Market Research in Rio de Janeiro

Going beyond tourism in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro, also called “The Wonderful City” in Brazil, is one of the most well-known Brazilian metropolises. The city is a historical capital of Brazil, and is famous for its tourist activities, events such as Carnaval, and beaches. Rio de Janeiro city is the capital city of Rio de Janeiro state.

Rio also has a diverse mix of businesses and industries, especially in its surrounding cities. Rio de Janeiro’s industry greatly contributes to Brazil’s GDP from global pharmaceutical companies to small farms.

Rio comprises a large part of Brazilian culture: friendly and welcoming people, hard-working professionals, and many business opportunities in every corner. The city has a well-diversified economy with industries ranging from advanced B2B services to highly technological industries.

The city was already a giant when petroleum was found in the surrounding ocean, catching the attention of many world-class companies that gathered around Rio to extract it. One of Brazil’s most significant company, Petrobras, is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro.

Market analysis in Rio de Janeiro

SIS International Research conducts Qualitative, Quantitative and Strategy Market Research in Rio de Janeiro. Key methods include Focus groups, Online Communities, Telephone Surveys, In-Person Interview, Central Location Tests, quantitative and qualitative analysis, Key Opinion Leader research, competitor analysis and marketing consulting.

Industries in Rio

Many Business-to-Consumer B2C companies are headquartered in Rio as the city has a large consumer base and tourist customer basis. Outside of Rio there are more manufacturers, especially oil and gas, and B2B companies. Rio de Janeiro is the #2 most industrialized city in Brazil.

Those are the primary industries found in Rio:

• Petroleum
• Agroindustry and trading
• Sugarcane
• Pharmaceutical
• Technology
• Financial services
• Telecom
• Construction
• Food and Beverage
• Fisheries

There are also many small farms and producers, which makes a continuously growing trend for the segment.

Market Opportunity and Entry Research

Brazil has strong and growing economic ties with Latin America, the United States, and other growing markets, which presents numerous market opportunities. Yet, challenges exist such as the high prices in the city when compared to other places in Brazil. Market Research can help identify opportunities and threats to businesses.

Location and geography

Rio de Janeiro is about 450 kilometers away from São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, and around 1150 kilometers from Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. Rio is strategically located on the ocean and has access to the sea which allows it to export a significant amount.

Rio has suburbs and satellite cities that are also very productive and industrialized. Rio also has a rainforest inside its city limits and in its surroundings, and the access roads are easy to reach.

The demography of Rio is unique, with the population heavily clustering on hills (“morros”). Traffic inside the city is heavy but not as much as in São Paulo. The temperature is famously hot but bearable most of the year.

Politics and economics

While Rio de Janeiro makes people immediately think of its natural beauty, the city’s economic situation has struggled for decades, with one of the highest money disparities between the rich and poorer in the world.

Just like most countries of Latin America, Brazil’s politics are historically populistic, which tends to favor the inhabitants but which can scare away foreign companies.

Work opportunities

The tourism sector dominates a vast area of Rio. The city attracts a large number of multilingual and talented skilled workers who have a chance to show their abilities in the city.

With the growth of financial services (such as fintechs) and the technological sector, other areas also depend on highly educated and skilled professionals. The oil & gas sector has huge companies in Rio: Shell, Halliburton, Petrobras, Exxon Mobil, and many more.

As a metropolis with over 7 million inhabitants, Rio offers other work opportunities.

Events and festivals

Rio de Janeiro has the largest Carnival Party in the world which attracts tourist and which boosts the economy. From the creation of costumes to media coverage, the event is a major part of the city’s economy.

Trade shows, conventions, cultural festivals, and business training events also happen frequently in the city. While not as huge as São Paulo in that sense, Rio is a major tourist hotspot.

About Market Research in Rio de Janeiro

Rio presents business opportunities for both B2B and B2C companies. The city presents numerous opportunities for growth. Yet, challenges also exist such as the business environment, high taxes, traffic and other factors which can slow growth. Market Research in Rio de Janeiro helps uncover tools, strategies, data, insights and next steps for growth. Key Qualitative Market Research methods include Focus Groups, Interviews, Online Communities, Ethnography and others. Quantitative Market Research methods include telephone surveys, online surveys and mobile surveys. Strategy Market Research methods include Competitor Analysis, Benchmarking Research, Go-To-Market Research, Market Sizing, Entry & Opportunity Research and Market Forecasting. Contact us for your next Market Research project in Rio de Janeiro.