Interview with João Doria: Publishing Industry in Brazil

Interview with João Doria, President of Grupo DORIA

 Can you describe, in general terms, your area of activity?

Our area is communication. We have a publishing group which publishes magazines, acting also in internet sites in social networks, and we also produce content events revolving around themes like: economy, sustainability, culture and business activities.

What’s the level of competition for this particular sector?

The publishing field is highly competitive, with extensive publishing of titles, magazines, newspapers, television broadcasts, and also internet sites in digital and alternative Medias.

Brazil has a very competitive and rich Media. The market grew, evolved and segmented a lot. The events area is a very competitive market. In my point of view that’s very positive, because a healthy and strong competition improves and perfects the quality of what you do.

Which sector is more promising as far as foreign investment is concerned?

There are various sectors but ours, the publishing area, has some limitations imposed through legislation. It’s deeply regrettable because there shouldn’t be any legislation preventing foreign capital to access content production. It would be sufficient to have a regulatory agency to avoid any abuse or distortions, and not a legislation that prevents the eventual ownership of newspapers, radio stations and television channels. Even so, there are some business opportunities, mainly in the publishing area: magazines and newspapers publishing.

In the events sector, a country that grows economically like Brazil, needs to produce content to improve the quality of those who manage and lead business in this country in several areas.

Brazil will invest greatly in terms of education, technical information, professional information, events, workshops, seminars, which are a positive way to enhance knowledge. It’s a very good opportunity for foreign investment which is already being done.

Which are the biggest challenges Doria will have to face in the future?

The main challenge is to perfect quality, to continue producing quality events, publications and contents and also to expand internationally. We are already present beyond borders: in Argentina, Chile, Italy, Portugal and Angola, and we are heading for more internationalizations in Europe, Latin-America and Asia. The challenge here is to keep growing with higher quality.

We are producing content in countries like Portugal, where we’re attempting to gather the business community around economic plans to make a joint effort to overcome the Portuguese crisis. We’re also trying to attract Portuguese investment to Brazil. In the last years there has been Portuguese investment worth billions in Brazil in the telecommunications area, communication, newspapers, etc.

Angola is growing fast and we’re already present with the same goal: content and events production, magazines aiming at the business area. Despite being very recent, our establishment in Angola has had very good results.

In the future, what are your expectations regarding your company and your sector of activity?

My biggest dream is that the entire Brazilian population have access to education and quality schools. We can only be a real and full dimension nation when there’s education for all and when no child drops out of school. We are I the right path but there is still a lot to be done.

Secondly, after achieving education, we must improve qualification. A qualified education prepares people to face their business and personal challenges in a better way. A better education means better healthcare, better and longer living and people will be able to produce healthier new generations.

In what my company is concerned, my dream is to keep growing, to create employment, to continue being a benchmark in Brazil and also in some foreign countries, producing quality and helping my country to grow with a positive agenda, an agenda that is not political or ideological: an agenda for Brazil.