Digital business strategies at the ECBR Forum 2023

In a highly digitalized environment, how can one achieve the best possible outcome? That's the question plaguing executives across all industries, so much so that by 2024, spending on digital transformation will represent 55% of all technology investment worldwide, reaching $6.3 trillion between 2022 and 2024 (IDC). In 2023, Cadastra's goal at the E-Commerce Brazil Forum is to demonstrate how to solve business growth problems and challenges in a complex world while exploring all opportunities in the new economy.

This is the vision and market driving Cadastra, a technology, marketing, strategy, and data services company that turned down multiple acquisition offers from communication conglomerates to form a global Brazilian group operating in 12 countries, serving 300 clients across 15 industries, with over 700 professionals.

Brands like Samsung, Unilever, Smiles, Gerdau, Einstein, Take, Reckitt, Osklen, Moove (Cosan Group), Camicado, Ailos, Banco Safra, Carrefour Group, O Boticário, Crocs, Coppel, KPMG, Saint-Gobain, and Vtex work with Cadastra on various scopes ranging from e-commerce technology implementation, data, analytics, and martech to digital marketing and performance strategies and operations – many of which form or are part of the companies' in-house teams.

"We are a company that blends strategic consulting and data, IT service, and digital agency, with deep vertical specialization in each area of operation," says Thiago Bacchin, founder, and CEO of Cadastra.

As sponsors of the E-commerce Forum 2023, Cadastra will have the opportunity to share insights and knowledge while meeting clients and partners at the event. The in-person gathering allows us to highlight our proprietary digital management model, Open Performance, which aims to maximize digital channel and strategy results.

The model promises, among other results, to increase sales by 15% to 50% in digital channels, reduce media dispersion costs, increase the ROI of marketing and trade marketing investments, and help the company advance in its digital maturity. The e-book can be downloaded at this link.

"Our 23 years of experience and pioneering work in many digital disciplines qualify us to act as strategic and operational partners in our clients' business problems – always connected with revenue growth from digital or traditional channels – accelerated by digital strategies, with short to long-term focus and results," Bacchin states.

Partnerships with Google, Salesforce, and Vtex 

As longstanding partners of Google, Cadastra is one of the implementers of digital solutions for the big tech and the largest independent digital media buyer in the country. Cadastra was also recognized as Google Agency of the Year in 2019, based on the results delivered to its clients – a competition that involved all major digital media buyers in the country.

With Vtex, an e-commerce technology platform, Cadastra has become one of the main partners and leaders in Brazil and Latin America following the acquisition in 2022 of M3 Commerce, a consulting and software house and Vtex partner in Enterprise projects. Meanwhile, with Salesforce, Cadastra is becoming an important partner in Marketing Cloud solutions. At the Salesforce Partner Innovation Awards 2022 event, the technology giant awarded Cadastra in the marketing consulting category, being the only Latin American company recognized in the awards.

Results for major travel and consumer brands 

For Smiles, the loyalty program of GOL, Cadastra designed a performance-focused strategy that respects and encompasses all the complexities involved in a miles-based transaction model.

"With the Smiles customer always at the center of initiatives and integrated action between media, data, CRO, and SEO, Cadastra's approach involves a broad analysis and data cross-referencing work. This helps us better understand the brand's audience and channel performance to accurately direct our investment. Recent results show a growing share of search, an important metric for brand recognition," says Beatriz Cabral, CMO of Smiles.

Meanwhile, with Unilever, Cadastra has been developing retail media strategies ranging from planning to the operation of digital campaigns targeted at the industry's partner retailers.

"Cadastra has been an important strategic partner of Unilever, supporting our teams in e-commerce and retail media, building and operating strategies that impact consumers throughout their shopping journeys, bringing more sales in the e-commerce and physical stores of our commercial partners, such as marketplaces, supermarkets, and wholesalers," highlights Ana Paula Duarte, PC Leader Latin America Media & Digital & Retail at Unilever.

Growth trajectory and M&As 

By 2025, the company aims to double its size, driven by organic and inorganic growth strategies: acquisitions play a crucial role in Cadastra's growth plan. There have been three consecutive acquisitions in just four months.

With the acquisition of M3, one of the main Vtex technology integrators, Cadastra strengthened its technological implementation and development capabilities for e-commerce and gained a presence in key Latin American countries – Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico.

With Digital Ethos, a digital marketing agency from the UK that has already carried out projects in 15 countries, Cadastra tripled its revenue in strong currency and established a more robust base in Europe.

The most recent operation was the acquisition of Qexpert, a consulting firm specializing in data analytics, engineering, and science that has carried out projects for recognized brands such as Grupo Boticário, Cooperativa Castrolanda, Cooperativa Agrária, Ipiranga, Hyundai, BTG, and Ademicon.

"For us, acquisitions and mergers are strategic alliances. We seek great alignment in terms of culture and in our grand project of becoming a global leader in business efficiency. Our goal is to make another acquisition in 2023 and at least one per year until 2025," explains Thiago.

Cadastra's presence at the E-commerce Forum 2023 is a reaffirmation of the commitment to set the digital transformation agenda and to help clients achieve exceptional results. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences, learning from industry leaders, and contributing to the continuous growth of e-commerce.

The E-commerce Forum 2023 will be a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships, create synergies, and drive innovation. We are honored to be part of this event and look forward to exploring the unlimited possibilities it offers.

Originally published on the E-Commerce Brazil website.