Revista da ESPM - JUL-AGO-2011

julho / agosto de 2011 – R E V I S T A D A E S P M 137 Communication, consumption, and the new Brazilian middle class in the digital universe GISELA G. S. CASTRO PAGE 74 The remarkable social mobility observed in Brazil in the last decade and a half offers us an opportunity to know in detail the main characteristics, anxieties, and motivations of our new middle classes. Marked by an enormous diversity, this segment today represents one half of the Brazilian popu- lation. In the digital context, internet users belonging to lower income groups already represent 50% of the social nets movement. The proposed reflections emphasize the tight bond between media cultures and consumption. The article also discusses the myth of the digital generation, and its sup- posed familiarity with the new technologies, making evident the need for educational projects appropriate to a qualified cultural formation. The emergence of almost four million homes for the Brazilian C Class MARCELO ZOROVICH AND MANOEL GUEDES NETO PAGE 80 From the economic and social dynamic of Brazil, springs the emergence of almost 4 million new homes that migrated to the Brazilian C Class, which contribute to the growth of consumption in the last few years. According to data and analyses of the Kantar Worldpanel of 8200 homes, between 2005 and 2011 the new C Class evolved to represent 41% of importance, and now appears as the most significant portion of the Brazilian pyramid. Such a fact indicates a new profile in the society, whose buying power increased significantly, but still counterpoises with a clean pocket, often full of debts, and which limits new aspirations. Impelled by access to credit, increases in the average monthly earnings, plus other indi- cators, this new middle class reflects distinct realities in the country. A new middle class… Is it new? IONE ALMEIDA PAGE 100 Part of the Brazilian population, actually more than half, or exactly 53%, became members of the C Class, today considered to be the new Brazilian Middle Class. The question is: why new? The consumers are not the same. What has changed? What really changed is the buying power of those classes. And, thus, the possibility of accessing the most diverse list of consumer goods, in all categories: food, heath, edu- cation, leisure, and culture, among other. What is new is the access to those goods and services; the enjoyment of that experience of having, and doing. And these experiences and opportunities brought about a change in behavior, and in the way of being and thinking for those people. They feel more confident, and are thus more demanding about their choices and preferences – and this must be taken seriously into account by marketing managers in the development of their strategies. C Class: social ascent: beyond access, below inclusion MARCIA PERECIN TONDATO PAGE 110 The article lists considerations about communication and consumption, from the viewpoint of citizenship, in a context of gro- wth of the C Class, in the complex society characterized by the need of insertion of the individual in domains that go beyond traditional daily activities, so that it becomes possible to speak of a minimum of social and political participation opportunities. Consumption is this study is thought as something intrinsic to human nature, whe- rever there are material goods which social relations transform into cultural goods. What matters is this consumption in the contemporary scenario, which goes through a mediated communication in which the symbolic is not restricted to traditional, even sacred, rites and rituals, but is brought into action at any time. The economics of entertain- ment for the newmiddle class JOÃO LUIZ DE FIGUEIREDO AND RODRIGO DA SILVA CARVALHO PAGE 116 A lot is being said about the access to credit, and to consumer goods, and even the political power that this segment, generically classified as the C Class, has been conquering in our society. However, many economic sectors have not yet been able to adjust their business models to take into account the new oppor- tunities that have emerged. In this sense, the economics of entertainment also seem to be looking for the best way to generate, deliver, and capture value in their markets – the most visible example is the phonographic industry. In this article, we have concentrated our look on the audiovisual chain, specifically on the cinematographic exhibition stage of the chain, the traditional movie theaters. We aimed at understanding, through a simple exercise of spatial analysis of the location of individual and grouped movie theaters in the city of Rio de Janeiro, if their business models are focused on the servicing of this newmiddle class. Finally, we briefly present the proposal of the Ponto Cine of Guadalupe, located in the extre- me point of the Rio de Janeiro Northern Zone, as a visible case of an innovative business model, that positions itself as an audiovisual entertainment alternative for the emerging middle class. The impacts of globalization on the consumption of special coffee by the Brazilian middle class REYNALDO DANNECKER CUNHA PAGE 124 The current article has the objective of deve- loping a reflection on the external variables which drive the increase in coffee consumption by the traditional Brazilian middle class. In spite of historically being the largest coffee producer in the world, the internal consump- tion of coffee in Brazil has not always followed that reality. The scenario reveals itself even more critical in relation to special coffee. In view of this, the article approaches the impact of globalization by means of factors such as convergence of the global consumer, economic and socio-cultural factors, in order to de- monstrate their effects on the consumption of special coffees by middle class Brazilians. ES PM