Brazilian Cultural Identity on the Rise: National Identity Becomes a Strategic Asset in Corporate Communications

Brazilian cultural identity has become central to many corporate communications strategies. In a landscape shaped by the growing value of belonging and the search for authenticity, several companies have increasingly incorporated elements of Brazilian cultural identity into their institutional and brand narratives.

This movement unfolds alongside a cycle of international visibility for Brazilian culture, with music in the spotlight, cinema gaining recognition through awards such as the Oscars, and Brazilian art occupying space in major museums and global cultural circuits.

Brazil shone on cinema screens with the releases of “Ainda Estou Aqui”, by Walter Salles, and “O Agente Secreto”, by Kleber Mendonça Filho, both highlighted in different internationally recognized awards. In music, “Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo”, by Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia, won the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album. In 2025, Anitta was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album with “Funk Generation”—the first funk album from Rio de Janeiro to compete for the prize.

Brazilian sculptors (and their works) filled the gardens of the Palais-Royal in Paris between September and October 2025, in an exhibition featuring contemporary artists José Bechara, José Resende, and Raul Maurão. Between March and April 2025, London’s Royal Academy of Arts opened its doors to the exhibition “Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism”, showcasing paintings by Anita Malfatti, Lasar Segall, Candido Portinari, Tarsila do Amaral, and other leading figures of Brazilian Modernism.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the exhibition “Pop Brasil: vanguarda e nova figuração 1960–70”, held at Malba, explores Brazilian art produced between the 1960s and 1970s, bringing together 120 works by 50 artists. Finally, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal, hosted between November 2025 and February 2026 the exhibition “Complexo Brasil”, designed by Daniela Thomas and curated by José Miguel Wisnik, Milena Britto, and Guilherme Wisnik. The exhibition presents artworks, videos, musical pieces, and documents that examine the centuries-old relationship between Brazil and Portugal and foster dialogue between the two countries.

“The path of valuing Brazilian cultural identity can bring important lessons for corporate communications: identity is not only an aesthetic resource, but also a strategic asset for brands and public recognition,” says Lucas Mota, Communications Director at FecomercioSP, an Aberje member company. “When companies consistently incorporate elements of culture, territory, and the many ‘Brazils,’ they are taking a clear position. This strengthens the brand in the medium and long term by generating a sense of belonging for different audience niches,” Mota continues.

“The cover story of the latest issue of ‘Revista Problemas Brasileiros’, a FecomercioSP publication, is based precisely on this perspective: observing how Brazil has been narrated internally and externally, and how identity, culture, and the economy intersect in the construction of symbolic value,” the executive concludes.

More than an aesthetic or seasonal element, Brazilian cultural identity is increasingly being treated as a reputational asset and a strategic differentiator—one that requires coherence, depth, and alignment with organizations’ concrete practices.

“Corporate communications serve to leverage business strategy, acting as a platform for plural voices. Reputation is not expressed only through the institution’s voice, but also through the voices of communities, consultants, partners, and consumers who experience the business across Brazil,” explains Paulo Dallari, Director of Reputation and Government Affairs at Natura, an Aberje member company.

“Identification with Brazilian cultural identity strengthens the emotional bond with consumers, partners, and delivery workers. When experienced authentically, this connection translates into brand affinity, consistency of positioning, and long-term value for the business,” iFood, an Aberje member company, said in a statement.

“Organizations can incorporate elements of Brazilian identity through genuine listening to society and a real connection with people’s everyday lives,” says Sarah Bonadio, Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Alpargatas, an Aberje member company. Alpargatas produces Havaianas, the rubber flip-flops launched in 1962 and patented in 1966, which over the decades have become a fashion icon.

“This avoids simplifications or caricatures,” the executive continues. “Havaianas, one of our flagship brands, is a clear example of this process. It is globally recognized as a symbol of Brazilian cultural identity, without relying on obvious stereotypes, but rather embracing what is truly characteristic—its regional diversity,” Bonadio states.

Dallari, from Natura, agrees. “This collective essence of our business model guides our communications and values the diversity of the ‘multiple Brazils.’ This means a constant, historical, and relevant presence, articulating relationships around agendas for the country and for each audience,” he explains.

According to iFood’s statement, Brazilian cultural identity is a strategic pillar of both brand and business, not a one-off communications resource. “By supporting projects, we aim to generate cultural relevance, engagement, and trust. Being present in spaces such as Carnival and football is a way to reinforce identity and build closeness that goes beyond the consumer relationship,” the statement emphasizes.

“Brazilian cultural identity is an asset for communications and reputation. It is not merely an aesthetic tool or a circumstantial discourse, but rather a profound dimension of the country brand: the ability to project, on the international stage, Brazil’s cultural, economic, and social diversity with consistency and credibility. Aberje has worked for years to strengthen Brazilian corporate communications as a field of excellence, connecting organizations to global debates on sustainability, innovation, and trust. Initiatives such as BRpr and the Brazilian Corporate Communications Day are part of this effort to position Brazil—with its multiple repertoires and practices—within an international agenda that demands authenticity, responsibility, and a long-term vision,” says Paulo Nassar, President aof Aberje and Full Professor at ECA-USP.

“We are living in a particularly significant moment for Brazilian communicators. Corporate communications in the country have reached a level of maturity that allows our leaders to participate prominently in global debates on reputation, sustainability, innovation, and geopolitics. In this context, Brazilian cultural identity also asserts itself as a strategic asset for positioning, identity, and trust.

At Aberje, we have brought this discussion into thematic forums to understand how organizations can mobilize Brazilian cultural identity consistently, connected to value generation and long-term reputation building, without reducing it to a superficial communications resource. Beyond mastering their language—so beautiful and complex—the communicator must also have a broad repertoire, built through journalism, literature, the arts, cinema, and other expressions. That is why Aberje has been working to develop a course on Brazilian culture,” explains Hamilton dos Santos, CEO of Aberje.

Brazilian Cultural Identity Goes Global

The affirmation of Brazilian cultural identity in corporate communications is not limited to the domestic market. In international arenas of influence—such as COP30, held in Belém in 2025, in the heart of the Amazon, marking the first time the country hosted the conference, and the World Economic Forum in Davos—Brazilian companies have sought to strengthen their presence and project a narrative of national leadership on key issues in the global agenda, including sustainability, energy transition, innovation, and geopolitics.

“The dimension of national identity and the Amazon served as the backdrop for a global discussion on climate and the future of the planet. This gave the Conference a unique character, with a communicational weight and appeal never seen before,” explains Victor Pereira, Aberje’s Manager of Institutional and International Relations.

At this year’s World Economic Forum, Brazil House has consolidated itself as a platform to promote Brazil and its corporate case studies. The space is the result of an initiative led by Be8, BTG Pactual, Gerdau, Randoncorp, and Vale. Randoncorp is an Aberje member company, while Gerdau and Vale are supporting members of the association.

For Leandro Modé, Vale’s Director of Communication and Brand, Davos remains an important hub for geopolitical discussions, and Brazil House serves as a space for national coordination. “Brazil House is becoming a center to promote Brazil, and in our case [Vale], it highlights the growing importance of mining in today’s world, especially in light of discussions around critical minerals, rare earths, and the energy transition,” he explains.

Randoncorp also saw the opportunity to strengthen connections and expand its impact. According to Joarez Piccinini, Director of Institutional Relations, participating in the Forum is a way to advance solutions in sustainable mobility and the low-carbon economy, reinforcing sustainability as a strategic asset for business and reputation. “Taking part in the World Economic Forum is also a strategic opportunity to strengthen our global presence, expanding our capacity for impact through dialogue and cooperation,” Piccinini states.

“For Brazil and for Brazilian companies, being present is essential to ensure leadership on the global stage,” emphasizes Pedro Torres, Gerdau’s Global Director of Brand, Communication, and Institutional Relations. “It was especially interesting this year to see the presence of several communications leaders from major Brazilian companies, showing that Davos also functions as a powerful sounding board for reflection and positioning,” Torres concludes.

Commenting on Brazil’s growing leadership in areas such as sustainability and the energy transition, Priscilla Cortezze, Director of Communication and Sustainability at Copersucar, an Aberje member company, recalls that the company was born and grew with an intrinsic connection to Brazil, and it is from this root that it has built its narrative. “Brazilian cultural identity is one of our most authentic differentiators: we bring the countryside to the world,” the executive notes. “We want Brazil to be recognized for its unique capacity to produce sustainable food and biofuels, contributing simultaneously to two of humanity’s central challenges: feeding a growing population and offering viable solutions to climate change,” Cortezze explains.

This appreciation of Brazilian cultural identity is not exclusive to national companies. Organizations from other countries have also immersed themselves in Brazilian culture and customs to connect with local consumers, as Fabíola Duarte, Head of Corporate Communications at Diageo, an Aberje member company, points out.

“We start from a simple principle: brands are global, but the conversation needs to be local,” the executive says. “The role of the team in Brazil is to understand the culture, celebration rituals, and consumer behavior, and translate that into each brand’s language without losing its essence,” Duarte reinforces.

This understanding of local, regional, and national realities and habits is a fundamental step to ensure authenticity and avoid shallow positioning or narratives based on stereotypes. “By portraying Brazil through everyday life, true stories, and a diversity that is genuinely lived daily, we are able to show these elements of Brazilian identity in a deep and respectful way,” Bonadio adds. “We reinforce a real connection that translates into recognition and turns attention into affinity and trust,” Dallari recalls.

It is important to note, however, that Brazilian cultural identity does not function as a safeguard against crises and controversies. In 2025, Brazil was caught in the wake of sweeping tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on several sectors, directly impacting national exports such as beef and orange juice. In situations like these, valuing Brazilian identity is not enough.

“What mattered in this case was the interdependence between the two countries, in which Brazil is responsible for supplying 56% of U.S. orange juice consumption,” says Ibiapaba Netto, Executive Director of Citrus BR, an Aberje member company.

During a meeting of the Aberje Committee on Communication and Organizational Reputation held in September 2025, Ibiapaba reported that the day after the tariffs were announced, Citrus BR provided consolidated information to journalists, with a strategy that included a clear division of audiences: the Brazilian government, from whom support was sought, and the U.S. government, the target of a request for tariff exemptions. In the media, the work unfolded through successive waves of information, ensuring a constant presence in the news cycle.

This attention to clear, well-grounded messaging is essential to prevent the use of Brazilian identity from becoming an empty discourse, with Brazilian cultural identity serving as nothing more than a decorative element.

“Our focus must increasingly be on presenting concrete evidence,” argues Priscilla Cortezze of Copersucar. “That requires consistency, a long-term vision, and structured work with a broad ecosystem of stakeholders,” the executive concludes.

Economic Nationalism

The recent trend of valuing Brazilian cultural identity in corporate communications has emerged alongside a new landscape in which the economy is increasingly repositioned as a space for identity affirmation. This phenomenon is examined in the study “The Return of Economic Nationalism: A Narrative Perspective,” released in 2025 by Aberje’s Center for Studies and Applied Economic Analysis in Communication (CEAEC). In this transformation, the economy is also understood as a field of geopolitical dispute, sovereignty, and belonging.

Economic nationalism is expressed through reindustrialization policies, active state intervention, and the pursuit of technological and energy autonomy. It is also a communicational phenomenon: a logic of “symbolic rootedness,” in which narratives are no longer merely technical, but seek to build unity and resistance to external narratives, while also mobilizing emotions such as pride of belonging, loyalty to national symbols, and the hope of a “return to greatness.”

In this context, companies adjust their discourse to legitimize themselves before audiences that value local ties. Large organizations reinforce commitments to national development, job creation, and investment in the country, activating “Brazilian DNA” as a reputational asset. Smaller businesses, in turn, emphasize being “made by Brazilians” and community solidarity in the face of global competition. Likewise, newer brands entering the market may highlight their presence or investment in Brazil in order to align with narratives of economic sovereignty and incentives for local production.