Bernardo Rodo, OMD
2023 “Over the past two years, OMD has been named Media Agency of the Year by the Clube de Criatividade de Portugal and APPM, and Digital Agency of the Year by Sapo. Industry recognition is important as a demonstration of our capabilities and the results achieved for brands.”

2024 “Our goal is to continue developing capabilities in emerging areas, such as commerce, and to continue promoting a stimulating work environment.”

Bruno Almeida, EssenceMediacom

2023 “The main highlight is related to the resilience and growth of the national advertising market. In a context of instability and turbulence at both international and national level, the growth it shows is synonymous with its resilience and the continued investment in brands.”

2024 “I expect this market dynamic to continue.”

Filipe Teotónio Pereira, Nova Expressão

2023 “Advertising investment in Portugal is expected to record growth close to 10%, exceeding expectations. In qualitative terms, it is unavoidable to talk about the potential of AI and the evidence already shown, for example in increasing personalisation and enriching the customer experience. Audio is expected to assert its ability to attract advertising investment, as it consolidates the various projects and features launched in 2023.”

2024 “We continue to forecast growth, but more moderate growth. This is a situation influenced by the national and international economic, social and political context. 2024 should be the official year for the end of third-party cookies, bringing new challenges in assertiveness and leading to the emergence of new technological solutions. The potential for segmentation and programmatic buying will continue to grow and extend to other media, as is the case with OOH, where new players and new equipment provide the ideal context for this trend to materialise.”

Maria João Oliveira, Wavemaker

2023 “In October, the market is growing, having already surpassed the investment figures recorded in 2019.”

2024 “The expectation is that this growth trend will continue, helped by major events such as the UEFA European Football Championship and the Olympic Games, which drive investment. Regarding the share of investment by medium, digital has been gaining expression and this is expected to continue. In another area, content and events are experiencing strong momentum from brands and advertisers.”

Marta Machado, Media Gate

2023 “Media Gate achieved important milestones. We evolved to operate as a media agency and purchasing centre, with growth of over 20%, and celebrated 18 years of operation, a milestone that symbolises our maturity and experience in the sector. We are proud to currently be the largest 100% Portuguese media agency.”

2024 “One of the main achievements will be, at the beginning of the year, the opening of the new facilities, which will open doors to new partnerships. In addition, we are excited about the new Gate Academy, a project that seeks to raise the levels of knowledge of our team, clients, media and other partners, with the collaboration of trainers from diverse areas.”

Rodrigo Albuquerque, Arena Media

2023 “Advertising investment is currently recording growth of over 10% (cumulative figure up to October), a result above initial forecasts. It is very significant and reflects the positive moment of vitality our industry is experiencing, especially if we take into account the current economic situation and the international political context, with Europe witnessing two wars and great uncertainty. It is worth highlighting the excellent performance of OOH, which is recording growth of 26%. We were no longer used to seeing a medium growing above digital, which nevertheless continues to grow well above the market average (20%). Also noteworthy is Pay TV, with an increase of almost 15%. These increases are the result of some important developments in certain media, such as the ongoing transformation of OOH networks in the country’s main cities, with the modernisation and digitalisation of the new networks (DOOH); the growth of investment in Programmatic CTV, the growth of Pay TV, the latter with Playce carrying significant weight.”

2024 “We estimate more moderate growth, between 3% and 5%. However, developments in the external factors mentioned above may contribute to some unpredictability.”

Rui Freire, Initiative

2023 “It was a year of consolidation of business growth. After the pandemic and the recovery in 2021, 2022 and 2023 were years of strengthening the service we provide to clients, whether through new HR capabilities or through the complementary development of additional services that add value to what we were already doing.”

2024 “We will continue to see growth in digital areas and greater integration of emerging technologies. In technological terms, the emergence of new technologies and tools is anticipated, which will impact digital marketing, namely through advances in AI, augmented reality and more advanced data analysis solutions. There will be a greater emphasis on sustainability. This may gain a more significant focus, with brands and agencies looking for ways to incorporate sustainable practices and messages into their strategies. Or, as Initiative and the IPG Mediabrands group are already doing, incorporate this concern into day-to-day operations and walk the talk, in order to minimise the carbon footprint. Campaign personalisation may reach new heights with more advanced technologies, providing more individualised experiences for consumers. An increase in data security practices is expected, along with greater emphasis on transparency in data collection and usage practices. Agencies should focus on strategies that integrate different channels, providing a unified experience for the consumer.”

Samuel Godinho, Dentsu Media

2023 “Although it shows some growth, 2023 is a year in which some market apprehension is being felt, particularly in this last quarter. However, the market is estimated to grow slightly compared with last year.”

2024 “The great challenge will be the economy, namely how the phenomenon of inflation is controlled in the following years and, once again, what the role and evolution of the different media will be in 2024. Whether we will continue to see digital growth, what will happen with television, what new metrics will come into play, how the increasingly developed phenomenon of connected TV will be measured, how it will start to be measured, with what metrics, with what analyses and how it follows consumer behaviour itself. I do not think it will be a year in which extraordinary growth is expected.”

Teresa Oliveira, Mindshare

2023 “In my case, it was my first year leading Mindshare and I would say the balance is very positive. We continued to help clients grow their business through unique strategies and content. We were recognised for our work and won new business, much of which will only become visible to the market in 2024. Together with GroupM, we consolidated knowledge, products and capabilities in areas such as video streaming and influencer marketing, and worked with clients in preparation for the cookieless world.”

2024 “It will be a very different year. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be increasingly present, both in our work and in clients’ minds. There is a certain anxiety, which is understandable. At Mindshare, we are prepared to help partners and clients overcome the AI challenge. I believe we must continue working towards a world where advertising is more effective and relevant to people. As such, we will remain focused on the attention market and on developing ESG metrics to assess everything we do.”