São Paulo – Artifacts produced in Brazil are getting new drive for exports. The Brazilian Association of Leather Artifacts and Travel Articles Manufacturers (Abiacav) launched this month an international brand, Brasil by Bags, which will be part of their sales campaigns abroad and used as a common identity by companies participating in the exports project created by Abiacav and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
The brand’s slogan is “Brasil by Bags – Welcome to a Brazil made of leather, colors and inspiration”. It synthesizes the main characteristics of artifacts made in Brazil and should work as an identity for the national product. “We are good in making leather products, above average,” stated the Brasil by Bags project manager, Paulo Kieling, noting that Brazil has excellent tanneries and works in all steps of the production chain.
“Brazil is also colorful,” he said, explaining that the brand’s colors are green, yellow and blue, like the national flag. Abiacav used different shades of green, observing the tones of the forests; the yellow for the sun, the sunset and all its nuances; blue for the beaches and sea. All of this was translated into a color sheet. Also part of the campaign is the joy of Brazilian folklore and festivities. “We decoded Brazilianity.”
To arrive at this identity, Abiacav started working in September last year. The association used as a starting point a research made in 2012 with 2,500 companies in the sector. This study helped provide a production profile, with capacity, average price, types of products. They then held meetings and discussions with the manufacturers, in order to have a strong sector representation in creating the brand. About 30 companies participated, according to Kieling.
The Brasil by Bags brand shall be used whenever Abiacav and Apex promote international events, such as the participation in trade fairs abroad. Next week, companies in the export project will travel to Colombia for a trade show, where their exhibit stand will be entirely set under the Brasil by Bags theme. There are 50 companies in the project, and they may also use the brand in their campaigns, with authorization by Abiacav. In order to do so, they have a manual with guidelines and a series of requirements to follow.
“Foreigners want products that look like Brazil,” said Kieling. The internationalization project was first started last year and the objective for the first half of this year are the markets in Colombia, United States and Italy. According to the project manager, Colombia is also a hub for other markets such as Peru, Panama and Ecuador. The United States are the greatest importer in the world in the segment and Italy is a starting point for the Eastern Europe and Middle Eastern markets.
For the project’s second phase, another two markets chosen as targets are Russia and the United Arab Emirates. According to Kieling, the aim is to reach the Arab market as a whole, through the UAE, which is also a regional hub. The segment’s exports are at around US$ 50 million per year, and the idea is to double it in one year with the exports project.
According to information from 2012, the segment produces 50 million pieces per year with revenues of US$ 3 billion. Production is concentrated mainly in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. The main article are handbags, but production is varied and includes also wallets and belts, laptop, tablet and passport cases, leather bracelets, among other things.
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey
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