My first client was Ambifaro.

A 24-month engagement consisting of the development of a Strategic Marketing Plan and a Communication Plan, the monitoring of their implementation, and the occasional execution of specific tasks identified as priorities. That is what I did. I applied for a public tender that had been launched at the time…

A coincidence, so it seemed…

The project itself was fascinating: to unify a budget spent in a multidisciplinary manner by various municipal entities into a single purpose, a single shared vision. It was this municipal company that decided to develop an effective communication planning and monitoring framework. Ambifaro’s objective was to produce a document whose primary outcome would be the strategy to elevate Faro, as a whole, to an international city, consistently reinforcing – at every communication opportunity – its brand, its strength, its essence.

The direction was there, but the practice was quite different. Outsiders criticized everything that was done and undermined anyone who attempted to do it. “Faro is Faro” explains a great deal. It takes courage to reverse course and innovate. The leadership I reported to – the person I mentioned in other chapters – trembled at unfavorable opinions. Everything was provisional until validated by public opinion…

I saw strange things. Very strange things.

I had the opportunity to work with political marketing figures. I learned a great deal. We conducted interviews with dozens of people; we recorded testimonies from division heads, councilors, opinion leaders, senior officials, representatives – many people.

Then I identified patterns. I created a hierarchy of needs for Faro: opinions, ideas, and aspirations listed by those with whom I spoke. I added some ideas of my own, but always in a democratic manner.

Once we reached a list, I prioritized objectives, designed tasks, defined responsibilities and deadlines; I devised methodologies, refined pathways, and sought references where similar missions had been accomplished around the world. I found so much good work. I loved this projection. This Vision for my city. For my home.

I worked tirelessly on the production of a serious document, with a neutral purpose, grounded in experience and passion. But the “octopus strategy” – as I call it – the city accessible by every type of transport and the consequent, implicit Greater International Vision were killed at birth. Crushed. Disastrously shelved by a small-minded, unambitious spirit; by petty, low, mean-spirited influence, devoid of stature or ambition. Vulgar, even. It never had the chance to breathe. It was not presented to anyone. Only to the aforementioned individual. And even that meeting had to be forced, held in my office at the end of the day, in haste, without the proper conditions to make it count; to sell the idea; to persuade as it should have.

From the team I worked with, I must highlight the magic of Joaquim Guerreiro who, sadly, has also passed away; yet whose core, breadth, and vision transcended geographical borders into a multiculturalism without parallel. Glocal: Think global, act local. Thinking differently takes effort. It must be explained. Joaquim knew that. He was the one with the vision to put Faro forward as a candidate for European Capital of Culture 2027; who had recently positioned himself within his party to become leader and candidate for Mayor of Loulé; who brought Serralves to Faro; who managed Teatro das Figuras, among many other achievements. He was great. Without him, everything collapsed. There was no human capital capable of keeping pace. He did not fulfil his role. He left so much undone. So much…

Time passed and nothing happened. Daily, senseless requests emerged, which I safeguarded against. I continued to attend meetings and to involve myself in the conversations I was invited to join. I even received an invitation to participate in a lecture on marketing and communication held at the University of Algarve, in Penha. The proud son of the land, thinking he was going to change the world.

Curious coincidences.
Coincidences only, or not.
Curious—not really.
Coincidences, entirely.

My second client was Faro City Council.

I received an invitation to submit a proposal for a direct award regarding a municipal publication that had long been forgotten. A specific team was appointed by the executive, composed of members of the municipality and of municipal companies, to collaborate with B16 in reviving Correio de Faro, a publication that had been dormant for many years. We redesigned the base layout of the publication with the help of a freelance designer from Loulé, Alexandre Rito. We reorganized sections, produced content, took photographs, interviewed people, explored places, engaged with themes, and immersed ourselves deeply in Faro and its people.

The dream was simple: to conceive a larger project for Faro and its inhabitants that, politically speaking, would seize the opportunity to communicate entertainment while identifying the municipality’s voters and getting to know them through continuous physical presence in every locality – listening to and recording their opinions, their criticisms, their needs.

The idea was very interesting: to create the editorial line each month; to write/photograph/design; to print; and, most importantly, to distribute copies at all key points across the municipality. It was at these points that we could understand what people thought about the executive and where we gathered opinions, criticisms, and suggestions on a regular and continuous basis.

In this project, I had the opportunity to work with several people. Many departments were involved. And I was very fortunate, as I had the opportunity to work again with “my” Rute – she was part of the Ambifaro team – and with Nuno Silva. Both actively contributed to the project with suggestions, texts, articles, and ideas; they were the ones who knew the terrain and the needs surrounding the “hot” topics.

I was very fortunate because Rute is “my” wife; the mother of my children; my travelling companion for over 15 years… She alone would fill an entire book to describe or recount any detail about the human being behind the name Rute. This is not about her; it is about Nuno. I am not quite sure how to describe what I feel for Nuno Silva. It is too familiar to comprehend. Nuno possesses a rare intelligence and an uncommon human tenderness. There was not a single day in this process when he did not make me smile. I so enjoyed working with him. Professional, assertive, practical, responsible, reliable, proactive. Nuno Silva is a good person. And I had the opportunity to work with him.

We worked tirelessly on producing the newspaper’s content and distributing it by hand. We mapped the municipality. We assigned responsibilities. We focused on covering every parish in detail. We developed a technique to cover the entire municipality and to be in the field daily. We spoke with people, visited places, felt the issues. Every day.

We even produced a short video about the project that explains, in simple terms, how this mission worked. It was filmed and edited by João Costa (but I will come to João later, in due course).

After a few months, problems began. We became aware of the “skeletons”, the “glass roofs”, the fragile “porcelain” of the matter, and this led to political games beyond our control. Not everything is what it seems – perhaps nothing, or very little. Once again, I learned the hard way that passion and love are not compatible with certain worlds. Politics is a way of being that does not align with people of principles. That is the truth. Lies, cowardice, and manipulation infuriate me. I saw a great deal of that.

And in the midst of this process, there was me: Bruno. For a long time, I forgot that. These professional downfalls led me to seek refuge. I was not yet a father and had recently come from a third-world country. Long days, long nights… if you understand what I mean. I will speak more about this in the next chapter.