Nizan Guanaes
Encyclopedia
Nizan Guanaes is one of Brazil’s leading communications entrepreneurs and the chairman of Grupo ABC de Comunicação, ranked as 20th among the biggest Marketing Communications groups worldwide by Advertising Age
– May 2010, and headquartered in São Paulo
, Brazil
.
(June 2010) profiles five men who can each claim their part in Brazil’s rise – from running the country's own capital market to Rio de Janeiro's selection as the 2016 Olympic host. Nizan Guanaes is one of the selected few and views himself as an ambassador for his country. The chairman of Grupo ABC, Brazil’s largest advertising and marketing services group, believes the expansion of ABC abroad is helping to promote Brazil
and transform the country’s economic role. “Brazil is an emerging market,” Guanaes says. “We need to be seen as an emerging culture. We have to move from being a commodity country to building global brands from Brazil.” Dividing his time between New York
and São Paulo
, Guanaes remains committed to further expanding operations, particularly into businesses with a digital focus. In the past two years, Grupo ABC has acquired two Californian agencies, Dojo and Pereira & O’Dell (the latter voted California’s best digital agency). An eager participant in the Clinton Global Initiative and attendee of major events such as the World Economic Forum
in Davos
, Guanaes argues that Brazil
should seize the opportunity for growth and development. “Brazil wants to know, and be known,” he says. (Financial Times)
and “2009 Communication Entrepreneur of the Year” by IstoÉ Magazine. His unwavering dedication to social causes in his home country has led to a nomination by former U.S. president Bill Clinton
to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (CGI). In Brazil, Guanaes is also a founding member and president of the UNESCO
's Association of Entrepreneurs, which fosters the Organization’s initiatives in education, human rights, social inclusion, sustainability and preservation of world heritage sites.
as a copywriter. Internationally recognized for his prominent role in ad campaigns, such as “Hitler” for the newspaper Folha de São Paulo - the only Brazilian film tagged by Advertising Age
as one of the best commercials in the 20th Century, Mr. Guanaes has increasingly gained recognition for his business enterprises over the last few years.
His first company was founded in 1989: he surprised the advertising world by making use of the financial market to raise funds to buy DM9, a local company then ranked 94th among Brazilian ad agencies, and bringing it to São Paulo
. With his partner João Augusto Valente, Nizan brokered a R$1 million injection of capital from Grupo Icatu in exchange for shares of the new company.
In 2000, DM9 was already one of the three largest advertising agencies in Brazil and worldwide award winner. At that point, it was acquired by the Omnicom group’s DDB Worldwide
for US$111 million, the largest business deal ever done in the Brazilian advertising market. The agency had such an exponential growth, by far above any other in the financial world, that the story reached the front page of the New York Times.
In order to fulfill his non-competition agreement with the DDB, Nizan Guanaes took off for new frontiers instead of taking a sabbatical. With lifelong partner João Augusto Valente and a group of investors, he founded the first free-of-charge internet portal in Brazil, iG. A year later he was elected “Businessman of the Year” by prestigious e-business magazine InfoExame, interviewed by the New York Times, and featured on Forbes
cover page. All thanks to his turnaround of iG, from start-up to market leader. The portal, with an original start-up investment of US$20 million, was later sold to the Brasil Telecom
group for US$150 millions.
. A golden opportunity arose: facing serious problems in Brazil, DDB invited Nizan Guanaes and João Augusto Valente to once again join and lead DM9DDB Brazil, which had fallen in the rankings from third to sixteenth. It became the first agency of the newly born YPY group – its name was changed to ABC only in 2007. A fast administrative turnaround was necessary, and Mr. Valente became DM9DDB Brazil’s CEO. Today DDB Brazil is among the four largest agencies in Brazil and has just been recognized as “Agency of the Year” at the Cannes Festival for the fourth time (1998, 1999, 2005, and 2009).
Also in 2002, the group founded Africa, an advertising agency with the distinguishing business and service characteristic of working with only a select handful of large clients, now headed by Marcio Santoro and Sérgio Gordilho. Today Africa is ranked number 7 among the Brazilian top ten agencies - a record growth. The agency has an exclusive framework. Africa operates with only thirteen clients, while its competitors achieve the same revenue with a much larger number of clients. With an exclusive team assigned to each account, since 2002 Africa has kept its original model.
The third ABC’s company was MPM, a brand name the group acquired in 2003 by U$ 1 million – previously named the Brazilian leading agency for 20 years. Its relaunching was followed by the arrival of Loducca, a hotshop, in 2005. In 2009, Loducca and MPM merged: LoduccaMPM. With the consolidation of the Advertising operation, Mr. Guanaes headed for the second step of the route he planned to take. Instead of only owning advertising agencies, the ABC announced in 2007 its below-the-line and marketing services operation, with companies specialized in different areas such as events, direct marketing, and point-of-sales marketing.
Advertising Age
Advertising Age is a magazine, delivering news, analysis and data on marketing and media. The magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930...
– May 2010, and headquartered in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Influential Brazilian
The Financial TimesFinancial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
(June 2010) profiles five men who can each claim their part in Brazil’s rise – from running the country's own capital market to Rio de Janeiro's selection as the 2016 Olympic host. Nizan Guanaes is one of the selected few and views himself as an ambassador for his country. The chairman of Grupo ABC, Brazil’s largest advertising and marketing services group, believes the expansion of ABC abroad is helping to promote Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and transform the country’s economic role. “Brazil is an emerging market,” Guanaes says. “We need to be seen as an emerging culture. We have to move from being a commodity country to building global brands from Brazil.” Dividing his time between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Guanaes remains committed to further expanding operations, particularly into businesses with a digital focus. In the past two years, Grupo ABC has acquired two Californian agencies, Dojo and Pereira & O’Dell (the latter voted California’s best digital agency). An eager participant in the Clinton Global Initiative and attendee of major events such as the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Guanaes argues that Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
should seize the opportunity for growth and development. “Brazil wants to know, and be known,” he says. (Financial Times)
Social Responsibility
In addition to being a globally recognized prize-winning advertising professional, Nizan Guanaes was named “2008 Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & YoungErnst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
and “2009 Communication Entrepreneur of the Year” by IstoÉ Magazine. His unwavering dedication to social causes in his home country has led to a nomination by former U.S. president Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (CGI). In Brazil, Guanaes is also a founding member and president of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's Association of Entrepreneurs, which fosters the Organization’s initiatives in education, human rights, social inclusion, sustainability and preservation of world heritage sites.
Bio
With a degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Bahia, he started his career in AdvertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
as a copywriter. Internationally recognized for his prominent role in ad campaigns, such as “Hitler” for the newspaper Folha de São Paulo - the only Brazilian film tagged by Advertising Age
Advertising Age
Advertising Age is a magazine, delivering news, analysis and data on marketing and media. The magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930...
as one of the best commercials in the 20th Century, Mr. Guanaes has increasingly gained recognition for his business enterprises over the last few years.
His first company was founded in 1989: he surprised the advertising world by making use of the financial market to raise funds to buy DM9, a local company then ranked 94th among Brazilian ad agencies, and bringing it to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. With his partner João Augusto Valente, Nizan brokered a R$1 million injection of capital from Grupo Icatu in exchange for shares of the new company.
In 2000, DM9 was already one of the three largest advertising agencies in Brazil and worldwide award winner. At that point, it was acquired by the Omnicom group’s DDB Worldwide
DDB Worldwide
DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc., known internationally as DDB, is a worldwide marketing communications network. It is owned by Omnicom Group Inc, one of the world's largest advertising holding companies...
for US$111 million, the largest business deal ever done in the Brazilian advertising market. The agency had such an exponential growth, by far above any other in the financial world, that the story reached the front page of the New York Times.
In order to fulfill his non-competition agreement with the DDB, Nizan Guanaes took off for new frontiers instead of taking a sabbatical. With lifelong partner João Augusto Valente and a group of investors, he founded the first free-of-charge internet portal in Brazil, iG. A year later he was elected “Businessman of the Year” by prestigious e-business magazine InfoExame, interviewed by the New York Times, and featured on Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
cover page. All thanks to his turnaround of iG, from start-up to market leader. The portal, with an original start-up investment of US$20 million, was later sold to the Brasil Telecom
Brasil Telecom
Brasil Telecom S.A. is a major Brazilian telecommunications company headquartered in the Brazilian capital Brasilia. The company is one of three land lines, one long distance and eight mobile telephone companies in Brazil that emerged from the break-up of Telebrás...
group for US$150 millions.
Grupo ABC
When the non-competition period finished in 2002, Mr. Guanaes made a comeback to his core business with a new sharp focus: to build up the largest marketing Communications group in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. A golden opportunity arose: facing serious problems in Brazil, DDB invited Nizan Guanaes and João Augusto Valente to once again join and lead DM9DDB Brazil, which had fallen in the rankings from third to sixteenth. It became the first agency of the newly born YPY group – its name was changed to ABC only in 2007. A fast administrative turnaround was necessary, and Mr. Valente became DM9DDB Brazil’s CEO. Today DDB Brazil is among the four largest agencies in Brazil and has just been recognized as “Agency of the Year” at the Cannes Festival for the fourth time (1998, 1999, 2005, and 2009).
Also in 2002, the group founded Africa, an advertising agency with the distinguishing business and service characteristic of working with only a select handful of large clients, now headed by Marcio Santoro and Sérgio Gordilho. Today Africa is ranked number 7 among the Brazilian top ten agencies - a record growth. The agency has an exclusive framework. Africa operates with only thirteen clients, while its competitors achieve the same revenue with a much larger number of clients. With an exclusive team assigned to each account, since 2002 Africa has kept its original model.
The third ABC’s company was MPM, a brand name the group acquired in 2003 by U$ 1 million – previously named the Brazilian leading agency for 20 years. Its relaunching was followed by the arrival of Loducca, a hotshop, in 2005. In 2009, Loducca and MPM merged: LoduccaMPM. With the consolidation of the Advertising operation, Mr. Guanaes headed for the second step of the route he planned to take. Instead of only owning advertising agencies, the ABC announced in 2007 its below-the-line and marketing services operation, with companies specialized in different areas such as events, direct marketing, and point-of-sales marketing.