Behind the phenomenon Carmed, the lip moisturizers (lip balms) from pharmaceutical companies, there is a thesis simple and bold. “The story is worth more than the product.” The statement comes from Karla Marques Felmanas herself, VP of Cimed and leader of the Carmed ecosystem.
Today, the businesswoman is one of the most influential voices in the new era of digital consumption, accumulating almost 2 million followers on Instagram and 2 million on TikTok.
Despite having existed since 2014, Carmed products went viral in 2023, when the lip balms in partnership with the sweets company Fini. A brand that, according to Karla, was born on TikTok, has more than 100 fan clubs and is expected to earn almost R$800 million in 2025.
“Before thinking about the product, we think about the story. The conversation is bigger than the product. I can have the best product in the world, but if I don’t know how to tell it, I won’t sell it. And this construction of the story involves a lot of the public, the truth of who represents that brand. People end up choosing to get to know us, you know? By creating this trust in the product”, says the VP.
According to Karla, Cimed completely changed its innovation logic after understanding the weight of the narrative on social media. As a result, the company’s planning began a year earlier, first with the narrative, and only then with development.
The businesswoman was this week’s guest at Level Uppodcast presented by Roberto Indech, head of institutional relations for variable income at XP.
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The power of networks
Karla’s exposure on social media began unexpectedly, when she was listed by Forbes as one of the successful women in 2021. Today, the businesswoman already has almost 2 million on Instagram, 2 million on TikTok and almost 1 million on YouTube.
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“When I appeared on Forbes, a friend told me: ‘You’re going to inspire women. Open your network,” she recalls.
The public responded quickly. Today, she has become the main spokesperson for Cimed and Carmed’s branding, showing behind the scenes, culture and factory. Something unusual in the pharmaceutical sector. “People buy products from people. I show the factory, behind the scenes. This generates trust. We understand that a large part of our growth, in revenue, comes from new products that we put on the market and our strong presence in digital.”
Carmed: the brand with more than 100 fan clubs
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One of the most unexpected phenomena in the Brazilian market is the fact that Carmed has more fan clubs than many artists. “Carmed has more than 100 fan clubs. The brand doesn’t usually have fan clubs and some have more than 200,000 followers. Artists who have that”, comments Felmanas, in a humorous tone. “It’s difficult to explain this movement that we built, with this truth, with this transparency, with this sense of belonging”, reinforces the businesswoman.
For Karla, this happens because the brand created a community before creating a product and, mainly, because it gives a face to the people behind the company. The brand’s audience is mostly young people, children and teenagers who approached Carmed out of emotional identification and belonging.
“There are 8-year-old children who are fans of Carmed. In 20 years, when they buy any product from Cimed, they will remember us”, he says.
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An ecosystem of influence
Cimed’s influence strategy does not depend on big celebrities, although collabs (or collaborations/partnerships) with Hello Kitty, Barbie and Coca-Cola have expanded their reach.
Karla explains that the company uses the strength of its own internal community. It transformed employees, consumers and even their own families into an ecosystem of organic influence that revolutionized pharmaceutical retail.
“We try to do this by creating personas within Carmed itself. We are our influencers. The family, the collaborators, everyone. Nobody does anything alone. If someone loses humility, we call them to talk”, says the VP.
The company has 5,000 employees, and many of them started producing content about the products. Carmed also shook the market by announcing partnerships with global giants such as Hello Kitty, Barbie and Coca-Cola. For Karla, in addition to branding, these projects were pure learning.
Partnerships that opened doors for the company’s boldest move, internationalization. “Next year we will start Carmed outside of Brazil. Probably Chile and Argentina first”, he says.
Although many people believe that being an influencer is simple, Karla reveals that her eye for content has been trained. “I developed an eye for content. I see opportunity all the time. My radar doesn’t turn off.”
Karla also comments on the personal transformation she experienced when she became a public figure at the age of 51. “Sometimes I think: what do you mean? I’m 51 years old and I have a huge fan club of children. We don’t have haters. It’s a very positive energy. Anyone who wants to watch, watches. Anyone who doesn’t, doesn’t watch”, he says.
To find out more details about Carmed’s success, strategic collabs and Cimed’s massive presence on social media, see the full episode on Level UP with Karla Felmanas. The program is available as a video on YouTube and in its podcast version on the main streaming platforms.
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Level UP
Level Up is the newest program in InfoMoney. Roberto Indech, head of institutional relations for variable income at XP Inc., presents a relaxed chat with influential and relevant people in their respective niches, from different market segments, who enhance their businesses through personal social networks. Check out new episodes every Wednesday at 7pm.
