Vilamoura

Rebranding

  • The Brief

    Vilamoura World is the development company of the destination Vilamoura. Despite outstanding efforts to build most of what Vilamoura is today, the company lost full territory coverage. Nowadays, anyone can claim to be Vilamoura. The situation is very different from that of their competitors Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago because they are private resorts, and unlike popular belief, Vilmoura is not one.

  • The Goal

    Take back the ownership of the Vilamoura name and redefine what the brand is.

  • The Target

    45+

    C-level (CEO, CFO, COO), V level, D-level, digital nomad.

    Traditional markets: Portugal, UK, IRL

    Additional markets: US/CAN, Brazil

    Other audiences: Golfers and visitors

The Solution

Inspired by Vilamoura’s exclusive diversity, we created a brand that takes advantage of the intricacy
of the destination itself.

The case study

It all started with a series of interviews. I talked to the administration, the sales team, and a few noble members of Vilamoura's workforce who had been part of the team since the beginning.

The goal? To find what makes Vilamoura a different place from anywhere else.

The millions dollar questions:

  • Name 3 pros about Vilamoura.

    Which one is the most important and why?

  • Which image best represents Vilamoura?

  • Which one of these examples best represents the feeling of Vilamoura?

    A hideaway or glamour? State why.

  • Name 3 cons of Vilamoura.

    Which one is more urgent to resolve and why?

  • Regarding the audience, which of the targets is key to Vilamoura's success and why?

  • Which persona best represents the ideal audience for Vilamoura?

  • Who is our biggest competitor, and what's their most significant advantage?

    How do you compare their offer to Vilamoura's?

  • Where do you see Vilamoura 5 years from now?

    What's stopping the brand from getting there?

Conclusions on the strengths of Vilamoura.

  • The diversity of available services was by far the most mentioned advantage by all collaborators. 

  • Regardless of being part of the administration, sales team or technical staff, all of them quickly led us to conclude that Vilamoura, as a destination, is unique, as it combines the advantages of a resort associated with the convenience of a multi-service urban area. This translates into numerous benefits, but above all, a unique life-style and life quality.

Interview quotes

  • “ It's a unique place. There aren't many places in the world comparable to Vilamoura. There are resorts, there are cities and there is Vilamoura.”

    Internal Stakeholder

  • “It benefits from never being closed. It is a destination that allows you to do many things, both in Summer as in Winter. It never stops. It's not seasonal – for example, we have a year-round school – the opposite of seasonal.”

    Internal stakeholder

  • “ We are not just sun and sea. We have a bit of everything: leisure, nautical, gastronomic, cultural, ecotourism. 
We really are self-sufficient.”

    Internal stakeholder

Conclusions on the weaknesses of Vilamoura.

  • The biggest challenge at the moment is the lack of a common thread, both physical and communication-wise. There is no single Story about Vilamoura. The lack of control over the entire offer contributes to this dispersion and makes it hard for Vilamoura to be seen as a global destination.

  • From a more operational perspective, the incoherent real estate offer, the lack of quality services and the excess of visitors in the Summer are also identified as urgent issues to be solved.

Interview quotes

  • “ Right now there is no common thread that connects everything. A single story. Right now, not owning everything (not controlling everything) is a problem.”

    Internal Stakeholder

  • “Diversity is both a strength and a weakness. There are a number of offers in Vilamoura that do not bring our product up. We try to bring Vilamoura up to a standard of quality and there are services that are not at the same level.”

    Internal stakeholder

  • “ It's hard to maintain quality when we have so many people in the summer. We lack qualified staff to work.”

    Internal stakeholder

Conclusions on the future expectations for Vilamoura.

  • Shortly, we want a unified and consolidated vision. Vilamoura seen and searched after as a destination and not a set of offers. For this to happen, we’ll have to become a more qualified destination as a whole and have greater control over the different areas.

  • As a result, more people are expected to live in Vilamoura, including younger people and young families who represent the variety of interests that Vilamoura offers. Finally, Internationalization: the international recognition of Vilamoura as one of the best destinations in Europe to live or vacation.

Interview quotes

  • “ … a living area and not a vacation area. End the resort image and become a peripheral area of Lisbon with a high life quality.”

    Internal Stakeholder

  • “ In 10 years I want to be the main leisure destination in Europe. I want to be first in everything. For those who come on vacation for 1 week, for 6 weeks or to live.”

    Internal stakeholder

  • “ It is necessary to bring more people to live here without trying to turn Vilamoura into a city.”

    Internal stakeholder

The 4 competitive advantages of Vilamoura.

Diversity in practical and leisure services compared to a resort.

Real Estate growth in a place with established notoriety.

Award-winning marina

5 award winning golf courses

Brand Pyramid

The work inspired by the new brief.

This brand uses the asterisk as a clever subtlety, and that works as a witty way to express the multitude of a destination yet to be revealed.

The dominant colour is Vilamoura Blue, adding boldness and vibrancy to a brand that will always be intimately connected to the nautical universe.

For this project, I wrote and conducted a series of interview questions, conducted market research, and created Vilamoura's brand pyramid and positioning.

Take a look at other projects I worked on as a brand strategist

RSG Health