Defining a tone of voice means defining a personality. It means defining a style. A persona. Defining a brand’s tone of voice means shaping an entire set of signifiers and meanings that compose the writing, the discourse, and the way the message is conveyed. Tone of voice is extremely important. A Brand without Tone is merely form. A Brand with a tone of voice is relationship. It is identity. Commitment. Character. Values expressed through words.

The tone of voice can vary according to what one wishes to demonstrate or achieve. Formality, relaxation, authority, fun, entertainment. Tone of voice goes far beyond words. It is responsible for connection. And that connection may be stronger or weaker depending on its assertiveness. More or less empathetic. More or less inclusive. More or less distinctive. Finding the perfect tone of voice is not easy. Professionally speaking, of course.

Today, looking back, I can clearly see what we achieved during that year of 2018. It certainly was not little. The whirlwind of projects we became involved in would hardly have produced such results had we not been entirely aligned. And not just João and I. During that year we worked with several other people on a freelance basis. We collaborated with freelancers such as Diogo Gordinho Lima, André Aleixo, Artur Marcus, Vânia Romeira Martins, Ricardo Flôxo and Nuno Relógio. Every single one of them added value. Helping compose. Helping refine the final product. In time, I will speak about them individually. And the results we achieved were built upon that very well-structured foundation: each of their individual tones of voice.

The first project where this happened without us even realising was MAR Shopping Algarve. As I mentioned before, we began that work the previous year, and from October onwards it reached a level of production with extreme demands. There was not a single week without “things” happening in the centre. Events, new shops, performances, demonstrations, children’s activities, product launches, festive seasons. To this day, we have produced hundreds of video contents for them. Hundreds. But the truth is that it is not easy to innovate in every single one. And we did. Some videos are more interesting than others, clearly. And for many people, the content resonates differently. In my opinion, having been there, there are pieces that truly move me. In their simplicity, they add value. They take us somewhere. They convince us. And the tone of voice naturally emerged throughout all of them.

This small video is proof of that:

A full year of work: from January to December. Later, at the end of the year, we filmed a testimonial from the Shopping Centre’s General Director about our work as an agency, to use on our website. To our surprise, beyond the confidence and assertiveness of his words regarding our creativity and availability, he specifically mentioned the way we had defined the Shopping Centre’s tone of voice. Perfect timing. And that detail made all the difference. I remember interviewing him and feeling a very strong emotion when I heard him say that. It was deeply impactful. Mission accomplished. And since then, we have continued walking alongside the IKEA Group – currently Ingka Centres. People change, but we continue collaborating. An immense source of pride.

Right next to MAR lies Designer Outlet Algarve. A different space, dedicated to the retail outlet shopping concept, with aggressive discounts, a distinct identity, communication style and personality. They belong to Retail Outlet Shopping (ROS), a group with a completely different concept from the former. Defining a tone of voice for Designer Outlet Algarve happened in a more abrupt, commercial and distinctive way. We certainly did not get it right on the first attempt. We started by covering a few events and, during one of them, we found what we were searching for in the editing suite. We had to experiment and fail. We gradually found our way towards the ideal result. Rhythm, imagery, cadence, style. In the end, we arrived at this:

For Grupo Timing, tone of voice was also decisive. Until then, the video content produced was intended to promote the group’s recruitment campaigns. They were short videos, simple reels and stories. Without much editing. João and I felt it was time for something more institutional, more serious. Together with the marketing department, we organised a production that culminated in this piece, which itself became responsible for establishing a distinct communication identity and style:

Then came another project: Byho. Initially, it was simply a house renovation project, without much apparent video interest, but it eventually resulted in an interesting piece later exhibited at Algarve Design Meeting. The concept we used was distinctive and, in my opinion, reflected a humorous tone of voice. A style that could easily have been replicated in every renovation the company might undertake:

Last, but certainly not least, the Smart Bikes by Infralobo project. We were involved in the launch event production from the very beginning. And the tone of voice designed for the project was entirely our responsibility. I clearly remember João Costa leading this project. I remember how much fun we had producing it. Content aimed at tourists, visitors and residents of the geographical area where Infralobo operates. An opportunity to highlight the little secrets of the location, the product’s unique features and the advantages of the service. A project that demanded a tremendous amount of work from us. Tone of voice requires work. It is neither simple, easy nor automatic. It can be, sometimes, but not always. Finding it requires attention to detail. To nuance. It requires time to mature. It requires experimenting. Creating. Designing. Thinking. This is an example of that:

And after a great deal of hard work, the final result was this:

Defining a tone of voice means defining a personality.
A style.
A persona.

It is identity.
It is commitment.
It is character.
It is values expressed through words.

During that year of 2018, we had the opportunity to define several tones of voice, in our own way, with our own professional style.
We added value to projects. We helped position them.
We did so in different ways, with different brands.

At that time, B16’s claim was “Let’s make something Big”.
In my honest opinion, that is exactly what we did.