main paid media fronts: social media, audio platforms, Google Display, and Video 360 (DBM), with a strategy focused on registration for events from artists and audience members.
On social media, Devassa's goal was to attract artists and audience members, directing traffic to the registration landing page. The segmentation was done based on interests, behaviors, and location, aimed at specific audiences.
Audio platforms had an important role in increasing artists' reach, in which the brand used advanced capabilities of segmentation and customization. This meant ads were adapted to interests and behaviors of listeners. Programmatic ads, through Google Display & Video 360 were key in the retargeting strategy. It allowed Devassa to reach users who had already interacted with the brand, increasing the chances of conversion.
The launch of Tudo Nosso took place during a historic concert in the city with the largest Black population in Brazil: Salvador. IZA, who is one of the most promising voices in the country, was chosen as ambassador. On Black Awareness Day, IZA and other artists performed in one of the most iconic locations in the city, Concha Acústica.
The strategy began before the artists took the stage. They received guidance from experts and participated in workshops with renowned artists, receiving career advice and participating in festivals.
The concert itself was crucial. But in order to spread the message and commit to the cause, Devassa created a manifesto that was aired by the main broadcasters in the country.
Then, Devassa gave artists the opportunity to join the project and show their talent in festivals across the country. Devassa, as a promoter of culture in the North and Northeast regions, was committed to giving new artists selected by the program the opportunity to perform. With this, the brand opened the door for marginalized people to occupy spaces they had only experienced while working backstage.
The idea was out there. But for it to take the world, this was only the first step. The idea that Black people should be occupying places that were previously inaccessible took over other areas in the entertainment world, such as in video production and in the influencer market. Because if Tudo Nosso opened doors, it was important that many other people walked through them.
The beer market in the North and Northeast regions is highly fragmented, with many players and no single dominant brand. Competition is intense, especially regarding price, leading to frequent discounts and promotions. There is also a general lack of product differentiation, making it difficult for brands to stand out and resulting in a perception of commoditization among consumers.
By ensuring Black and mixed-race people had access to new spaces, Devassa not only promoted inclusion, but also registered significant growth. In the Northeast region, the brand grew over 2.4 percentage points in volume share compared to the previous year, and a 30 percent increase in sales in Rio Grande do Norte.
This success was seen in two important datasets:, brand meaning, which increased from 90 to 99 points from the first to the fourth quarter (a 10 percent increase) and differentiation, which went from 84 to 88 points in the same period (a 4.76 percent increase). Also, applications on the CRM platform, connecting artists and consumers, went from 52 to 3,580 between February and April, all of which showed the impact of Tudo Nosso.
By celebrating Black culture, Devassa not only strengthened the brand, but also boosted consumer engagement and highlighted its commitment to equality and racial progress.
