Coatings World - March 2011

Latin America

BASF Promotes Top Suvinil Marketer in Brazil

One of Brazil’s top
brands continues to
grow under new
leadership.

by Charles W. Thurston Latin America Correspondent thurstoncw@rodpub.com

BASF has promoted Eugênio Luporini Neto, previously its top marketer for the Suvinil line, to vice president of architectural sales and automotive refinishing in South America. Suvinil recently celebrated its 50th year in the Brazilian market, under BASF ownership for much of the last decade.

Suvinil is already one of the top brands in Brazil’s architectural segment, and multifaceted marketing campaigns recently led by Neto are helping raise its profile even further. The company claims to hold 60 percent of the premium range market for architectural paint in the country.

The Suvinil brand was recently ranked the third most recognized among 72 major brands featured in a recent survey by Arcoweb. “It is very important for us that Suvinil is among the most remembered brands, and apart from being an inspiration, it shows that the work we have done is recognized by the public,” said Neto.

Similarly, upon achieving second place out of 120 companies competing for the title of Most Innovative Companies in Brazil 2010, Neto said, “To be among the most innovative companies in Brazil further encourages us to always seek the best for our customers.” The competition was organized by Epoca Negocios magazine, and feted by U.S. consultant A. T. Kearny. Suvinil produces its own research as well. Last year, the company interviewed more than 8,000 consumers in 49 cities ahead of the launch of its Your House, Your Pride! sales campaign.

The green zone is a major target for Suvinil. During the past year, Neto helped Suvinil position within the Sustainable Apartment project in Sao Paulo, promoted by green consultant SustentaX Engenharia de Sustentabilidade. Pursuing LEED principles set out by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Sustainable Apartment project brought together materials and goods suppliers which had secured a SustentaX seal of Green approval. A model apartment in Sao

The Suvinil brand was recently ranked the third most recognized among 72 major brands in Brazil’s architectural segment.

Paulo featured an all-green construction and decoration approach, for which Suvinil qualified over a dozen of its products, including low-VOC paint.

Green marketing is also utilized in the company’s automotive refinishing business, which Neto also now heads. BASF currently holds an estimated 30 percent share of the Brazilian refinishing segment, which has a national value of about $150 million, Valor Economico suggests. Last year, BASF predicted short-term double-digit growth in the segment.

Another tangent of the Suvinil marketing strategy is professional training for resellers and professional painters. Last year, Neto staged approximately 170 separate training events to help such collaborators offer the best Suvinil product for the application.

Recent Suvinil product launches include the Menos Sujeira, or less mess, Suvinil sub-line, which features less brush or roller dropage and a less noticeable odor during application. Suvinil also rolled out 13 new color tones for this line, which is available in all shades within the company’s SelfColor system.

Suvinil production is centered at the company’s São Bernardo do Campo location, near the city of São Paulo, the largest production site for BASF paints and coatings in Brazil, the company said. Capacity at the site is 330 million liters of coatings, paints and resins, including automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinishes, industrial coatings and the Suvinil brand.