As a global leader in SEO, content marketing, and data analytics, Anastasia Braitsik has spent her career deciphering the complex signals consumers send across digital and physical landscapes. With her finger on the pulse of evolving market trends, she specializes in transforming raw data into high-impact growth strategies that prioritize the human experience. In this discussion, she explores the radical transformation of the traditional retail model, the shift from mere brand visibility to deep-seated relevance, and how data intelligence is turning mundane stops into personalized journeys.
The conversation covers the strategic evolution of fuel distribution into a holistic service ecosystem, the psychological drivers behind consumer trust, and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in orchestrating large-scale personalization. Braitsik also delves into the changing habits of the modern motorist, the rise of food services within the convenience sector, and the long-term outlook for the energy transition in a complex global market.
Many companies focus heavily on brand recognition through advertising, yet you often argue that being well-known is no longer enough to win. How do you distinguish between a brand that people simply recognize and one that is truly relevant in their daily lives?
Staying relevant is a fundamentally different challenge than staying well-known because it requires moving beyond the surface-level noise of traditional advertising. Being known is often just a byproduct of investment and aggressive visibility, but being relevant means you have secured a permanent, meaningful place in the consumer’s life. To achieve this, a brand must commit to “active listening,” which involves a constant feedback loop that monitors how mobility and personal interactions are shifting in real-time. We are living in an era where consumers are bombarded by information from every direction, so the moment a brand stops listening, it starts losing its grip. What worked to build a brand’s reputation in the past is rarely the same engine that will drive it forward, especially when consumer expectations for consistency and consistency are higher than ever.
The traditional image of a gas station is a quick, functional stop for fuel, but you’ve observed a shift toward these locations becoming complex service ecosystems. What does the modern customer actually expect when they pull into a station today?
The modern customer is no longer looking for a simple four-minute refueling transaction; they are looking for a comprehensive solution to their time-starved lifestyle. In the past, you fulfilled a basic need and left immediately, but today’s motorists want to resolve multiple tasks in a single stop, ranging from grabbing a high-quality meal to finding a pristine, clean bathroom. They view the station as a convenience hub where they can stop with their children, enjoy a moment of comfort, and receive benefits that respect their time and budget. This shift from a “fuel station” to a “service station” has forced the entire industry to digitize the relationship with the end consumer. We have to treat the gas station as an ecosystem that offers an oasis in the middle of urban daily chaos, providing agility for those in a rush and comfort for those who need a breather.
You’ve mentioned that the customer journey now extends far beyond the physical time spent at the pump. How are you using digital touchpoints to engage with people before and after they arrive at a location?
We have moved away from the idea that our interaction with a customer is limited to the few minutes they spend holding a fuel nozzle. The journey is now a continuous cycle that starts before they even make the decision to pull over and continues long after they’ve driven away. By using data intelligence, we can reach out to a consumer with a notification about a specific promotion or tell them that their favorite coffee has just been brewed. It’s about being assertive; I want to tell a driver about an oil change promotion on a Friday morning or remind them of a snack they love right when they are likely to be hungry. This “before, during, and after” strategy ensures that we are part of their planning process, making the brand a proactive partner rather than a reactive service.
With a massive network of 7,500 Petrobras-branded stations, you are serving incredibly diverse audiences, from urban professionals to long-haul truckers. How do you tailor a single point of sale to meet such vastly different needs?
Managing such a vast and diverse network requires a deep dive into data intelligence to understand the specific “micro-region” of every single location. You cannot offer the same experience to a professional driver in a dense urban center that you offer to a trucker on a major highway. We use data to determine the specific path for each profile, ensuring that the store format—whether it’s a small, medium, or a broad “experience store”—matches the local demand. In some locations, we might even implement self-service models where parking is limited, focusing entirely on speed and efficiency. The goal is to ensure that every consumer finds exactly what they want, when they want it, based on the reality of their specific geography and lifestyle.
Convenience used to be defined by proximity, but you’ve redefined it in terms of “time.” How does this shift change the way you design physical spaces and service offers?
Today, the most valuable currency for any consumer is time, whether they are navigating the traffic of Rio or the streets of São Paulo. Convenience has evolved from being an “afterthought” of the station to being the primary reason “at” the station, and that distinction is vital for our marketing strategy. For someone rushing home in traffic, we need to be assertive by offering a stop where they can pick up everything they need for their family or themselves in one go. We are designing these spaces to be an oasis, providing a sense of comfort that contrasts with the daily chaos of urban life. If we can provide both the agility for the hurried driver and the relaxation for the weary traveler, we have successfully mastered the modern definition of convenience.
It’s fascinating to see food becoming a dominant category in what used to be a fuel-first business. Can you walk us through the numbers and the impact this has on your daily marketing operations?
The role of the convenience store has undergone a massive transformation; years ago, it was primarily a place for cigarettes and beverages, but now food is the engine of growth. Currently, food represents more than 20% of convenience store categories, and we see this share growing month after month as consumer habits shift. This change is reflected in the average ticket price, which has jumped from around R$12 or R$13 to exceeding R$20 in many cases. From a marketing perspective, this means my day is split between high-level supply chain discussions and granular meetings about the menu. We are constantly evaluating how to make food more relevant because it is no longer a side item; it is a primary reason people choose to visit us.
Brazil is a country of continental proportions with very distinct regional cultures. How do you balance a consistent national brand identity with the need to cater to local tastes?
The secret to maintaining a giant, consistent brand while respecting regionality lies in the combination of nationwide scale and local proximity. We use data intelligence to understand that a consumer in the Northeast might be looking for a sun-dried meat coxinha, while someone in Rio Grande do Sul is craving a “cuca” coffee cake. You can’t ignore these cultural nuances if you want to win brand preference at the local level. It’s about making sure the experience feels authentic to the person standing in that specific station, regardless of how far they are from our headquarters. By transforming that local proximity into a tailored product offering, we strengthen the overall preference for the brand across the entire country.
Price is always a factor in fuel, but you’ve noted that it isn’t the only driver for consumers. What does your research tell you about the hierarchy of needs for the average driver?
While everyone wants a fair price, our research shows that location and trust are often even more critical in the decision-making process. First and foremost, a consumer wants a station that is on their existing route because they refuse to drive an extra kilometer or deal with difficult maneuvers. Secondly, there is a deep emotional need for trust; people want to know that the fuel they buy won’t cause mechanical problems for their vehicle. Finally, they look for a fair price—not necessarily the cheapest, but one that feels honest and justified. If a station offers a price that is R$0.50 to R$0.60 lower than the market average, it often triggers a red flag for the consumer because that level of difference is unrealistic and suggests poor quality or tax evasion.
The fuel industry often struggles with unfair competition and product adulteration. How do you communicate quality and build trust when the market is sometimes “polluted” by these bad actors?
It is true that the sector has faced intense challenges with tax evaders and product adulterators, and these stories often dominate the headlines. However, we have found that when these “evil” agents are taken out of circulation, the entire market benefits because consumer trust becomes much sharper. We lean heavily into the themes of quality and reliability in our marketing because we can see in our survey numbers how much trust influences the public’s choice. By consistently delivering a high-quality product and service, we distance ourselves from the unrealistic pricing of bad actors and reinforce why a known, trusted brand is worth the investment. When the field is leveled, our superior product and service ecosystem allow us to shine.
There is a lot of talk about consumer loyalty being dead in a world full of endless choices. If loyalty is a thing of the past, what is the new metric for success in your eyes?
Loyalty is a difficult concept today because the market is simply too crowded; where there used to be two brands of juice or three types of cereal bars, there are now dozens. Instead of focusing on loyalty, I prefer to speak about “brand preference,” which acknowledges that while a customer might choose someone else occasionally, you want to be their first choice most of the time. To become the favorite, you have to remain relevant through that “active listening” we discussed and respond with assertive, personalized actions. It’s a self-sustaining cycle where good products, regional menus, and smart personalizations keep you at the top of the consumer’s mind. Relevance is the only way to survive in a market where the consumer is no longer locked into a single option.
Artificial Intelligence is a major buzzword, but you have a very specific take on how it prevents “annoying” marketing. How does AI help you avoid the “red jacket” mistake?
AI is our greatest partner in moving from broad scale to precise personalization without losing efficiency. I always use the example of a clothing store sending me an email about a red jacket when I only ever buy shoes—that is annoying, irrelevant, and it actively damages the brand’s reputation. I don’t want to offer an oil change to a customer who never services their car at our stations, nor do I want to push a snack on someone who only ever stops for coffee. AI allows us to organize massive volumes of data—from brand tracking to app transactions—much faster than any manual process could. This speed lets us make the right decision at the right time, delivering a better experience while freeing up our people to focus on building human trust and connections.
What is your forecast for the energy transition and the future of marketing in a world moving away from liquid fuels?
The energy transition is certainly coming, but in a country like Brazil, the liquid fuel business will remain incredibly resilient until at least 2040. We are seeing a significant rise in biofuels, with corn ethanol and biodiesel gaining massive traction in regions like the Northeast and across our highway networks. Even as urban centers like Rio and São Paulo begin to shift, 50% of our sales are currently diesel, mostly on highways where the transition curve is much slower. From a leadership perspective, I see the marketing role becoming even more central to these strategic decisions. Marketing is no longer just about communication; it is a strategic growth area that keeps the customer at the center of the business, ensuring that as the energy landscape changes, we are still providing exactly what the consumer needs to move forward.
