Nuno Moura on the new code of digital marketing, TikTok, and the rules of the game

The digital landscape is undergoing a radical transformation — and so is the core of marketing; this was the clear message this week from experts at the Marketing, Advertising, Media & Communication Conference 2025.

Among them, Nuno Moura, Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer of the Portugal Football Federation and part of the organising team for the UEFA/World Cup 2030, who presented a new perspective on branding, social platforms, TikTok, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in building brands that are not only smarter, but more human and inspiring.

Emotion over data

“I believe emotion — the ability to make people feel — is what separates successful brands from average ones,” said Moura. Advertising, he argued, is no longer just about what you're selling, but how you make the consumer feel about themselves. "Strong brands don’t just ask, 'How do we want to be seen?' — they ask, 'How do we want people to see themselves when they engage with us?'"

From brands to movements

A brand, Moura suggested, should not just be a product — it should be a companion on the consumer’s journey. “Good brands create moments. Great brands create movements.”

The future of marketing, he said, is about guiding consumers toward the best version of themselves. It’s not just a transaction, but a shared path toward a common vision. Achieving that requires a careful balance — between art and science, data and intuition, structure and creativity.

But this balance, Moura warned, has been disrupted. The dominance of optimisation and performance metrics has yielded gains — but at the cost of risk-taking, creativity, and emotional depth. The result? Sterile experiences and brands that feel increasingly shallow.

AI is a teammate, not a substitute

A major focus of Moura’s talk was artificial intelligence, which he described as a “teammate that doesn’t take breaks”. But AI, he stressed, still needs human leadership and creative direction. It should enhance creativity, not replace it.

He outlined four strategic principles for marketers navigating the AI era:

1. Authenticity is your greatest asset — a brand’s voice must be its own, not an imitation.
2. Technology can generate content, but only humans can judge what fits. Creative leadership is non-negotiable.
3. Success doesn’t come from repeating the past — it requires boldness and a willingness to embrace the new.
4. Define the foundations, but push the boundaries — structure provides confidence, but creativity is born from freedom.

Brands need to breathe

For Moura, a brand isn’t static. It’s like an athlete — it has a voice, a rhythm, and a distinct identity. Products, too, carry personalities — they can be humorous, emotional, strict, or sophisticated. This multiplicity is not a flaw, but a strength.

“People want to know there’s a human behind the screen, not just a machine,” he said. When brands reveal their personality, audiences respond to their humanity, he added.

He pointed to the Mercurial Superfly football boot as an example — a technological innovation that Nike marketed not just as a product, but as a “character with a voice”. That’s how brand distinction is created: the kind of uniqueness that keeps people coming back.

The future is human — and that’s a radical idea

In closing, Moura sent a clear message: “We need brands with human values. Because humans take risks. They feel empathy. They tell stories, create art, and leave a legacy.”

That, he said, is the real challenge of our time: to build brands that don’t just sell, but mean something — not just built on key performance indicators, but on stories, emotion, and connection. And that’s a legacy worth building, day after day.