Selling to the BRIC: Brazil - an awakening tiger

Abstract

Brazil is now self-sufficient and actually a net exporter in many core areas. This newly found wealth is being partially transferred to feed an increased demand for scholarly content. Brazil has the lofty goal of leading the region, if not the world, in amassing subscriptions to content that will hopefully educate its people to further accelerate growth in Brazil and bring it closer to par with developed nations. Through the CAPES Consortia and its Portal, one of Brazil's main vehicles for content acquisition and dissemination under the Ministry of Education, it has amassed more than 23,000 periodical titles, and countless other sources. Use of the Portal has increased more than 2,100% since it was created and now exceeds 18 million full-text downloads/year and more than 155,000 accesses/day. This article hopes to identify the challenges in tapping this market, and provide some suggestions in pursuing subscription opportunities in Brazil. It is important to understand the economic and psychological drivers that will make a publisher successful in these uncertain times, including the need for flexibility, and the need to forge and maintain relationships, to understand the political and financial climate with the help from 'in-country' representation, and generally to think creatively. © David Myers 2011.