Brazil-based Peres is charting a new path in the sphere of creative education. The company has been intertwining experiential and multidisciplinary learning in its curriculum, offering a novel alternative to traditional models. Now, the school is preparing for a significant stride in its journey – internationalization.
Since its inception in the southern city of Porto Alegre in 2008, the platform has trained over 200,000 students through live and online immersions, corporate academies, workshops, and lectures. The firm’s method fuses a unique methodology that translates complex concepts in areas ranging from leadership to creativity into accessible content. The learning experience is designed to be light, in-depth, and entertaining at the same time.
“In essence, we aim to be as navigators in the educational universe, striving to transform traditional learning perspectives by integrating depth with a sense of ease and fun,” says one of the company’s partners, Jean Philippe Rosier, adding that his core objective is to make the process of education less intimidating and more enjoyable for learners.
The roots of Peres, which in Brazil is known as Perestroika, can be traced back to its partners’ advertising background, which influences how they present and deliver their content. “As advertising professionals, there has always been an innate inclination to package every aspect of our work creatively and appealingly to sell products. We have applied this logic to the realm of education with an unorthodox twist”, Rosier says.
Before the pandemic, Perestroika opened physical branches in various capital cities in Brazil. With the onset of the health crisis, the methodology was rewritten for an online environment, making courses more accessible and significantly boosting student numbers. The firm’s B2B arm, Sputnik, of which Rosier is a co-founder, continued to grow concurrently, driven by individuals who wanted to bring their individual learning experiences into the corporate environment.
As part of its internationalization strategy, Peres is analyzing significant players in the educational field, both in Brazil and globally. According to Rosier, the research will help the company identify opportunities and decide where to concentrate its initial efforts.
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In geographic terms, the process will likely focus on English-speaking markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, followed by markets in Latin America. In addition, the plan is to connect with the global brands already part of the B2B portfolio, such as Oracle, Google, and Meta, and understand their pain points regarding workforce skills evolution.
Cultural considerations
From a consumer perspective, local versions of courses that have proven successful in Brazil will be introduced to the international clientele. However, there will be linguistic adjustments to be made. An initial offering is Chora PPT, which in Brazilian Portuguese means “Cry, PPT” and trains students to create engaging presentations. The course has been recorded in English under the name Bite Me. “It’s our MVP [for the international market]. The course is ready, the content works, and we know it is good,” says Rosier.
A primary consideration in the expansion plan is the cultural differences between Brazil and other markets. Having moved to Portugal seven years ago, Rosier observed Europeans are not used to paying for education in the formats Peres offers, and this realization has influenced the firm’s strategy. “We are starting to see a change in attitude in that regard,” the entrepreneur argues.
While planning for international expansion, the school for creatives is also innovating its course formats, embracing the changes brought by the pandemic. The goal is to recreate in-person experiences in a new, meaningful way. Rosier explains, “I don’t want to go back to doing [in-person] courses the way we used to do. Not because I think they were bad, but I think the world has changed, and we need a different format to address new needs,” he points out.
For an immersive in-person experience, Peres is considering integrating rituals into its courses. “Rituals help in long-term memory retention as well as creating mental schedules of what has happened, thereby assisting in learning,” Rosier says. According to the entrepreneur, the platform will also aim to offer immersive experiences in environments beyond the classroom, where learners can disconnect and focus entirely on the educational content and also have post-course follow-ups.
Looking forward, Peres envisages substantial change and growth in the coming year, with more insights and learnings from its internationalization process. As the firm turns the page and steps into the global educational landscape, Rosier expects the company will have changed significantly in a year. “We will be a transformed organization, with our international framework and structure already defined and going beyond our national bubble,” he concludes.