White Square International Festival of Creativity, globally recognized in the professional community, continues its call for entries. Every year more than a thousand cases from more than 35 countries are evaluated at the highest level by international panelists. To inspire representatives of creative industries around the world to submit their best entries for White Square Festival 2025, we are glad to present a series of interviews with members of the White Square Festival jury. Today, Ciro Ribeiro Rocha, founder and CEO of Enredo Brand Innovation, an award-winning consulting firm in Brazil, answered the interview questions. Brand strategist, entrepreneur and expert with more than a decade of experience in advising medium and large businesses throughout Brazil, including companies such as AB Imbev, Nestlé, Magalu Iconic and Mitsubishi in modernizing their business strategies. Experienced jury member of prestigious international creativity festivals.

When did your journey in the creative industry begin? What inspired you to choose this career? Are there any stories or moments in your career that have had the greatest impact on your professional growth?

My journey started early, driven by curiosity and a passion for building things. I was about 15 when I started creating websites, learning programming and a little about design.

Soon I realized it wasn’t just about technology, it was about shaping ideas and connecting people by making things happening. That vision helped me creating my new business at the time: a music festival that lasted 5 years.

From that point on, I realized that creativity is where business meets art and where emotion meets strategy. Fast-forwarding, I went university, worked at some brand research and brand projects in São Paulo. That experience opened my eyes to the limitless possibilities of the creative field.

Working with different things and people from different backgrounds is something that still inspires me everyday. That's something that only the creative industry offers: having the chance to connect to people through stories, ideas, and purpose. That potential to influence culture and move society.

Your projects have been highly appreciated at prestigious international festivals of creativity. Which of your projects do you consider to be the most successful and why?

That's a good question because for every project and challenge the 'success criteria' must be defined. It’s always an honor to see our work recognized on the global stage, but for me, success isn’t measured only by awards. It’s about impact. Specially the business impact.

One project that like a lot is a branding project we developed together with Shinagawa, a centenary B2B Japanese company. They produce industrial refractories, which is basically bricks that can support very high temperatures.

The reason while I consider it very successful is because we not only reframed how the company thought about value proposition but also reshaped how the whole industry worldwide think about their role for moving the world forward. It had cultural, sales and image impact.

Working on that was a transformative experience that reinforced me the importance of cultural empathy, collaboration, and pushing boundaries guided by the 'What if...' question. It became global starting from Brazil.

In your opinion, how do the participation and winning of creativity festivals influence agencies and representatives of the creative industry? What additional aspects, such as reputation enhancement, professional networking and inspiration for new ideas, can be crucial in this process?

I must say that participating in creative festivals can change your life forever.

They're much more than celebrations, they're platforms for growth, meeting new people and expanding your vision in so many different ways.

Events like White Square pushes agencies and creatives to elevate the bar, while winning enhances not just reputation but also credibility on a global scale. The benefits go far beyond the trophies: its a strategic move that serves as proof of excellence both to current and potencial clients, while it also help you attract talented people to work together with.

Festivals are also about inspiration and learning. Being exposed to great work or having your work evaluated by some of the brightest minds from across the world is something very special those conversations often open doors to unexpected collaborations.

You have a high professional expertise in the field of creativity and experience of being a jury member of many international festivals, and this year you will be evaluating the entries of White Square Festival. What evaluation criteria are the most important for you? What new ideas would you like to see in the entries of White Square Festival?

I always look work through a business background. This means searching for purpose, originality, and emotional connection. Those ingredients mixed together are powerful. Creativity needs to matter and if it’s just a clever idea without depth or impact, it won’t stand out. Execution is also critical: a great idea deserves flawless craft.

I'm looking forward to see entries that dare to provoke and inspire, taking under consideration the cultural context. I would like to see brands taking more risks by trying to think and act differently.

How do you approach the creation of new ideas and projects? Do you have any certain methodologies, techniques, or lifehacks that you use while working with your team? Can you highlight the key factors that help you create effective projects and build long-term relationships with the brands' target audience?

There's something I've realized after all those years and I encourage my team to reflect on this day by day: the briefing is hardly ever the real problem. We must start every project searching what's the real situation to be solved.

At Enredo we have a ritual at the beginning of every project - we sign a thing we call "The ignorance term" where we assume that we know nothing about the market, behavior or the company.  This helps us being mover by curiosity, looking for the right questions to be asked. Why those are the numbers? What's behind them? What researches don't show? What we're missing?

I believe this ritual leads us to 3 things that i consider key factors on success:

1. Diversity: different views working with different points of view.

2. Collaboration: while knowing nothing we don't look after being right but challenging  assumptions and push ideas further.

3. Authenticity: What's the purpose of this? And about the company? What’s the story? Creativity without purpose is just decoration. We need to solve problems that matter. Solving them in a way only that specific brand would do. This helps building emotional relevance and connecting with people on a deep, human level.

What new trends and tendencies do you think will be actively seen in the field of marketing and communications in 2025? In your opinion, what innovative approaches and strategies will be able to attract consumers' attention and create a sustainable connection with brands? Are there any examples of companies in your country that are already implementing such tools and can be a reference point for others?

Last year I came through a report that suggested something really interesting: "47% of CEOs worldwide believe their business will not exist in the next 10 years - if things keep evolving like that and they keep managing as they're now.

By that I think 2025 will be shaped by acts purpose-driven, hyper-personalization, and authentic experiences. Consumers expect brands to stand-out for something and live those beliefs in every move.

AI will push personalization to new levels, but with that comes the need for privacy and trust. I also see a rise in multi-sensory experiences that engage people across platforms.

In Brazil we have great examples such as Magalu, a client who's leading in digital transformation and inclusivity. Their digital ecosystem, which includes AI-based recommendations and a focus on minority-owned suppliers, has become a benchmark for others. Their ability to combine e-commerce, Cloud and innovation with social responsibility is a model to watch.

This is a reminder that brands standing out are those that understand that the future isn’t just digital; it’s human.

What are your hobbies and passions that fill your life with inspiration? Do you have any special books, movies, music or travels that form your creativity and influence your approach to work? How do you integrate these hobbies and inspiration into your daily practice to create something unique and memorable?

Inspiration comes from curiosity. I frequently remind myself to see the world through the eyes of a child. That means asking more questions than worried to be right, trying to understand how things and world works, being truly interested about people and places.

Living like this helps me be inspired by the everyday life, being aware about the energy of places, history, books, paintings, music, poems...

One of my passions is music—I have a rock band where I pour some of my creative energy, composing a lot. Music has taught me about timing, empathy, emotion, and collaboration, all of which are essential in creative projects. It's about finding the right rhythm, whether in a song or a brand strategy.

Every life experiences - mine or others- may be powerful to shape your ideas. Your unique way of seeing the world is probably the hidden factor that what keeps every project someone do unique and authentic.

What would you like to wish to your colleagues, participants of White Square Festival 2025?

I wish you courage and bold acting.

This will bring your impact much beyond trophies. While awards are great milestones, real success lies in the lasting connections we build with audiences, cultures, and causes.

I wish you all the opportunity to create work that leaves a legacy, that resonates deeply and makes people feel seen, heard, and inspired.

Let’s make this year’s festival a celebration of courage, creativity, and cultural connection without any boarders. Keep walking forward changing the world for better.

What’s the one advice that changed the way you approach creativity forever?

Early in my career a friend told me: "If you never try you will never know'. Like the Coldplay song.

That advice stuck with me, reminding me that creativity isn't about playing it safe. It’s about pushing yourself to places that feel uncomfortable by trying new things because that's where innovation lives.

When I founded Enredo I remember writing in a post-it "the world doesn’t need another brand consultancy'. That's something that's still with me, challenging decisions I take and where to place my energy. Whether I’m leading a project, working with a brand, or judging at festivals like White Square, I’m always asking: Is this work daring enough?

The best ideas and bold moves will give you butterflies in the stomach because they carry risk and possibility. When you have the courage to bring them to life, that’s when magic happens.

The Jury of White Square Festival Jury is being actively formed and will be announced in March, but their participation has already been confirmed by the brightest people with invaluable experience in judging prestigious international creativity festivals and numerous awards around the world, representatives from more than 35 countries.

To submit your entries, go to the White Square Festival's official website and choose from 247 nominations covering the entire spectrum of the communications industry. Discounted entry fees are available until March 3, 2025. The final deadline for entries is April 28, 2025.