Startup Story

Eliana Silva is the founder of Marcas Por Escrever in Mozambique, an online publication focused on Lusophone communication, marketing, entrepreneurship and social responsibility. She is a communication specialist with a career spanning more than a decade working in journalism, public relations, and advertising. Her professional experience is currently focused on advertising, brand activation and strategic communication. Eliana began her career in the Portuguese media industry, at Revista Máxima in 2009, and then migrated to the world of public relations. Over the years, Silva has always been interested in storytelling and has developed her media tools by working with video, writing and photography. In Mozambique since 2014, Eliana completed a degree in Journalism in Lisbon, and after a postgraduate degree in the same city in Digital Marketing, she attended courses in London and São Paulo.

In Mozambique, Eliana worked for a few years with Vodacom, Toyota, DIAGEO, Sasol or Novabase developing communication plans and implementing public relations actions related, essentially, with social responsibility and community development. Currently, she is Account Director at Dentsu Mozambique and has worked with brands such as Millennium bim, Air France, Nestlé or Mazda and frequently collaborates with publications such as P3, Xonguila magazine or Índico. In 2020, she released her first book, Bina a Descobridora do Índico, under the umbrella of Porto Editora. In her most recent project, Marcas por Writing, the communicator creates content about Marketing, Communication and Entrepreneurship in Lusofonia. Eliana defines herself as a storyteller. Regardless of format or area, believes that what connects people, brands or products are stories. These stories are based on energy. Most likely, this is why she enjoys cycling or exercising around so much. Eliana is an enthusiast: both as a communicator and as a spinning instructor.

“Marcas Por Escrever aims to be the platform of excellence on the current affairs of these sectors, giving voice to new projects, emerging brands and to Lusophone stories that stand out in the market.”

“We need to be the teller of our own story and if we are looking at our market, exposing the skills of your people and creative audio-visual narratives, we will strengthen our own brands and, therefore, our development.”

Eliana Silva é especialista em comunicação com uma carreira de mais de uma década a trabalhar em jornalismo, relações públicas e publicidade. A sua experiência profissional é focada, nos dias de hoje, em publicidade, activação de marca e comunicação estratégica. A Eliana começou a sua carreira na indústria de media portuguesa, na Revista Máxima em 2009, e depois migrou para o universo das relações públicas. Ao longo dos anos, Silva sempre se interessou por storytelling e tem desenvolvido as suas ferramentas de media ao trabalhar com vídeo, escrita e fotografia. Em Moçambique desde 2014, Eliana concluiu uma licenciatura em Lisboa, em Jornalismo, e depois de uma pós-graduação na mesma cidade em Marketing Digital, frequentou cursos em Londres e em São Paulo.

Em Moçambique, Eliana trabalhou alguns anos com a Vodacom, Toyota, DIAGEO, Sasol ou Novabase desenvolvendo planos de comunicação e implementando acções de relações públicas relacionadas, essencialmente com responsabilidade social e desenvolvimento comunitário. Actualmente, é Directora de Contas da Dentsu Moçambique e tem trabalhado marcas como Millennium bim, Air France, Nestlé ou Mazda e colabora frequentemente com publicações como o P3, revista Xonguila ou Índico. Em 2020, lançou o seu primeiro livro, Bina a Descobridora do Índico, sob a alçada da Porto Editora. No seu mais recente projecto, o Marcas por Escrever, a comunicadora cria conteúdo sobre Marketing, Comunicação e Empreendedorismo da Lusofonia.
Silva define-se como uma contadora de histórias. Independentemente do formato ou da área, acredite que aquilo que conecta as pessoas, as marcas ou os produtos são as histórias. Essas histórias são baseadas em energia. Muito provavelmente, é por isso que ela gosta tanto de passear de bicicleta ou exercitar-se por aí. Eliana Silva é uma entusiasta: tanto enquanto comunicadora como instrutora de spinning.

LoA chatted to Eliana this month to find out more about her passion for storytelling and how she is turning her love of content into a great niche business.

What does your company do?

Marcas Por Escrever, which means ‘Brands to be Written’ in English, is an online publication focused on Lusophone communication, marketing, entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Through self-produced content, Marcas Por Escrever aims to be the platform of excellence on the current affairs of these sectors, giving voice to new projects, emerging brands and to Lusophone stories that stand out in the market. With a young and multicultural team, Marcas Por Escrever develops itself daily based on plurality, irreverence, freedom, exemption and, above all, transparency, always seeking to give space to brands that are writing their story.

What inspired you to start your company?

The need to tell my story. So African stories. It's like Chimamanda said, we need to be the teller of our own story and if we are looking at our market, exposing the skills of your people and creative audio-visual narratives, we will strengthen our own brands and, therefore, our development.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

It's unique. There isn't any digital platform that talks about marketing, communication and local brands from a technical point of view.

Tell us a little about your team

So, I am the founder, the CEO, the creative director, the head of PR and the journalist; my partner is the operations director, the driver, the psychologist of the team and the courier. So, we are two halves that complement each other every minute. Shazia Joda, my partner, had the joy to find a junior journalist that works weekly with us.

“My goal is to promote events and talk about communication and development content in each Portuguese speaking country.”

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

When I was in the fifth grade I had an English teacher who taught me something on the first day of class that I took for life: each of us kids left Primary School and at about 10 years old, it was worth the maximum grade right away. From the outset and throughout the academic year, our performance would dictate our real value. Many years passed and with the blessing of maturity, I began to understand better what Professor Laurinda wanted to say. The truth is that we are used to the process being the other way around; at the outset, nobody is worth anything and as time goes by, we begin to perceive or assess the weight that someone or that thing has for each of us.

I don't know if it was because of Professor Laurinda, but the truth is that I have this vision with new brands that I find on the market. When I look at a regular shelf and find different packaging or notice a well-organized feed with relevant content, I'm aware. And even before trying it, that brand already has the highest score. It could be romanticism, it could be innocence. But from the outset, all projects, brands or initiatives have my due attention as a consumer and as I try them out, I fit their performance into my consumption scale. Because, regardless of the sector, it takes a lot of courage to put a brand on the market (whatever it is, there are always challenges - sometimes a lot of competition, sometimes niche consumption, sometimes logistics, sometimes scarcity of raw materials). As a general rule, this last step is already the result of exhaustive business plan work, market research, etc. and this whole process should be valued.
In addition to valuing this whole structure behind the creation of a brand, I am a curious communicator. I like to try new products, get to know new projects, and hear different views from mine, even if in the end I realize that what is being presented to me has no relationship or engagement with those that are my values, my consumption habits or reflect my purchasing power.

It is in this humble context that I present to you my business: Marcas Por Escrever. A space that will talk about all brands, in Portuguese, that have a story to tell, even if at the end of each experience, they understand that the product, project or initiative is not for you. Don't forget, we all deserve top marks from the start.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

My references are Fast Company and my goal is to promote events and talk about communication and development content in each Portuguese speaking country. Also, in terms of format, I want to create videos and a podcasts dedicated just to entrepreneurs. We already have the weekly podcast of Marcas por Escrever. Here https://open.spotify.com/show/0GMciiUjWhWvb2FAy9KV6q

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

The path that I'm building. All the possibilities that I had when I started this business. That number of possibilities will never end and that's amazing because there will always be ways to growth. It's a cliché but that's true. I really want to create something big and creating content is my superpower.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Ask for help. It's not a shame and you don't have to do it by yourself. It's important that your business reflects who you are, but you are not alone and every business needs partners, media, investors, consultants, and a world of people that can make your business a better brand.

Contact or follow Marcas Por Escrever

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL elianasilva@marcasporescrever.com

Why LoA loves it….

At Lionesses of Africa, we are passionate believers in the power of great content to reach people and to genuinely engage them, so we love the ethos behind Marcas Por Escrever. Great content requires people who love the power of the written word to get messages across to audiences, who can tell stories that emotionally connect with people, and Eliana Silva is one such person. Her vision for the business is clear and driven by a desire to empower people and brands to tell their own stories to reach key markets and consumers. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa