Apex-Brasil projects draw international buyers

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) has developed relationship marketing initiatives and projects to attract new international clients and promote the country abroad. Among its goals is greater involvement of buyers with brands in a pleasant business environment, in order to create a connection between companies. The hope is that this will create more exports of Brazilian products and services.

Brands from Texbrasil (Brazilian Fashion Industry Export Program), a Program developed by Abit in partnership with the Agency, participate in these projects. In February of this year, the Program brought two journalists from Argentina and Mexico and three representatives from the Questa Collection, Fultex and Class Life companies to Brazil for the Carnaval Project. The international brands used this opportunity to hold business meetings and make purchases totaling approximately USD 100,000.

Initiatives have also taken over automobile racing, with the Indy Car Project using the race to strengthen relations between Brazilian companies and their international clients. Hering was responsible for providing apparel for all of the Apex-Brasil fans and even took twelve foreign buyers to the racetrack. The Agency’s employees wore orange, with polo shirt uniforms by Paramount, while the receptionists showed off their Bia Brazil produced looks. The actions that were part of this Project began in 2009, creating big export numbers for Brazilian companies, which in the last year alone reached rates of USD 1.1 billion.

And with a major sporting event taking over the country, Apex-Brasil’s most recent project is bringing foreign buyers to the World Cup games. Companies such as Vicunha, Dalila, Audaces and Cipatex will take advantage of the occasion to strengthen relations with strategic partners. Dalila Têxtil believes that this opportunity will promote Brazilian customs and culture. The company is bringing importers that resell its fabrics in Paraguay and Uruguay to Brazil. The brand considers them to be the best Latin partners, and its goal is to introduce them to the weaving factory’s environment and procedures. “They are already important to us, and that is the feeling we want them to have,” says Thaísa Sacht, a brand representative.

Future clients and distributors are on the guest list for Audaces, a software manufacturer for the textile industry. The company wants to build closer relations with these prospects through the project in order to create a brand reference and generate new opportunities. For public relations agent Raquel Wisbeck, “it will be a great time for the buyers to see the company’s strength.”

Cipatex will bring guests from Chile to Brazil. Sales manager Aureovaldo Casari says that they have good expectations: “the goal is to make our first sale to them.” He also adds that it is important to work with different alternatives to a traditional business environment: “the World Cup Project is great, because it allows for a relationship outside of the work environment, providing moments of personal interaction, in addition to a chance to be able to show them our production unit, demonstrating our competitive advantages and creating greater reliability.”

Apex-Brasil at the World Cup is estimated to bring in around 500 foreign buyers and opinion makers to promote Brazilian culture and industry. Texbrasil member companies interested in taking part in the Project should get in touch by email at texbrasil@abit.org.br or by phone at 55 11 3823.6155.