Interview with Natalia Almeida | Leading Impactful Social & Brand Building

For the past 7 years, I have served as the Creative Director at Giusti Creative PR, where I have worked for 14 years. I hold a degree in journalism. During my time with the agency, I have honed my expertise in branding and advertising creation, leading impactful projects for brands across diverse sectors.

Three years ago, Giusti was integrated into FSB Holding —the largest reputation management ecosystem in Latin America, which has given us incredible momentum to design and execute high-profile projects. This transformation is so exciting, as my core objective as a creative is to develop social impact and brand-building projects that inspire meaningful discussions.

The public relations field has become one of the most compelling, in my view. As our core work revolves around image and reputation management—and today this means having coherence between speech and action—the big challenge lies in consistently delivering projects that generate a positive impact for brands as well as society.

We have the privilege of working closely with C-level executives and being involved in discussions with the press and social networks, enabling us to extract valuable insights. We need to generate spontaneous media and getting people to post and talk about something organically and in a gentle manner is a colossal task. But when we succeed, the sense of fulfillment is immense.

As the Creative Director of an agency that carries Creative PR in its name, my primary mission is to uphold and strengthen this culture and perception. This involves motivating and guiding the team toward the right direction, encouraging account services to propose impactful actions and campaigns that resonate with clients as well as the media/influencers, and overseeing the entire execution process to ensure top-quality outcomes. This role demands not just creative and innovative thinking, but also a highly strategic perspective.

Giusti Creative PR is a public relations agency with over two decades of experience. Our daily challenge is to take the next step when it comes to our clients' reputations, whether by protecting or strengthening them. We take pride in consistently doing this with exceptional creativity, even when managing crises.

For a long time, our motto was to create ideas that generate news. I believe we have evolved beyond this slogan because our work is not just about seizing fleeting opportunities. Our outcomes are rooted in a strategic and long-term vision. Our greatest value proposition lies in building and sustaining our image and reputation over time, always with a creative and compelling approach.

For a project to succeed nowadays, it must genuinely capture people's attention. In this existing attention economy, with people being bombarded by stimuli and messages from all sides, individuals can choose how and where they consume information. Having tons of money to purchase media is no longer enough. What really matters is to grab attention and, if you're quite successful, foster an authentic connection with the audience.

I have always sought to create a sense of positive oddity. Delivering on the initial briefing is not enough; my ultimate test is asking: would a diverse group of people stop and take notice of this? Would it have any use in their lives? Could it become a newspaper headline or digital content that people would share? The key to everything lies in relevant simplicity.

I am inspired by a thesis from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic, which establishes that ideas are ever-present in the air and will gravitate toward us if we keep an open channel and a receptive mindset. This concept relates to synchronicity. To invite this magic, we need to immerse ourselves in the subject, research it, and explore it with a non-obvious approach.

When ideas arrive, we need to catch them and nurture them carefully, lest they drift away to more receptive minds. At this stage, a more technical process is required—a trained eye to understand how to shape and execute the idea effectively. Additionally, I always surround myself with people who think differently and bring complementary skills, as the truth is not solely within us but shared among us.

First, I have to say that this is the most beautiful trophy I have ever received (haha). Congratulations on the design! Being recognized by a prestigious international award is deeply rewarding. The entire team feels honored and delighted. We want to win many more awards in the future.

Awards like this provide us with both scale and global visibility. Our creative team consistently looks to award-winning cases for inspiration. It’s an incredible way to curate exceptional ideas. When we learn and draw inspiration from the winners, it affirms the true significance of the award. This is what the NYX Awards are all about.

The biggest challenge was bringing together two fierce soccer rivals to step onto the field with an ice ball, which symbolized the planet melting due to global warming. Getting the media and influencers onboard to amplify this discussion—and that's exactly what we accomplished. The team that made it happen is incredible: the Giusti team, our client Galo (Atlético Mineiro soccer team), and production company Santeria.

Regarding the winning idea, the Ice Ball case, we were witnessing a major natural disaster at the time—a severe flood that submerged entire cities in Rio Grande do Sul state. It was a devastating event, and the issue of global warming felt incredibly timely.

Our client, soccer team Galo, had recently opened a new arena, which is considered the most sustainable in the country. The team has shown great courage and a disruptive approach in major campaigns. And for Brazilians, soccer serves as a powerful cultural platform.

I focus on urgent global causes and on how we can leverage the power of creativity and technology to ignite meaningful discussions and deliver real solutions. Campaigns should serve as a catalyst for change, unlocking a shift in society.

1. The economic power to execute grand projects.

2. The potential to reach a vast audience.

3. The opportunity to inspire positively.

Embrace experiences that differ from your own reality, approaching them with empathy and curiosity. Stay humble and always open to learning, without fearing mistakes. Cultivate your ability to take risks, learn, and course-correct without attachment.

We must learn to coexist with Artificial Intelligence in a sustainable and responsible manner, harnessing the best it has to offer while ensuring transparency and valuing human skills and talents.

My father, a naturally creative person with remarkable artistic talent who had to work hard, along with my mother, to provide for my and my sister’s education, putting his true calling aside. My feeling is that I can honor him by having a more creative life.

Always persevere. It’s important to fight the right battles, while also knowing when to let them go. When facing these challenges, the ego should not drive your decisions. I chose to navigate my own journey by balancing intuition, reason, and principles.

The solutions to the world’s challenges require more generous, collective, and creative perspectives.