Who is Carmen Alcobio, and how did your passion for marketing and content creation begin? Was it a natural path, or did you discover this interest later on?
Carmen is a Swiss army knife. Mozambican (although many doubt it), mother of a black cat called Shima and, as a child, someone who thought buying second-hand clothes from the bales was a reason for shame; nowadays, she creates content wearing thrift-store clothes. My parents wanted me to be a manager, but whenever I saw the Golo adverts, on the street and on television, my eyes lit up. It is hard to know what we really want to be when we "grow up", but I knew what I didn't want: a monotonous, automatic routine that didn't involve communicating. I managed to convince my parents that Marketing would be a good option, because "all companies need to sell". My professional path in communication was always behind the scenes at brands. Tired of the standardised way in which many influencers communicated, I decided to go to the other side. And, as it turns out, the best person to follow my briefs is me.
Creativity is at the heart of your work. How do you keep that creative streak alive, especially in long-term projects?
As a content creator, my biggest challenge is keeping my work relevant, authentic and high-quality in a market that moves at a very fast pace and is full of trends, which is the digital one. Defining a strategy according to the positioning I want to have in the market and the stage of life I am going through at the moment is very important for understanding what, where, with what and how I should communicate. All content must be strategic and coherent. Learning to make the most of my time in creating content was a turning point.
In your role as Marketing and Commercial Manager at Televisão Miramar, how do you balance the need for commercial strategies with the creation of innovative content?
Digital is an unavoidable medium in communication. Nowadays social media are part of our portfolio and partners understand their importance. We are the Mozambican television channel, and one of the African channels, with the largest number of followers on Facebook, for example. Why not advertise in digital too, live included? Miramar is much more than a television, radio and digital channel. It is an innovative content production machine, with several arms, which have a single objective: to make the message reach the audience in a memorable way. So commercial strategies involve content creation as well. I am very grateful to have an incredible team in digital and content production who work tirelessly to ensure these goals are met, above average.
Do you think the Mozambican market properly values the power of digital influencers? What are the challenges and opportunities for the future of this field in the country?
I think brands are increasingly aware not only of the power, but also of the importance of influencers in brand communication. However, there is still a great deal of misinformation and scepticism that directly affects how the field is valued. The challenge begins with the nature of our market, with brands' investment power in general, with the audience's access to the internet, and even with the understanding of what creative work and a personal brand are. But there are indeed opportunities, because our market is still very green, especially for those who see influencer marketing as building a personal brand over the long term. Having an engaged audience and being an authority in something is being one step ahead.
How do you see the evolution of the relationship between brands and consumers in our country? What is missing for us to achieve a more emotional and lasting connection with customers?
I believe that nowadays, because of increased competition in many markets, there are more variables beyond "accessibility" and "price" in the consumer's purchasing decision. After all, one consequence of the pandemic was how easy it became for customers (and resellers, too) to buy online. Brands will tend to have to create and strengthen mechanisms to differentiate themselves and maintain their visibility. Quality is no longer a differentiating factor, it is merely a basic requirement. And with the scarcity of production resources in the country, importing is the quickest and highest-margin resort for many businesses. As a result, we end up finding the same products, in different places, at very similar prices. It is at this stage that the differentiator lies in branding, in putting the consumer first and in being present, in a creative and humanised way, in the physical or virtual spaces where your audience is. In any business.
Is there a project or campaign you have developed that you are particularly proud of? What do you think made it so special?
The partnership with Compal was and always will be very special, for several reasons. Besides having always been a companion at the table, my father comes from the town where the Compal factory is in Portugal. When we went on holiday we always passed through there. At the Golo agency I worked with the brand, as it happens, behind the scenes, and then when I left the agency I had the privilege of having Compal as a partner. I believe that is why it didn't even feel like a partnership; it was just an extension of my content (which is what a partnership should be and feel like). I managed to prove that an influencer is literally a mini-agency, covering everything from client prospecting, brand research, conceptualising the idea, producing the material, filming, editing, promoting the content and community management. This was done with storytelling in the first video (because it is never about the product, it is about the story it wants the audience to live with it) and with the production of a jingle in the second video. Oh, and all with just a smartphone. This partnership led me to podcasts, to becoming a case study, and even to awards. An influencer with fewer than 10 thousand followers at the time beat the metrics of influencers with three times the audience.
In a constantly changing market, how do you keep up to date with emerging trends and technologies in digital marketing?
Following the best in the field and always keeping an eye out for training. Following fewer "tips" and focusing more on market studies, talking to professionals in the field, here and abroad, and creating my own methodologies. For me, it is about following consumer behaviour and putting myself in that role too. More than wanting attention, I want to retain attention, in a sustainable way and in line with my values.
What is the role of authenticity in the content you create for brands? Do you think consumers are increasingly attentive to authenticity?
Authenticity is one of my values. It is what sets me apart. It is not only the reason people follow me, but the reasons people want to know what I will do next, knowing it is a Pandora's box. But it will be me doing it my way. In a market full of trends, where anyone has the ability to create and publish content, what sets people apart? People are tired of "plastic monologues". They want to see real people. They want to connect, to feel represented or presented with real ways of living.
What is your advice for young Mozambicans who want to pursue a creative career but are afraid of taking a risk in a competitive market?
Start today. Don't let anyone stop you from following a dream of yours. Don't wait for everyone to comment on and praise your work, for it to be perfect, for you to have all the conditions in the world. Creativity is also about creating solutions with the tools we have. Your community will value your growth. Don't think "what will make me money?" Think about what you know how to do, what you like doing (it may not be the same thing, try both), what is missing in the market, what you would have liked to see, what people keep asking you to do or say … Could you do that endlessly, time after time? Then it is a good idea to do it. If not? Without consistency you won't get there. Take pride in what you do and respect the process, even if the process means adjusting or even changing your initial idea as you go. Incredible things happen to those who have the courage to do them.
