The Guaraná Jesus soft drink brand is an icon in the northeastern Brazilian state of Maranhão. The drink is a local tradition and Maranhão residents take great pride in it. A wide-ranging marketing strategy was created to enhance brand identity involving surveys of Guaraná Jesus consumers, sellers and even manufacturers. The new brand identity and the new can design were chosen through internet voting and SMS messages resulting in over 12,000 votes collected. This marketing initiative generated high mobilization levels and the branding work helped to bring the Maranhão people together to strengthen their traditions. The can design chosen conveys the typical Portuguese colonial tiles found in the state capital city, São Luís.

“Unable to displace the market stranglehold Guarana had in the Brazilian soft drinks marketplace, Coca Cola was ‘forced’ to buy them.  Interestingly, the agreement was contingent upon them maintaining and supporting the brand in the Brazilian market. The subsequent brand evolution used co-design techniques to tap into the popular pride surrounding this brand and resulted in a compelling ‘glocal’ product.”  –John Barratt, IDSA, TEAGUE

Contact: Hugo da Silva Souza: [email protected]

Credit: Leandro Pierucci, Leonardo Lanzetta, Daylton Almeida, Vanessa Freire, Fabiana Brito, Rodrigo Rabello, Mário Mendonça, Alexandre Coreixas, Roberta Loyola, Márcia Tabajara and Sônia Carolina Batista of Dia Comunicação (Brasil) for Coca-Cola Brasil