Thiago Nadotti, Casio Marketing Coordinator for Latin America, spoke about the Shakira effect
They well say that reputation is one of the most important assets for a company and that its brand image, consumer recognition and that balance between ‘being’ and ‘appearing’ is key to staying in their markets. Hence, when a globally recognized singer, like Shakira, makes a comparison between the products of one brand with another, the least favored activates the alert mode.
But Casio chose to see it as an opportunity, as highlighted by Thiago Nadotti, Casio Watch Marketing Coordinator for Latin America, in conversation with Forbes.
From his department’s analysis, Nadotti acknowledges that it was a situation that took them by surprise, but that in the end it had a favorable result for the brand.
“Shakira helped us a lot, we weren’t prepared for that, it was a boom,” highlighted the marketing leader. “Although Shakira wanted to bring Casio as a less expensive brand, the good thing is that we have these Casio fans.”
They weren’t ready for the “Shakira effect” to influence their sales either, but, according to Nadotti, during the week of the release of the new song by the Barranquillera with the Argentine producer Bizarrap, the brand’s sales increased and, it could be say even without having the confirmation of the data, that they tripled.
“We were neutral and in a subtle, elegant and entertaining way we published the neutrality statement and at least it gave us visibility,” he stressed. Likewise, Nadotti pointed out that it was a moment that allowed the brand to recognize its followers and verify that the memory of its products was positive.
On the other hand, he recognized that measures must be taken against the appearance of multiple accounts with the name of the company, but that they are legal actions that must be led as a global issue.
Currently, Nadotti highlighted, they have a brand awareness of 90%, which has given them a market share between 5% and 6% in the conventional watch segment in Colombia, while in other countries, such as Peru, this indicator reaches up to 12%.