Financial sector bets high on digital media and invests US$327 million in 3 months

O setor financeiro da América Latina tem intensificado sua presença no ambiente digital de forma acelerada. Nos últimos três meses, bancos, carteiras digitais, corretoras e fintechs investiram cerca de US$ 327 milhões em campanhas digitais, resultando em 16,9 bilhões de impressões, segundo dados da Admetricks.

According to Rafael Magdalena, director of US Media Performance, this movement goes beyond a simple budget redistribution.“The increase in investment in digital media represents a strategic turnaround.Since the pandemic, the digitalization of financial services has gained momentum, leading banks and fintechs to prioritize digital channels for customer acquisition. Digital wallets, for example, have evolved into full banks, vying for space with traditional institutions (especially in the credit segment”, he says.

The 2024 figures reinforce this strategic change. According to Appsflyer, the financial sector led media investments in the region, with a total of US$ 1 billion 1 billion 1 billion % almost three times more than the second place, the games sector. This leap reveals a transformation in strategic positioning: digital channels are no longer supporting to become pillars of growth. In Mexico, for example, the financial vertical leads the contributions in user acquisition among Spanish-speaking countries.

Also according to the survey, the estimate is that the number of global mobile banking users exceeds 3.6 billion by 2025. In this scenario, the financial sector not only responds to transformations (it has been a protagonist in driving these changes. “This new appetite of investors has been driving the advancement of digital marketing strategies, consolidating the media as one of the main vectors of scale and return. The online presence has ceased to be accessory and has come to occupy the center of acquisition actions”, concludes Magdalena.

When data, channels and context work together

The transformation is also reflected in the way campaigns are planned.The integration between primary data, intelligent segmentation and performance technologies has enabled strategies increasingly aligned with consumer behavior. As a result, the digital performance of financial companies registered a global growth of 27% in 2024. In Latin America, the number of sessions in applications increased 50% and installations rose 29%, according to Adjust.

For Magdalena, institutions are realizing that being online is not enough. “The sector begins to understand that it is necessary to know where, when and how to appear. This requires good positioning, efficient use of metrics and accurate reading of the public. The diversification of formats and channels is not only a trend; it is essential. The future of economic advertising is in connecting touch points fluidly, activating actions with clear objectives and measuring impact with” precision, he explains.

Today, communication in the area goes beyond brand building. Conversion, retention and re-engagement take center stage.Mobile platforms, CTV, social networks, influencers and Retail Media operate in an integrated manner, requiring consistency throughout the journey.