Bruno Araldi, the seasoned Strategy Director at Havas Middle East, shaping brand narratives from Brazil to the vibrant landscape of the UAE. With a wealth of experience, he seamlessly blends creativity with cultural resonance, crafting campaigns that leave an indelible mark. 

In this interesting conversation, we uncover his journey and explore the innovative strategies propelling brands to new heights in the dynamic world of advertising.

Congratulations on your appointment as the Strategy Director at Havas Middle East. Can you please take us through your journey and share some noteworthy experiences with us?

I began my career in strategy in my hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil, fueled by a passion for advertising and an interest in both the business and creative aspects. I was fortunate to work in reputable advertising and branding agencies during my early experiences and, most importantly, to benefit from excellent mentorship.

From there, I transitioned to Rio de Janeiro, where I spent three years at a content hotshop leading Nike’s digital communication in Brazil during the World Cup and Olympics period.

Following my time in Rio, I moved to São Paulo, where I spent approximately five years at creative agencies such as BBDO and Wieden+Kennedy, crafting strategies and contributing to the creation of award-winning campaigns for clients including AbInbev (Corona and Skol Beats), Motorola, Audi, CBN Radio, Unilever (Omo), and Airbnb.

Seeking international experience, exposure to diverse cultures, and professional growth as a strategist, I relocated to the UAE and have resided in Dubai for the past four years. Initially, I worked at Leo Burnett, collaborating with a wide range of clients with a focus on local and regional markets. Recently, I embarked on a new role at Havas Middle East, an agency renowned for its strong creative reputation in the region. I am thrilled to now be a part of it.

As someone with a solid background in advertising, having worked in the Brazilian or LATAM market, as well as relocating to UAE (MENA), how did you connect with the audiences in both markets?

People are people all over the world, so I firmly believe that continually striving to understand human beings and demonstrating empathy are essential attributes for anyone working with strategy in creative environments. This involves drawing from our own life experiences and cultivating an interest in fields like psychology and sociology.

Additionally, cultural behaviors and consumption habits naturally vary from country to country and region to region. Therefore, research is indispensable. Utilizing digital tools, engaging in social listening, conducting market assessments, seeking insights from experts, and conducting consumer interviews are pivotal for adapting to the diverse nuances of each market.

Moreover, when collaborating with different cultures, being an outsider places us in an intriguing position to offer fresh perspectives that can enrich the work.

You are passionate about helping brands find their voices and resonate with their audiences, so what are some of the key components you keep in mind when formulating strategies?

I prioritize the brand voice and product truth above all else.

Brand voice encompasses what the brand stands for and how it communicates and behaves in the world. It must be carefully crafted, nurtured, and consistently maintained, shaping people’s experiences and memories of the brand.

Product truth entails ensuring that we stay true to the essence and unique attributes of the product. This is what captures people’s interest and motivates them to take action.

Building on this foundation, brands must uncover insights and opportunities related to people’s lives, culture, and industry. These elements are integral to every strategy, revealing opportunities to be more meaningful and establish differentiation.

In today’s era of abundant content consumption and diminished brand connections, it’s more crucial than ever for companies to refine their voices and delve deeper to create memorable and resonant experiences for people.

In Ramadan, brands are looking to invest a significant amount in their marketing strategies. How is Havas building around this and what do you think about advertising during Ramadan?

To build differentiation during such an important and competitive moment as Ramadan, it’s essential to delve into the cultural forces shaping each year’s holy month. Although it holds fundamental values, people’s mindsets continue to evolve, new behaviors emerge, and there are significant differences in how people experience it in key markets across the region.

At Havas, we believe in placing meaningfulness at the core of everything we do, and Ramadan presents a pivotal opportunity for brands to deliver meaningful messages and experiences. To achieve this, we consistently access data, studies, and develop our own research methods to stay closely connected to people and abreast of the latest behaviors and trends. We utilize this knowledge to generate insights and ideas for our brands across disciplines—Creative, Media, and PR.

In the MENA region, the Saudi Vision 2030 is set to disrupt the advertising and media industries. How is Havas preparing to adapt to this and what are your opinions on this?

All the transformations occurring in the kingdom present opportunities for new business and for creating meaningful work for our brands operating in Saudi Arabia.

People’s lives are changing at the fastest pace ever, with significant transformations across all areas of society, culture, and the economy. While the nation’s vision propels these changes, there is an ambitious and creative energy emanating from a largely young population, making Saudi Arabia an effervescent country. Emerging behaviors and new initiatives are being launched across the nation. All of this necessitates continuous learning and adaptation to create new, meaningful ways of connecting with people in the country.

It’s no longer possible to stay ahead of the curve without technology. With the burgeoning growth of AI and Metaverse, especially in the MENA region, how can you achieve a competitive advantage?

Technology enhances the possibilities for brands to connect with people, and it also facilitates and amplifies the ways we work. It’s not an enemy but an ally of human intuition and creativity.

Being open to it and experimenting, the possibilities are endless. Using AI as an example, it can assist in everything: from extracting initial learnings from large volumes of data, exploring different insights, enhancing processes, finding new segments and niche audiences, to creating more effective content, and even to developing new products and services.