Event / Photos

Belo Horizonte hosted the sixth edition of the Latin American Social Marketing Congress from September 4 to 7. The event was organized by Fucape Business School in its first edition in Brazil. Over three days, more than 50 scientific papers were presented by researchers from various parts of the world, alongside lectures from both national and international experts.

The annual event is organized by the Latin American section of IAPNM (International Association on Public and Nonprofit Marketing) in a hybrid format. After being held in Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru, and Colombia, Brazil took on the 2024 edition of the event, highlighting the broad contributions of social marketing in dialogue with various fields under the theme “The Role of People in Social Marketing.”

In the capital of Minas Gerais, the event received support from the UFMG School of Nursing, which hosted the activities at its campus – the opening took place at the OAB-MG headquarters. At the closing, after awarding the papers, the audience both in-person and remote watched a presentation from Mexico, which will host the seventh edition in 2025.

The opening featured a remote participation by Helena Alves (University of Beira – Portugal), vice president of IAPNM, celebrating the association’s 23 years. Also remotely, the president of Fucape, Valcemiro Nossa, welcomed the participants.

At the formal session – with Roberto Pimentel Fully as co-organizer and master of ceremonies – Sônia Soares, director of the UFMG School of Nursing, noted that the meeting aligns with the university’s and the school’s long-standing commitment to education and research over more than nine decades, serving and generating constant learning. Maurício Pereira de Jesus, president of the Minas Gerais Administrators Union, which represents over 5,000 members in the state, emphasized the importance of the meeting and the professionals in the field.

In his speech, Emerson Mainardes, the general coordinator of the congress, explained that social marketing goes far beyond promotional and development actions, transforming behaviors, people, and society itself based on ethical principles. “And this event gives us the opportunity to learn about such initiatives throughout Latin America and different parts of the world,” invited the researcher and professor from Fucape. Besides Mainardes and Fully, the organizing team of the congress included the following Ph.D. professors: Lara Sepulcri, Rubia Dalvi, and Vitor Azzari from Fucape Business, and Lucilaine Maria Pascuci (UFES), Claudimar Pereira da Veiga (Fundação Dom Cabral), and Cássia Rita Pereira da Veiga (UFMG).

The opening lecture was delivered by Luis Camilo Ortigueira-Sánchez (Peru), who discussed the topic “Social Networks and Social Marketing: Breaking Paradigms in the Fight Against Organized Crime in Latin America.” The Peruvian researcher presented data on human trafficking and homicides in various parts of the region, along with media snapshots, to analyze this context in neighboring countries. “As social crime increasingly uses marketing strategies on social networks, the perception of impunity increases insecurity,” he explained.

In addition to thanking the OAB for providing the venue, the organizers recognized the fundamental role of partners in making the event possible, in line with the event’s theme. The opening also included reports from the sponsors of the Belo Horizonte edition. Edson Borgo, CEO of Ecosmetics, shared the company’s story, now present in 70 countries with one of Brazil’s largest industrial parks, focusing on sustainability and the social well-being of its employees. Thiago Basseti from NBS spoke about his over 20 years of experience, his commitment to personal development, and a recent course specifically for managers. “The course helps managers think strategically but from a sustainable perspective, considering society as a whole, contributing to the environment in which it operates and developing people.”

Social Marketing Worldwide and Exchange Among Researchers

The event attendees followed panels and conferences both in-person and remotely, featuring prominent researchers discussing topics such as social marketing in Latin America (Cássia Rita Pereira da Veiga – UFMG) and the “Consultório na Rua” health initiative presented by Priscila Fraga (FIOCRUZ) and Thais Souza (Belo Horizonte City Hall). Mexican Edith Patricia Borboa Álvarez presented on “Challenging Stereotypes: The Strengths Driving University Women in the Business World.” Another notable international presence was Hungarian Zoltán Veres. The European researcher, also a member of IAPNM, shared that he had previously organized an edition of the entity in his home country and has since maintained contact with researchers from various countries, celebrating the opportunity to be in Brazil for this congress.

Emerson Mainardes, the general coordinator, highlights that the papers presented by researchers from five regions of Brazil and countries such as Spain, Hungary, India, Pakistan, and throughout Latin America demonstrate the diverse aspects of social marketing, from health and behavior change to entrepreneurship, promotion, gender issues, and public safety. “We gained an overview of how social marketing has been contributing to various areas, helping society and individuals lead better lives and fostering national development, as well as providing knowledge to researchers,” analyzes the professor from Fucape.

Fucape Business, headquartered in Vitória-ES and with a branch in Belo Horizonte, is now one of the leading business education institutions in Brazil. Lara Sepulcri, a professor at the institution in the capital of Espírito Santo, asserts that Fucape is always seeking to support impactful and serious scientific events. “This is a very important meeting to position Fucape internationally, with high-quality research discussions with various Latin American and European researchers,” she explains. Sepulcri also mentions that Fucape students from various campuses presented papers and were involved in the organization. “This is also very important for our students to experience an international event like this, to interact with researchers from various places and high-quality research,” she celebrates.

Professor Roberto Fully – Foto: João Marcos Veiga

Professor at the Belo Horizonte unit and also an event organizer, Roberto Pimentel Fully says it is a great pride for Fucape to host such an important congress. “Organizing this event is about contributing to what we believe in, having business science making a better world. The discussion of the role of people in social marketing is very important because, at a time when people want to shout more than to dialogue and listen, social marketing brings principles and dialogue,” he points out.

Despite the possibility of remote presentations, the event saw the participation of researchers from distant states in Brazil, such as Maranhão, Piauí, and Amazonas, interested in the exchanges provided by the congress. Lilian Linhares de Carvalho, a staff member of the Amazonas State Audit Court, presented work on the context of Artificial Intelligence for social and community participation. “My work highlights the relationship between social marketing and public administration, showing how these aspects are interconnected,” she says.

At the closing of the event, organizers Mainardes and Fully reviewed the three days of activities and announced the award-winning papers of this edition, one in each of the congress’s three official languages (English, Portuguese, and Spanish) – see the list below. At the end, Edith Patricia Borboa Álvarez gave a presentation about Mexico, the host of the next Latin American Social Marketing Congress, exploring aspects of knowledge exchange for researchers and the country’s natural beauty.