The 20 Greatest Brazilian Brands
Check in this article some information about the most powerful and valuable Brazilian brands. Enjoying global reputation, those brands are in full process of national and international expansion, captivating their consumers and clients and increasing their market share.
1 – Petrobras
Occupying the firt position as the most valuable Brazilian brand, the energy giant seem to have suffered no damages to its image even after the serious episodes of oil spill that happened in 2011. Currently present in 28 countries, the brand continues to call the world’s attention and build a strong international reputation.
The company also offers various sponsorship actions in social, cultural and environmental, taking a prominent role in the actions of corporate social responsibility in Brazil, what contributes to increase the value of its brand.
Brand owner: Petrobras - Petróleo Brasileiro S/A
Brand’s value: USD 10.560 mi
Slogan: O desafio é a nossa energia (Challenge is our energy)
2 – Bradesco
The Bradesco bank was founded in 1943 and has grown nationwide mainly through mergers and acquisitions. As the second largest Brazilian private bank, Bradesco is the most valuable brand among the national financial institutions.
The brand became popular with the lower classes after the establishment of associations with other Brazilian brands such as Casas Bahia, C&A and Odontoprev.
Beyond the financial area, the Bradesco Brand is also present in insurances of all kinds, dental, health and security plans, universities scholarships, real estate, cultural and artistic initiatives.
Brand owner: Banco Bradesco S/A
Brand’s value: USD 6.690 mi
Slogan: Presença é Bradesco (Presence is Bradesco)
3 – Itaú
Headquartered in São Paulo city, the Itaú bank was founded in 1945, and after its merger with Unibanco became the largest bank in Brazil, beating its stongest rival, Bradesco. Itaú is also the largest bank in Latin America and operates in 27 countries around the world.
Just like Bradesco, Itaú established partnership with popular brands that offer credit to low-income buyers and invests in vehicle and home financing. The bank is also pioneer in offering a special treatment to its wealthier clients, creating the intern brands Itaú Uniclass and Personnalitè.
Brand owner: Banco Itaú Unibanco S/A
Brand’s value: USD 6.606 mi
Slogan: Feito para você (Made for you)
4 – Skol
Skol is the number one name in the mind of the Brazilians when it comes to beer and the number one beer in sales. The brand grew thanks to massive advertising campaigns and a very intelligent marketing strategy that innovated by putting the brand stamping fridges in bars and markets throughout Brazil. By that time, everyone dreamed about having a yellow Skol fridge.
However, the great leap came when the brand started to promote parties and shows. It all started with the “Skol Rock”, in 1999, and evolved to the gigantic festivals “Skol Beats”, that gathered more than 15 thousand people in 2011, and the “Skol Sensation” that brought 40 thousand to the Anhembi stadium at São Paulo.
Those parties (and its very expensive tickets) brought elegance to the brand, when the rest of the beers remained with the image of those cheap beverages to drink at the bar.
Also, Skol have invested a lot in communications through internet, particularly social media, and got very close to the university students, by promoting contests with great prizes and parties for free.
Although this very popular beer brand belongs to a Danish company, it is licensed to be used by the Brazilian giant Ambev.
Brand owner: Carlsberg Group
Brand’s value: USD 4698 mi
Slogan: Um por todos, todos por uma! (One for all, all for one)
5 – Banco do Brasil
This Brazilian bank, popularly known as BB, was created back in 1808, and currently represents one out of the five Brazilian public banks.
Banco do Brasil is a great supporter of the Brazilian agribusiness and foreign trade and its name is associated with sustainability and incentives to the country’s culture and social development.
The brand is also strongly associated with the Brazilian sports teams, as the bank is one of their main sponsors. Operating in 24 countries, the last great international strategy of the brand was to choose Gisele Bündchen as its global face. The top model is a strong Brazilian symbol of energy, beauty, success and professionalism worldwide.
Brand owner: Banco do Brasil S/A
Brand’s value: USD 4.574 mi
Slogan: Bom pra todos (Good for everyone)
6 – Natura
This Brazilian company was founded in 1969 and currently operates in nine countries. The greatest strategy that boosted this brand was the association of the people’s health and well-being with the environment.
Using and abusing of the sustainability argument, the company transformed the image of cosmetics from futile and dispensable into necessary products, able to connect people with Nature, with themselves and with the small farmers from Amazon that grow the nuts and plants used for the production of their shampoos, soaps and moisturizers.
That way, the brand is strongly associated with the preservation of the environment, using only inputs of plant origin, investing in the family agriculture, reforestation projects, cardboard packaging, refills among other green initiatives.
Brand owner: Natura Cosméticos S.A.
Brand’s value: USD 3.307 mi
Slogan: “Bem estar bem” (Well to be Well)
7 – Brahma
Brahma is the second most consumed beer in Brazil, right after Skol. Even though the brand is totally Brazilian, it is famous for being AB InBev’s international brand, currently present in more than 15 countries around the world.
While Skol was channeled into captivating the younger audience, Brahma was established as the beer of the botecos and bars in Brazil. The brand illustrates a very successful chopp bar franchise, currently counting more than 250 owners.
As Brahma belongs to the same company as Skol, the brands are directed to different publics. That way, Brahma also supports parties and events, but in a different direction than Skol. Brahma sponsors country music festivals and it is present in more than 250 rodeos throughout Brazil.
The brand is also strongly associated with the Brazilian Carnaval. Its bear brand stateroom at the Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval parade (Camarote Brahma) is well known by the invited famous celebrities all dressed with the brand’s red T-shirt. The past Carnaval, Brahma invested heavily: contracted no one less than the singer Jennifer López (for a USD 2 million fee) to perform some samba in its privileged space.
Brand owner: AB InBev S/A
Brand’s value: USD 2.359 mi
Slogan: O sabor de ser brahmeiro” (The taste of being a brahma person)
8 – Vale
One of the largest mining companies of the world, Vale was founded in 1942 and currently operates in more than 25 countries in the five continents of the world.
Although claiming itself as a sustainable company, the brand’s image always suffered a lot of criticism regarding its environmental practices. In 2012, the company was awarded by the Green Peace with a very controversy prize: the worst company for human rights and the environment also known as “the Oscar of shame”.
Brand owner: Vale S/A (former Companhia Vale do Rio Doce)
Brand’s value: USD 1.708 mi
Slogan: Não existe futuro sem mineração. Não existe mineração sem pensar no futuro das pessoas. (There’s no future without mining. There’s no mining without thinking in the people’s future).
9 – Sadia
Sadia is one of the largest frigorific Brazilian companies present in more than a hundred countries. Considered as the “darling of the Brazilian food market”, this brand has enormous credibility between consumers, especially the ready-to-eat food lovers.
In 1971, the brand gained a new mascot, a cute little chicken cartoon with gigantic charisma that represents the brand until today. Coincidence or not, after the connection between this chicken with the brand, Sadia gradually left competition way behind.
Brand owner: Brasil Foods S/A
Brand’s value: UDS 1.496 mi
Slogan: A vida com S é mais Sadia (Life with an S is healthier)
10 – Antarctica
The Companhia Artarctica Paulista started its operations in 1885, by selling beer and sodas. Today, its top sellers are the Antarctica beer and the Guaraná Artarctica (a type of soda made with a fruit from the Amazon, very popular in Brazil). Today, Antarctica is the third most consumed beer in Brazil, and it is popularly known by the consumers as “A Boa” (The Good one) or Original.
As many other beer brands, Antarctica has its image associated with beautiful women. Its current spokesperson is the Brazilian actress and model Juliana Paes.
In 1961, Antarctica acquired the Bohemia brewery and in 1979 merged with the Brahma Company. All those brands are now part of the beverage giant AmBev, that was merged with the Belgian company Interbrew.
Brand owner: AB InBev S/A
Brand’s value: USD 851 mi
Slogan: Boa é Antarctica (The Good is Antarctica)
11 – Vivo
The brand was launched in 2003, by the companies Portugal Telecom and the Spanish Telefónica Móvil. The Vivo company is the result of the merging of the main Brazilian mobile operators at that time (Telesp Celular Participações, Tele Leste Celular Participações, Tele Sudeste Celular Participações, Celular CRT Participações, Norte Brasil Telecom, Global Telecom e Telemig Celular Participações), currently occupying the first position of the segment in Latin America.
Through a huge operation involving concerts and events in various states of the Brazil, television campaigns and other media, new visual identity for the organization's premises and buildings and a multitude of actions that, in very short time, turned the brand into an icon, close to the Brazilians. In less than two months, the brand became top of mind with ever-increasing rates.
Today, Vivo is the largest operator of mobile telephony, fixed telephony, broadband internet, 3G internet and cabo TV in Brazil.
Brand owner: Teléfonica S/A
Brand’s value: USD 817 mi
Slogan: Conectados vivemos melhor (Connected we live better)
12 – Perdigão
Perdigão is a frigorific food company founded in 1933. The company represents one of the largest companies in Latin America’s food industry and is present in more than 110 countries.
Together with its lifetime competitor Sadia, Perdigão belongs to the giant Brasil Foods S/A since 2009.
Brand owner: Brasil Foods S/A
Brand’s value: USD 778 mi
Slogan: Vem do coração do Brasil (Comes from the heart of Brazil)
13 – Lojas Americanas
The company was founded in Brazil in 1929 by a group of Americans that came with the idea of launching a store with low prices, along the lines that were already successful in the U.S. and Europe in the early of that century.
As an icon of the Brazilian retail industry, Lojas Americanas sells basically everything, food, clothes, cosmetics, electronics, household appliances, toys, books, stationery, trip services etc. The brand is known by selling everything cheaper than any other store and is also one of the largest e-commerce brands of the country.
Curiosity: the company is responsible for first bringing some US eating habits to Brazil, by selling hot dogs, sundaes, milk shakes and banana split.
Brand owner: Lojas Americanas S/A
Brand’s value: USD 762 mi
Slogan: Quem compra na maior leva mais (Who buys in the largest, takes more)
14 – Bohemia
Bohemia is the oldest Brazilian brewery, founded in 1853, when there was no electricity or telephone in the country. Relatively more expensive than the other Brazilian beers, Bohemia has a sort of elegant status between the drink’s consumers.
The brand invests in the concept of matching culinary beer, spreading it in gastronomic events and workshops, and the release of limited editions and special flavors, such as the Dark Bohemia and Bohemia Weiss (both entered definitely on the production line), Royal Ale Bohemia, Bohemia Brotherhood and more Bohemia Oaken, Brazil's first beer matured in oak barrels.
Like what happened with Brahma, the Boemia brand has expanded into the bar’s segment with the creation of the franchise “Boteco Bohemia”.
Brand owner: AB InBev
Brand’s value: USD 697 mi
Slogan: A primeira cerveja do Brasil (The first Brazilian beer)
15 – Ipiranga
Founded in 1936, Ipiranga is the largest private company in the fuel distribution segment in Brazil and second of all distributors, with over 5.000 service stations across the country.
The brand’s main products are diesel, ethanol, natural gas, kerosene and lubricating oils.
Brand owner: Grupo Ultra S/A
Brand’s value: USD 670 mi
Slogan: Apaixonada por carro, como todo brasileiro (In love with cars, like every Brazilian)
16 – Oi
The Oi brand was created after the merger of the Telecom and Telemar operators. With a simple name (Hi, in English), the company occupies an important role in the Brazilian mobile industry.
Through a brilliant campaign, Oi made the revolution in the mobile market by suggesting to the consumers that it was an illegal practice for the operators to sell blocked phones. After that campaign all mobile operators sell their cell phones already unblocked.
Brand owner: Telemar Norte Leste S/A
Brand’s value: USD 600 mi
Slogan: Simples assim (Simple as that)
17 – Casas Bahia
Casas Bahia was founded by Samuel Klein, a polish who left Europe after suffering with the Holocaust. In the country for more than half a century, Casas Bahia is pointed to by researchers at Michigan Business School as a benchmark in the market for low-income. This is a case unique in the retail world.
The company’s greatest move was the ability to understand the emotional needs and buying habits of low-income clients and then make possible their consumption dreams through the easy access to credit, what has resulted in a unique business model with regard to retail.
In order to buy with credit in Casas Bahia, one does not have to prove income or have a credit card or even a bank account. The stores offer the “carnê”, which is a bunch of bills divided by the number of installments of the purchase, to be paid in any bank agency.
There is no one in Brazil who do not know, much less have never bought anything at the Casas Bahia, an icon of the consumption of lower-class phenomenon and the country's recent history of Brazilian capitalism.
Brand owner: Ponto Frio S/A
Brand’s value: USD 589 mi
Slogan: Dedicação total a você (Total dedication to you)
18 – TOTVS
This Brazilian software multinational is present in 23 countries and controls the brandsMicrosiga, Datasul, RMSistemas, Logocenter and Midbyte. The company is absolute leader in Brazil and also in Latin America.
In 2011, to spread its brand to customers and prospects around the world, the company created the concept of "Share the New World ". Thus, TOTVS proposed its customers that sharing knowledge is to transform it into value.
In addition, the company created the By You, the first social network for business and professional purposes, in which both corporate stakeholders, such as personal, rigorously trained and certified, interact, collaborate, and seek to generate business.
Brand owner: TOTVS S/A
Brand’s value: USD 569 mi
Slogan: Igual, sendo sempre diferente (The same, being always different)
19 – TAM
The story of the evolution of TAM airlines is intertwined with the history of the Brazilian commercial aviation itself. The company has already been discredited and heavily criticized, but not shaken, by contrast, dodged the crisis and grew, taking the current post of Brazil's largest airline.
The tragedy happened in July 2007, with the Flight 3054 carrying 199 people aboard in Congonhas-SP severely damaged TAM’s reputation. But impressively only after two years of the tragedy, TAM was again achieving records in the market, especially after it joined the Star Alliance.
The fact is that the brand introduced the concept that each passenger is special. The red carpet (known as THE MAGIC CARPET RED), extended to every flight, reinforces this philosophy, attention, respect and total dedication to customers, exemplified by the VIP treatment given to all passengers who embark at Congonhas.
Brand owner: Latam Airlines Group S/A
Brand’s value: USD 560 mi
Slogan: Paixão por voar e servir (Passion for flying and serving)
20 – Cielo
Cielo (former Visanet Brasil) is responsible for the accreditation of the Brazilian trade to network payments, as well as the capture, transmission, processing and settlement of transactions with plastic cards.
Currently, Cielo is the largest electronic payments company of Latin America and the fifth largest of the world.
Brand owner: Cielo S/A
Brand’s value: USD 555 mi
Slogan: Nada supera essa máquina (Nothing beats this machine)
Lower Positions
Check below a list of the other 30 Brazilian brands better ranked in the survey:
21 – Multiplus
22 – Porto Seguro
23 – Magazine Luiza
24 – Gol
25 – Redecard
26 – NET
27 – Extra
28 – BM&FBovespa
29 – Banrisul
30 – Hering
31 – Iguatemi
32 – Odontoprev
33 – Pão de Açúcar
34 - União
35 - Embratel
36 - Anhanguera
37 - Amil
38 - Lojas Renner
39 - MRV
40 - Marisa
41 - Durafloor
42 - Arezzo
43 - Gerdau
44 - Drogasil
45 - Swift
46 - Havaianas
47 - Deca
48 - PDG Realty
49 - Localiza
50 - Riachuelo
The ranking and numbers used in this article were obtained in the survey “Most valuable brands in Brazil” by BrandAnalytics/Millward Brown/WPP, 2012 version.