Sao Paulo, July 21st, 2020

Based in Sao Paulo, B-Young is one of Brazil’s first independent agencies specialized in social media management and strategy.

Its focus is guiding brands, people and influencers to establish relationships, conversations and connections. The agency serves major brands and global companies across Brazil and Latin America, creating digital strategies.

Mariana Nascimento is B-Young’s Strategic Growth and Operations Director, where she has worked for over eight years. In an interview with TIA, Nascimiento described the Brazilian market and the expansion seen by the agency throughout the years. She looked back at recent projects and analyzed the way of working amid the pandemic.

Why is your city a great place to live and work?

Here in Sao Paulo everything is always moving, adapting. All places and cultures meet themselves, turning Sao Paulo unique to me.

How is communication flowing these days?

We communicate through several digital platforms that we already used before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our main communication methods are: Skype, Basecamp (to manage projects), Google Drive, Email and Whatsapp.

We also realize weekly meetings through Skype between all the agency’s teams to keep updated regarding the job status, employee’s welfare and new business opportunities, technological updates and all the things that can make us to be updated regarding our market.

Please explain in brief your position and what you’re focusing on

Today I work in a more strategically way to better define the flows and tools to serve each one of the teams in the agency and the clients. I work with all the teams always looking for the better ways and strategies to solve the daily problems e also connect and share the learnings between the teams. I have a strong presence in the strategic development of new projects.

Which commonly misconceptions people have about your role?

I never had that kind of problem. When we start a new project or introduce a new client in the agency, I explain my role, how I am going to act in the project and who is going to be the focal point of the project. This helps me to reduce these possible misunderstandings about who is responsible for what.

Please describe the creative and digital industry in Brazil

We have a unique market with unique understanding and sense of humor. We are always looking for new ways of communicating. Everything is so changeable here. I think that we have a faster learning curve that make us more competitive and more adaptable to new applications.

In your opinion, what makes B-Young Social Media Co. stand out?

We were born in the digital world. While the Brazilian market was getting its first steps into the social media world, we were already developing strategies for our clients and for the traditional agencies clients that were starting this transformation. It has been more than 10 years of work purely dedicated to content production and all the ways to act in the different social channels.

Today, we have our own studio where we produce our content in a closer way, full serving the clients objectives and deadlines. Another B-Young differential is our migration to shared team to exclusive team divided by clients. 90% of our operation is exclusive, meaning that each client has an exclusive team to better understand his needs and challenges, especially in content production. The exclusive teams also make our deliveries more versatile.

How’s the agency kept you motivated to keep working at it for so many years?

I think that B-Young always let me work independently. I always had an open dialogue with my teams regarding suggestions to new content applications, to change a strategy that were not performing so well. I always felt that I could contribute to the project that I was not directly involved as an essential part to make it right. There is an open dialogue between all the teams and also with Andre (B-Young CEO) that provided and encouraged this behavior from the beginning.

How did the agency adapt to the pandemic context?

We had to structure the home office routine in a way that allowed us to ensure the security of all our employees and to work without physical proximity. We already had the culture of home office (we applied one day of the week as home office) so it was relatively easy for us to adapt to this new situation. Now we are thinking about new ways to hire and how to structure our physical space from now on.

Of the most-recent projects the agency has produced, which one makes you really proud?

I am a 100% proud regarding AliExpress project. We have amazing results in only three months, turning the Brazilian profile one of the biggest in a global scale, and with a significant change in how the brand interact with his users. This was a short and very successful operation!

Another one that are really making me proud and I worked directly in the strategic flow development is Volkswagen Financial Services. This is a new segment to the agency with a big operation that we are betting a lot.

How has your life story shaped the person you are today?

I always received constant incentives from my parents regarding studies and the importance of discipline in my character formation. I grew in an oriental religion (the Nitiren Daishonin Buddhism) that really contributed to who I am and how do I deal with my decisions. Having put studies and rationality in front of several issues in my life, helped me to also put work as one of my main focuses, always trying to deliver everything in the best possible way, so that the final feeling is always that I gave my best, as well as my team.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and from who?

I have two best pieces of advice actually, which I always take with me. One is from my mother, who always told me to breathe first (it sounds silly, but it is essential to keep a calm mind). I breathe before taking any step that requires more focus and dedication. Remembering to breathe is essential to maintaining tranquility in any critical situation.

Another one is from my boyfriend, Aleh Tufi, about efficiency at work: create ways of working that optimize your time. This means working hard and efficiently at the beginning so that you don’t have to repeat the same process.

Can you name a fun-fact people would be surprised to learn about you?

In general I am a very serious person, so when I talk a little about signs of the zodiac and tarot, people do not believe much that I get involved with this type of theme. I found my first tarot through a dream at the age of 15. The spiritual theme is a counterpoint in my life.

Thanks Mariana!

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