Business
Creating New Things Means Going Where No One Else Wants To
Renato Abdo reflects on pioneering digital marketing since 1996 and the lifecycle of industry trends.
In a conversation on Marketing - The Podcast, Renato Abdo looks back at the early days of the internet in Brazil in 1996 and discusses how real innovation stems from challenging established paths.
Renato Abdo, founder of Dialeto and creator of agia, spoke with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast about his pioneering journey in the digital space and the mindset required to innovate before a trend becomes industry consensus. The full episode also covers artificial intelligence, agency structure, and the future of advertising creativity.
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Invention in the Early Days of the Brazilian Internet
Recalling his entry into the industry in 1996, Abdo notes that digital advertising did not yet exist and his work began at an internet service provider, building websites at a time when the practice was still met with skepticism. For him, that environment shaped his approach to problem-solving.
"What I jokingly tell people is that it was a time of invention. And I think that fundamentally changed my mindset, the way I think, and the way I do things. It wasn't an established field; advertising had been around for a long time, but we were just starting to figure out digital advertising," Abdo says.
He explains that the lack of ready-made processes demanded direct experimentation from the team: "We had to invent things. Three or four of us crazy folks would get together in a room and brainstorm, 'How can we pull this off?' And I think that mindset stays with me to this day: inventing new ways to solve problems, which is what I still do today."
Breaking Patterns and the Trend Cycle
In the video above, Abdo and Bruno discuss how unconventional bets often spark initial skepticism before delivering returns and attracting the mainstream. For Abdo, the genuine creative process relies on breaking away from the obvious path.
"The truth is that invention—real creation—comes from breaking what already exists. So you have to be a little crazy. If you follow conventional order and consistency, you can achieve a lot in life, but to create truly new things, you have to take a path no one else wants to take," Abdo explains.
This dynamic also explains why topics recur across the communications industry. According to Abdo, strategies explored by early adopters often resurface years later as if they were brand-new concepts. "I hear people talking about social media and influencers today like it's brand new, but I was talking about that back in 2013, and I ran my first influencer campaign back in 2007. So just imagine. Today it's a huge business, and everyone is talking about it," he concludes.
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