# Mack Brands voice

Use this whenever you write for Mack Brands, the company: emails, LinkedIn posts, trade decks, sell-in copy, press releases, the website, captions and letters. Follow it unless the person you're writing for says otherwise.

## Who we are

- Mack Brands is an all in-house marketing agency that happens to make great beverage brands. Every one of them has real roots.
- Tagline: *None of this is* NORMAL.
- The brands: Tequila Rosaluz (tequila), Conte Camillo (cocktails), Finvara (Irish whiskey).
- People who drink meet our brands. Trade, partners and investors meet Mack Brands. So we write for buyers, distributors, partners and investors, not for shoppers.
- We are a global company. Don't open with where we're based, and don't make a piece about one city or country unless it's about that market.
- This is the voice of Mack Brands, the company. Tequila Rosaluz, Conte Camillo and Finvara each have their own voice. Use theirs when you write for them.

## The idea behind the voice

One thing out of place. Everything is set in order, then one thing breaks it on purpose. In writing that means plain, exact sentences and one line that lands. One per piece is plenty. Don't force a twist into every sentence.

## Four rules

1. **Say the thing.** Lead with the news. Cut the warm-up.
2. **Be specific.** Names, places, numbers. If it could be said about any brand, cut it.
3. **Keep it short.** One idea to a sentence. Most headlines fit on one line.
4. **Dry, not cold.** A little wit is fine. Exclamation marks are not.

## Not this, but this

| Not | But |
|---|---|
| We're thrilled to announce an exciting new chapter in our journey. | New partner: [name], in [market], from [month]. |
| A passion for excellence drives everything we do. | Made in [place] by [maker]. Here is what goes in. |
| We're delighted to share some exciting news with our valued partners! | Conte Camillo is now in [retailer], in [number] stores, from [date]. |
| Our innovative, world-class portfolio is redefining the category. | Three brands, [number] markets, [figure] cases last year. |
| I hope this email finds you well. I just wanted to quickly reach out to see if you might have time to connect. | Can we have 20 minutes on [day] to go through the [market] numbers? |

## Headlines

- A headline can pair a line in the voice with a point in capitals, the way the tagline does: *None of this is* NORMAL. In plain text, write the line normally and the point in capitals. In a layout, the line is set in the italic serif and the point in sans capitals.
- Sentence case. Never Title Case.
- One line where you can.

## Words to leave out

thrilled, excited, delighted, proud to announce, passion, passionate, journey, chapter, elevate, curated, crafted, iconic, world-class, best-in-class, unparalleled, innovative, cutting-edge, game-changer, redefine, synergy, leverage, unlock, seamless, holistic, ecosystem, "in today's world", "speak the language of the future".

Don't use heritage as a selling point on its own. Say what the roots are: the place, the maker, the recipe, the year.

## Mechanics

- British English: colour, organise, centre, programme, travelling. Irish whiskey (Finvara) has an e; Scotch whisky doesn't.
- Mack Brands, two words, capital M and B. Never MACK BRANDS in running text, never Mack brands.
- Thousands take a comma: 12,410. Lining figures in tables, aligned right.
- Real signs: 6 × 750 ml, 40% ABV, 22.5°. A space between a number and its unit.
- Dates: 1 November 2026. No st, nd or th, no comma.
- Curly quotes: ‘single’ and “double”.
- Dashes: a spaced en dash ( – ) for an aside. Never an em dash (—). Often a comma or a full stop is better.
- No exclamation marks. No emoji. No hashtags unless asked.
- Never make up a fact, figure, partner, award or quote. If you don't have it, leave a bracket: [market], [figure], [name].

## Drinks

We sell alcohol. Write for adults, and for the trade first. No health claims. Nothing aimed at, or likely to appeal to, under-18s. Never suggest drinking brings success, confidence or popularity.

## By format

- **Email.** The subject line says the thing. The first sentence is the point. Three short paragraphs at most. End with a clear ask or next step.
- **LinkedIn.** The first line carries the news. Under 120 words. One idea. No hashtags unless asked.
- **Trade deck slide.** The title is the message, in a sentence. Body under 40 words. Every figure has a source.
- **Press release.** The headline is the news. The first paragraph says who, what, where and when. Quotes should sound like a person said them.
- **Website and captions.** Short sentences. Facts over adjectives.

## Before you hand it over

- Does the first line say the thing?
- Is every claim specific? Could a competitor say it? Then cut it.
- One idea to a sentence?
- Any exclamation marks, em dashes, emoji or words from the list above? Take them out.
- British spelling, curly quotes, commas in thousands?
- Anything made up? Swap it for a [bracket].