- Solo MascarenhasAdvertiser, Creative Writer, Copywriter and Project Manager
I am a Creative Writer and Copywriter, bachelor in Social Communication and Advertisement, now, six years in the Video Games' Industry. During this period,
I have been working for a multinational company, where I started on the floor and quickly got to the managerial level. First as a QA Project Coordinator – where I lead multicultural teams of localisation and compliance, in an effort to make video games' universes more accessible, to millions of people, all across the world – and then as a Technical Support Team Leader, delivering first-class costumer experience, together with my teams, to players, everywhere. In my job, I also have the opportunity to work as a Language Owner and Translator, which allows me to keep creating and writing, putting to good use my ongoing 17-years-old career as a Creative Advertiser.
- How I createWhen copywriting and creative writing
As a Copywriter and Creative Writer I am responsible for taking the client's advertising brief and generating original copy ideas that grab the attention of the target audience. I am involved in creating a campaign that has an instant, positive impact on the consumer in order to promote the product or brand being advertised. This may include creating straplines, slogans, body copy, jingles and scripts that accompany advertising visuals. I work in close partnership with Art Directors and Designers and I also have inputs to the visual elements as well, producing small to big picture advertising for small to big picture clients.
Knowledge Areas
I actively seek inspiration from the external environment to influence my creativity. Being a natural curious helps me a lot to remain up-to-date with new ideas, techniques and styles (i.e. art, films, TV programmes, apps, music, fashion, trends, games and so on). With this kind of effort, I can evolve my ability to generate lots of fresh, original ideas from a brief.But let us not forget about the clientsUnderstanding and appreciating the nature and value of my clients' brand, while familiarising myself with the product and competitor activities in the market, is what makes me proficient in discussing their core message and target audience.Team Management & Internal RelationshipsIt is all about team work. Building key relationships with the Account Management, Planning, Traffic and any other departments is essencial. These relevant meetings to discuss the client's requirements and core messages keep everything and everyone on track. They also portray a helpful and innovative image for the Creative Department.Being a Creative (and an Advertiser) is• To think creatively and devise imaginative and intelligent advertisements based on the client's briefs.• To push boundaries of original thinking to explore new creative solutions.• To communicate creative ideas effectively to a wide audience of varying levels of creative knowledge.• To translate the strategic creative concept into different creative executions to be presented to the client.• To execute creative ideas to the highest standard involving and communicating with the necessary creative team.• To modify initial ideas into workable concepts until the client is satisfied.• To align the copy with art direction and vice versa.• To deliver work to brief on time and on budget, to the highest quality.• To oversee the production phase, booking and liaising with designers, illustrators, printers, photographers and production companies.Some of my creative beliefs• Creativity is all about looking for the right questions, instead of looking for the right answers.• Team work (cooperation) is essential if we are trying to do some good CO-mmunication.
• If we are not having fun, we’re probably doing something wrong.
• If you are not ready to be wrong, you are not ready to be original.
• “Interactive” is not a medium. It’s a behavior. What exactly is?
Quality Assurance of Video Games and Technical Support
Technical Support Team Leader
Everyday responsibilities:
- Managing a team of up to 20 multilingual Technical Customer Support Representatives.
- Managing resourcing to ensure SLAs are met.
- Evaluating team performance to improve the campaign delivery process.
- Conducting team one to ones and performance reviews.
- Coaching and training TSRs to ensure a first-class customer experience.
- Contact quality monitoring.
- Taking an active role in planning for game release peaks in volume.
- Setting KPIs and development plans.
- Dealing with escalated customer issues.
- Any other reasonable duties as directed by line manager.
- Managing customer or technical support teams.
- Managing teams delivering customer support via live chat, email and phone.
- Managing multilingual/bilingual teams and/or in an outsourced environment.
- Handling technical escalations/complaints.
- Understanding of contact centre operations and metrics.
Project Coordenator's
Everyday responsibilities:
- Leading and managing a team of up to 30 Testers, including Senior Testers
- Confirming and validating bugs in database platforms such as Redmine, Jira, Bonsai.
- Bug fixing on text files' databases like Byblos and Codex, just to name a couple.
- Mastering project media and hardware security.
- Communicating with clients, including reporting.
- Organising and maintaining employee shift patterns.
- HR tasks related to managing a team such as interviewing, verifying hours, conducting disciplinaries, coaching, training, amongst other tasks.
- Assisting the sales team in preparing quotes and contracts.
- Ad hoc translations.
- Language ownership of *AAA titles, which covers the responsibility and final saying over the entirety of the localised material in a given language or languages.
*AAA games are the blockbusters from the video game's industry.
Localisation and Compliance Tester
Everyday responsibilities:
- English and Brazilian Portuguese certification and localisation testing of AAA video games.
- Clearing the game of any grammar and spelling mistakes.
- Looking out for any punctuation errors and correct them.
- Keeping an eye on what has been said and how has been said so there is consistency throughout the game.
- Applying judgement to change only what needs to be changed.
- Ensuring the text complies with the countries’ laws and policies.
- Adapting the text to the target market.
- Adapting the text to the given context.
- Watching for functionality issues that may be only language dependant.
- Being aware of terminology and compliance.
- Adhering to test plans.
- Performing ad hoc tasks.
- Providing a daily report to the leads.
- Been thereFourteen years as a Creative Writer and Copywriter in advertising, three as a QA Lead tester in the Video Game Industry. Below you can see the many families I had and still have.Pole To Win UK Ltd.
Technical Support Team Leader
Jan 2019 - Current
- Managing a team of up to 20 multilingual Technical Customer Support Representatives.
- Managing resourcing to ensure SLAs are met.
- Evaluating team performance to improve the campaign delivery process.
- Conducting team one to ones and performance reviews.
- Coaching and training TSRs to ensure a first-class customer experience.
- Contact quality monitoring.
- Taking an active role in planning for game release peaks in volume.
- Setting KPIs and development plans.
- Dealing with escalated customer issues.
- Any other reasonable duties as directed by line manager.
- Managing customer or technical support teams.
- Managing teams delivering customer support via live chat, email and phone.
- Managing multilingual/bilingual teams and/or in an outsourced environment.
- Handling technical escalations/complaints.
- Understanding of contact centre operations and metrics.
- Working with several major costumer experience tools.
Project Coordinator Video Games QA Localisation
Jan 2016 - Dec 2018
- Leading and managing a team of up to 30 Testers, including Senior Testers
- Confirming and validating bugs in database platforms such as Redmine, Jira, Bonsai.
- Bug fixing on text files' databases like Byblos and Codex, just to name a couple.
- Mastering project media and hardware security.
- Communicating with clients, including reporting.
- Organising and maintaining employee shift patterns.
- HR tasks related to managing a team such as interviewing, verifying hours, conducting disciplinaries, coaching, training, amongst other tasks.
- Assisting the sales team in preparing quotes and contracts.
- Ad hoc translations.
- Language ownership of *AAA titles, which covers the responsibility and final saying over the entirety of the localised material in a given language or languages.
*AAA games are the blockbusters from the video game's industry.
Video Games QA Localisation Tester
Mar 2015 - Jan 2016
- English and Brazilian Portuguese certification and localisation testing of AAA video games whilst being aware of terminology and compliance.
- Clearing the game of any grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes.
- Keeping an eye on what has been said and how has been said so there is consistency throughout the game.
- Applying judgement to change only what needs to be changed.
- Ensuring the text complies with the countries’ laws and policies.
- Adapting the text to the target market and given context.
- Watching for functionality issues that may be only language dependant.
- Adhering to test plans.
- Performing ad hoc tasks.
- Providing a daily report to the leads.
Pro Brasil PropagandaCreative Writer/CopywriterMar 2014 - Nov 2014Creation of advertising campaigns and texts.KOT – FÁBRICA DE DESENHOSDesignerFeb 2004 - Aug 2004
Creation of brands, visual identities, images and concepts. - Clients
Being an advertiser for more than a decade taught me several things. But the most important was how to adapt and overcome, since no client is ever the same and creativity needs movement to keep breathing.
From tractors to fine perfumes, degrees to caramel candy, dreams to B2B. I have been out and about, creating for all kinds of customers. This gave me the experience and versatility to adapt to whichever businesses I work for whilst also providing a valuable outsider view, beneficial to both the creation and the development of advertising pieces and campaigns.
Strong experience in multiple sectorsEducation
UniBH • UNA • Grupo ÂnimaBanking
Banco BMG • CrefisaMining
Vale (Brazil) • Vale (Angola)Logistics
Vale Valor da Logística Integrada (VLI) • Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica (FCA)Steel Manufacturing
Arcelor Mittal • Aperam • Belgo Bekaert AramesHeavy Machinery and Construction Equipment
Tracbel • Tracbraz • Volvo
State and City Governments (Brazil)
Governo de Minas • Governo de Roraima • Several cities in the state of Minas Gerais
Insurance
Pottencial Seguradora
Construction and Real Estate
Patrimar • Direcional • Dominus • Novolar • Formula One • Holiday Inn
Automotive
JAC Motors
Health
Hermes Pardini Medicina Diagnóstica e Preventiva
Foundation
Fundação FIAT • Associação Brasileira dos Criadores do Cavalo Mangalarga Marchador (ABCCMM) (Livestock Farming)
Car Rental
Localiza • SemiNovos Localiza • Localiza Rent a Car (Latin America)
Car Dealership
Total Fleet • Euroville BMW/MINI • Several Fiat dealerships • Several Ford dealerships
Telecommunication
Vivo
Food Industry
Embaré Camponesa • Santa Amália • Associação Brasileira das Indústrias de Massas (ABIMA)
Newspapers, Magazines and Television Networks
Rede Globo Minas • SBT - TV Alterosa • Jornal Hoje em Dia • Jornal Estado de Minas • Revista Encontro • Minas em Cena
Shopping Malls
Shopping Cidade • Pátio Savassi • Ponteio Lar Shopping • Shopping Del Rey • Shopping Estação • Shopping Contagem
Fashion Industry
Griffe Show
Retail
Supermercados ABC • Selfshop • ABC da Construção
Food Franchising
Doce Cacau
Perfume Industry
L’Acqua di Fiori - Shortlist of skillsLearn, as soon as you can, that you will never stop learning.Creative DirectionCreative WritingCopywritingBusiness andtechnical writingTranscreationOnline and offline writtingQA Localisation forVideo GamesContent creation, curation, editing and managing
Fluency in English and Brazilian Portuguese
PlanningResearchingStrategyTeam PlayerEternal CuriosityProactive and busy beeThe old, the new and the digital MarketingsTeam leading and managingB2BLanguage Owner
- Let's chatGet in touch with me if you would like to do business together or hire me.Glasgow, United Kingdom44 07541 256920solomascarenhas