Influencers Reap $1 Billion Fortune With Brazil Pharma Business

Pharma CEO Joao Adibe Marques didn’t appear on billboards or commercials to convince Brazilians to buy his products. He instead went on a soap opera.

On a recent episode of “Fuzuê,” he played the role of a salesman at Cimed — his real company — and boasted about the benefits of vitamins to two other characters. He wore his company’s bright yellow polo shirt, a staple of his wardrobe and a constant presence on his social media feed.

Leia esta história em português.

It’s just one of several marketing tactics that the larger-than-life influencer has deployed to expand Cimed’s reach across Brazil’s 26 states, attending ...