Apple in Brazil: Always Apple,

Apple in Brazil: Always Apple, In Any Language

Controversies still rage regarding the efficacy of Apple's branding and service in Latin America, but observers could never have guessed this from the warm reception Apple received when it opened its first store in Brazil in 2008. When the Apple Corporation opened its flagship store, the normally sleek, cool, edgy brand took a slightly different tone, in keeping with the spirit of the Brazilian nation. At the reception Apple customers were "served Champagne and canapes, and a few blond, long haired, tall girls dressed in Apple Black guaranteed that eyes had something to look at other than Apple's product line that was presented on the usual wooden tables with all devices functional for people to play with" (Apple Brazil: Apple Shop Paulista opens officially, 2008, Visual Media). The store looked familiar, only with a few Brazilian beauties added for spice.

Thus Brazil's fun sense of sexuality and indulgence made itself manifest, along with the sleek technology and always-helpful Apple consultants that are part of the Apple brand around the globe, wherever its stores may be found. Apple's trademark ethos in the U.S. is that of a customer-friendly, customized company. When the brand goes abroad, it tries to be a chameleon, all the while keeping true to Apple's core (no pun intended) image. Apple's website for Brazil has the company's trademark white background, but the color scheme is warmer, less sleek and metallic, and boasts more smiling faces. This is in contrast with the more conceptually designed American site. Instead of the new MacBook Pro and the simulated images of various Apple product screens, Apple in Brazil uses the white, clean space that is Apple to use a slightly more traditional marketing strategy stressing happy people having fun, superposed upon Apple slogans and images. Both the American and Brazilian websites offer iPhone and iTunes support, and support for all company products -- but the Brazilian layout design is consistent for all Latin American countries.

Apple's success as a company is rooted in the fact that it is always 'Apple,' no matter what, no matter where. However, it does try to tailor itself to the needs of the individual marketplace, at least in terms of slight alterations of image. The design for the product in both America and Brazil is similar, stressing slenderness and ease of use. Young professionals who are tech-savvy are the target consumers, and they are likely to be affluent, given that the cutting-edge technology in both regions is pricy. This is particularly true of Brazil, given the high mark-up of prices: a 2 gigabyte iPod nano costs $328 in Brazil and $323 in its neighboring nation, compared to less than $150 in the U.S. (Diaz 2007).

Apple stores may have a slightly different 'spirit' as evidenced by the long-haired slinky girls and champagne in the opening of the Brazilian store, but that is only to honor Apple's emphasis on public relatability. The retail outlets all deploy the same product conception. Apple's first self-run stores in Brazil all stressed friendly, approachable customer service, and Apple also strove to implement its store-within-a-store concept in Brazil soon after the opening of the first store " (Malley 2008). The store-within-a-store concept allows Apple consumers to go to other technology or department stores and receive Apple support and buy Apple products at a booth or kiosk from a knowledgeable, trained company representative.

Apple's overall Latin American strategy overall has come under criticism for some time although its recent expansionist efforts in Brazil have drawn praise. Many nations in the region remain underserved. One Argentinean technology correspondent complained that the iTunes Latino Store does not work in any region in South America, and that there was only a single Apple store in his entire country. Brazil has been more of a focus of Apple's efforts, despite the fact that "Venezuela, which is the number one iPod market in Latin America, doesn't have any official Apple representation in the country, and all products are sold through third parties," which makes "buying an iPod in Latin America...almost an odyssey" for countries that lack Apple Stores (Diaz 2007). It remains difficult in many areas of Latin America to find technical support and accessories, two critical reasons why people often choose Macs (Diaz 2007).