Business
Democratizing Recognition in Brazilian Advertising
Marcos Braga explains the Amigos do Mercado Award criteria and how Festival Élan aims to expand access across the industry.
Most marketing and communications professionals have never taken part in industry awards in Brazil. Marcos Braga details how the Amigos do Mercado Award and Festival Élan were created to recognize operational roles, mid-level managers, and creative formats outside the traditional circuit.
Marcos Braga, advertising executive, CEO, and co-founder of Amigos do Mercado, spoke with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast about access bottlenecks and representation in Brazilian advertising awards, as well as community-driven models designed to celebrate professionals and projects outside the traditional circuit.
Analyzing the industry landscape, Braga notes that established events maintain high financial and audience barriers. As detailed above, this sense of exclusion drove the creation of initiatives tailored to those working in day-to-day advertising operations who rarely compete on global stages or in leadership-only galas.
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The barrier to entry in traditional awards
According to Braga, the divide between the daily grind of most advertising professionals and major industry festivals inspired initiatives aimed at those who do not manage massive budgets. "Most of the people who worked with me, who were right beside me, had never been publicly recognized for their work," he points out.
For Braga, while benchmarks like the Cannes Lions, Caboré, and Effie maintain established criteria, the dynamics of these events restrict access. "Professionals not only go unrecognized for their work, but they also cannot even access these events," he explains, stressing that high costs and exclusive formats alienate average professionals and concentrate accolades among corporate leaders and the São Paulo market.
Amigos do Mercado Award and operational inclusion
The Amigos do Mercado Award was structured to support early- and mid-career professionals. Braga emphasizes that most categories cap eligibility at the managerial level while also highlighting sectors traditionally overlooked by industry awards, such as advertising operations (OPEC).
Beyond job-level criteria, the award features open public voting and an accessible in-person event. "With the Amigos do Mercado Award, anyone can vote, anyone can be nominated, and anyone can attend the party, which is a major differentiator," Braga explains, contrasting this approach with celebrations reserved exclusively for C-level executives.
Festival Élan and creative inspiration
While the award focuses on people, Festival Élan was designed to evaluate project execution across specialized categories, including podcasts, brand merchandising, reality show integrations, and public space activations. The event features 30 keynote talks and showcases 90 finalist case studies.
For Braga, the festival serves as a practical resource for creators. "Creativity is a gift, but it is much more about your ability to blend things together. Having a powerful blender does no good if you don't have the ingredients to put in it," he concludes.
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