CESAR VILLARES is the co-founder of Brazilian sports marketing agency Go4it. He and MARC LEMANN launched the Rio de Janeiro-based agency in October. Along with Villares and Lemann, Go4it's other execs are Head of Financial BRUNO MOURA, Planing and Communications Dir FERNANDA LOBÃO and Head of Commercial & Strategic Partnerships JOSÉ ROBERTO PACHECO. Villares, who previously worked for Lagardère and Rio-based IMX, a joint venture between IMG and EBX Group, said that opening a sports agency was a lifelong dream. Go4it currently represents a trio of Brazilian athletes, with Paris St. Germain's THIAGO SILVA the oldest at 31. Surfer GABRIEL MEDINA, 22, and Sauber F1 driver FELIPE NASR, 23, are the agency's other two clients. The firm is also the official agency partner of the UFC in Brazil and globally. Villares said Go4it has three pillars: content (which includes managing athletes and events), consulting and technology. He spoke to SBD Global about why he created an agency, how Go4it will distinguish itself from its competitors and this summer's Olympics in Rio.
On Medina, Nasr and Silva ...
Cesar Villares: It's great that we have access to all the sports. When I travel, I go to Formula 1, I go to tennis, I go to soccer, I go to UFC. We get to meet different clients, we get to understand a different aspect of the business. ... Especially these three clients, they're big players in their sports, they're big idols. It's very, very great because we have already a personal relationship with the clients. For example, Gabriel has 11 sponsors, so we are now together with his sponsors looking at plans for the sport. ... I always believe that the athletes are the key of the business. They are the ones who make the show. So having important clients like them, it definitely helps bring other clients. Three different sports was very important for us.
On social media's role in the representation of the athletes ...
Villares: Gabriel actually has 3.8 million Instagram fans and Thiago Silva has 8.5 million. We have a team in-house who are developing the planning with them. We are talking to them about what they like to do. Instagram is special, it is very personal. The athletes, they want to put a lot of things for commercials on Instagram. We are always in touch with them, we are helping them to develop strategy. It works well. I think we need to develop a plan that makes the athletes happy too, it's very important.
On advances in social media over the last decade ...
Villares: It's incredible how fast it is moving. We have Snapchat -- it was already in the States, but it is just coming to Brazil in the last six months. So now everybody uses Snapchat as well, like Gabriel and all the athletes. It helps the athletes to have a big exposure factor. Nowadays, if you want to announce something, you need to plan ahead, you need to have a plan integrated with the social media of the athlete, together with the sponsors and the media. We are able now to bring the fans together. This is incredible. I remember years ago, athletes were only able to have exposure on TV. Nowadays, your brand can be anywhere. ... Exposure is way bigger nowadays, which is great for the sponsors and the athletes.
On Rio's preparations for this summer's Olympics ...
Villares: The people here really love sports. The people here learned from the World Cup how to receive the foreigners in Brazil. Everybody's talking about the Olympics. Everybody's excited that the Olympics are coming down to Rio. ... The Olympics team here in Rio, they went to the Olympic Games in London. They've studied a lot, they've been working hard for the last four or five years. So we believe we're going to do a great Olympics. Like with the World Cup, of course we had some issues that every big city has, but it was great ... I think the Olympic Games are going to be even better because Rio is really nice. People are going to be able to experience a city with amazing beaches, a city with people who are very welcoming to the foreigners. It's a city that knows how to host.
On what makes brands or athletes attractive clients ...
Villares: Go4it is looking forward to being a global agency. ... We are always looking for a global platform. We are closing on clients who can help us to become global. We choose the athletes. We want to work for the best brands, and the best athletes possible.
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