The Way to Change a Mind

By Elizabeth Petrova

Many of us saw the movie Encanto when it first hit cinemas back in 2021, a movie centred around Colombian culture, showcasing relatable character and issues. Perhaps one of the most memorable characters was Bruno, a quirky man whose only entertainment was the telenovela he staged. A telenovela is a serialised television drama popular in Latin America. Unlike American soap operas that tend to last for years - telenovela stories generally finish within 8 months. They tend to be melodramas, centering on relatable storylines; love, betrayal, family conflict, and social struggle. The relatability of the characters and their life allows shows to garner intense, loyal followings that marketers can leverage to build brand affinity and influence consumer behavior.

Telenovelas began to emerge around the mid-20th century, but by the 80s they became vehicles of soft power, carrying Latin American culture and brands, across the globe. Mexican hits like Los Ricos También Lloran and María la del Barrio, Brazilian classics like Avenida Brasil and Colombian productions like Yo Soy Betty, la Fea (on which American Ugly Betty was based) were only some of the shows dominating domestic screens and becoming global sensations. The effects of their outreach isn’t small, they were exported to over 100 countries from the Philippines to Russia. Just Brazil's Avenida Brasil made a revenue of $1 billion, with TV Globo securing more than 500 advertisement deals. And yes, part of this revenue came from global outreach; however, with 73% of Brazil's population watching telenovelas daily, there is little media that can compete with such staggering reach across class, age, and geography.

One of the most distinctive marketing features of telenovelas is their use of “social merchandising,” the integration of products, services, or social issues into storylines. Unlike traditional advertising, think 2 minute ads before your youtube video, these placements feel organic because they are woven into the lives of beloved characters. A protagonist may drink a specific soda, wear a particular clothing brand or style their hair using a certain hair product. As viewers get more emotionally invested in them they begin to adopt these products and characters' social ways of thinking. It’s similar to the popularisation of, say, the Stanley Cup, or the Dyson Airwrap or even Labubus. The audience sees a particular person they empathise with has a particular product - usually on short form social media videos like Tiktok or Instagram reels. They purchase the product until a trend starts, after a while other people, not knowing the origin of the craze, also start buying because they see it as the new social ‘must have’. 

Telenovelas, however, take this one step further; they embed new, desired values into their characters - sustainability, domestic violence awareness, literacy - and audiences integrate these values into their own beliefs. In a tangible way telenovelas, and the brands that align with them, shape cultures. Here I could give examples like Buick’s car campaign or L’Oreal & Telemundo’s beauty club; however, I see telenovelaas having the potential to do more than increase a brand's profit margins. With their outreach and audiences' proven loyalty, they can seamlessly reshape a brand's value alignment.

 As consumers have become more sustainably-minded, they’ve looked to businesses that have embedded ESG values into their brand identity. Of course companies can shift their identity to embody these values, like Schneider Electric or Ørsted (prior to 2017 known as Dong Energy) did. However, the process is costly, not only in terms of capital but also in the time it takes to shift logistics, internal culture and customer perception. Customer perception especially requires time, consistency and cultural resonance to change. As much as consumers look for authenticity and brands look to ‘authenticate’ themselves, today trust is fragile and cancel culture looms large. 

So how can a telenovela earn viewers’ trust? By partnering with, or creating, telenovelas that align with desired consumer perceptions and business values brands can take advantage of audiences emotional resonance to reposition their image. For example, the Mexican Ven Conmigo in the 1970s tied directly to a government campaign aimed at increasing adult literacy rates. By following the story of adults enrolled in a literacy course, and prompting viewers to sign up to similar classes in real life after each episode, over 1 million adults enrolled in literacy programs within a year. This impact is bigger and more enduring than loyalty accumulated through TikTok trends or humorous Instagram Reels. This impact is bigger and more enduring than trying to accumulate loyalty through Tiktok trends or funny Instagram reels. Yes, the initial cost is there but changing a brand identity, meant to last decades, is never cheap. Imagine the social impact a business can have by helping create the new Ven Conmigo or Mulheres Apaixonadas but with an ESG-minded social merchandising strategy.

Telenovelas have entertained millions, made millions for marketers and become a cultural phenomenon. As brands look to connect to customers now more than ever, in Latin America, and globally, telenovelas just might be the platform needed to sell not only a product or lifestyle but a durable, values-driven brand identity.