Retail leads digital popularity ranking in Brazil
Nathália Porto: “The brands leading their sectors are those that have managed to emulate, in their messaging and corporate communications, a language that is more native to social media”
Fernando Costa/Divulgação
Retail and e-commerce brands are the most popular on social media, video platforms and search engines among the 17 sectors analyzed by research firm Quaest. The study, obtained exclusively by Valor, indicates that strong digital performance is linked to companies’ ability to turn typically more formal corporate communications into content that better matches the language of digital platforms.
The study analyzed 185 brands between January and December 2025. The ranking was based on the Digital Popularity Index (IPD), Quaest’s proprietary indicator, which combines 175 variables collected from digital platforms, including social media, search engines, and video channels. The index ranges from 0 to 100 and measures five dimensions: visibility, engagement, mobilization, interest, and the balance between positive and negative reactions.
On average, the retail and e-commerce sector ranked first with 62.4 points, followed by the oil, gas and chemicals sector with 60.1 points. Drugstore chains came in third with 56.8 points, virtually tied with construction and real estate, which scored 56.7.
According to Nathália Porto, Quaest’s director of market intelligence, the study points to a shift in how established brands compete for attention in the digital environment. “The brands leading their sectors are those that have managed to emulate, in their messaging and corporate communications, a language that is more native to social media,” she said. “Those that insist on an overly corporate tone tend to lose ground.”
According to Porto, that approach includes the use of memes, pop culture references, behind-the-scenes content and educational material, but goes beyond simply adopting “lighter” formats. The key is the ability to turn a digital presence into an ongoing relationship with audiences. “It’s not enough to track how many followers a brand has. What matters is how that brand maintains relationships with those audiences,” she said.
The oil, gas and chemicals sector’s strong ranking is largely explained by Petrobras, which leads its segment with 79.8 points. The study found that the company gained traction by sharing content on social media about its operations, employees’ daily routines, sustainability initiatives and national pride, particularly through formats tailored to TikTok.
“It is a sector that has consistently succeeded in its engagement and mobilization strategies,” Porto said. She noted that standardized strategies tend to be less effective. Companies that adapt content for platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn are better able to respond to user behavior on each platform.
The survey also indicates that sectors more closely tied to recurring services or customer support face an additional challenge. In industries such as banking, investments and essential services, social media often becomes a customer service channel for complaints, affecting the balance between positive and negative reactions. “Very often, social media ends up becoming a customer service desk,” Porto said. “As a result, positive sentiment becomes diluted.”
At the brand level, the study highlights different approaches to building digital relevance. In the financial sector, Nubank leads with content tailored to the profile of each platform. Itaú ranks second, using a financial education strategy associated with cultural figures and influencers.
In retail and e-commerce, Shopee leads through humor, recurring characters and the generation of positive mentions. Mercado Livre, while leading in consumer interest, posts lower engagement than Shopee and Magazine Luiza.
Other sector leaders include O Boticário in personal care and beauty; McDonald’s in food and beverages; MRV in construction and real estate; Embraer in transportation; Vivo (Telefônica’s brand) in essential services; BYD in vehicles and auto parts; Gerdau in steel, mining and metallurgy; and Motorola in technology.
Digital popularity has become part of corporate reputation management and should no longer be viewed solely as an audience metric.
“Today we no longer distinguish between online and offline,” Porto said. “Understanding this environment as a competition for people’s minds, hearts and attention is a fundamental competitive advantage for brands.”
A strong digital presence, Porto said, can influence consumer preference, purchasing decisions, recommendations and brand reputation. In practice, brands that speak their audience’s language and make their commitments, employees and values more visible tend to build a more favorable perception among consumers.
The study, conducted for the first time, is expected to become a regular publication. It was developed by Quaest’s market intelligence division, created in March 2025 to expand the firm’s work with corporate clients.
