The Agency

What The Agency does

The Agency (legal entity: The Agency Rqa – Marketing Digital e Social Media, Lda) is a privately held, boutique full-service digital communication agency headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, with a secondary presence in Braga. Founded in 2018 by João Batista and Rui Quinhones, the company operates with a 14+ person multidisciplinary team and is led by CEO Mara Fontoura. Its core offering is built around four monthly retainer plans (Social Media Management, Performance Management, Website Management, and Content Creation) tiered from €715 to €6,886+ per month, supplemented by custom projects covering Webdesign (€2,850–€11,300+), Branding (€1,650–€14,600+), Photography & Video, Strategy & Consulting, and Marketing Coaching. The agency positions itself as the first and only communication agency in Portugal specialized exclusively in Employer Branding and Recruitment Marketing, a vertical it serves alongside broader B2B and B2C clients.

The company's underlying technology stack is conventional martech: WordPress CMS for web builds, the Zoho suite (Projects, Desk, Bookings, People) for internal operations and client service delivery, social media management tools across TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, TripAdvisor, and Google My Business, plus SEO and analytics platforms. Its technical differentiator is a certified Low Carbon Webdesign practice (Green Web Foundation) emphasizing energy-efficient code, compressed assets, green hosting, and accessibility. The agency maintains in-house production capabilities (4K cameras, drones, professional lighting) and an internal video/photography producer, reducing reliance on external freelancers.

The business model combines recurring monthly retainers (subscription, with 6–12 month minimums), one-time custom project fees, usage-based digital ads management (6–8.5% of ad spend), and unit-priced photography/video production. Pricing is fully transparent on the website, distinguishing the firm from traditional opaque agency pricing. Customers include enterprise accounts (Minor Hotels, Fnac Portugal, LG Portugal, Linde plc, Licor Beirão, Grupo HPA, CM Braga) alongside SMBs and micro-businesses across hospitality, retail, technology, beverages, healthcare, fashion, and government. The go-to-market is consultative, direct sales-led with diagnostic sessions, supported by a self-serve website scheduling channel. A published 2026 roadmap targets scaling the team to 25 members and the client base to 65 active accounts by December 2026.

Name

The Agency

Legal name

The Agency Rqa – Marketing Digital e Social Media, Lda

Website

https://theagency.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Agency is a Lisbon-based boutique full-service digital communication agency offering monthly retainer plans and custom projects across social media, performance marketing, webdesign, branding, and content creation, with a distinct specialization in Employer Branding and Recruitment Marketing for Portuguese SMBs and enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing & Communication Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAAAA

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

SECONDARYMPAAAAAC

Brand Campaign & Integrated Communications Agencies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

Keywords

• Social media management
• Digital marketing services
• Employer branding
• Brand communication
• Website design

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Retainer (Avença): Recurring monthly retainer model for ongoing social media management, performance management, website management, and content creation services. Four service levels from €715 to €6,886+ per month with minimum 6-12 month commitments.
2. Custom Projects: One-time project fees for services including strategy & consulting, marketing coaching, webdesign, branding, photography & video, and employer branding. Pricing ranges from €1,650 to €14,600+ depending on scope.
3. Digital Ads Management: Fee-based digital advertising management with rates of 6-8.5% indexed to ad spend (0-1000€: 6%, 1000-5000€: 7%, 5000€+: 8.5%).
4. Photography & Video Production: Production services for photography and video content, including half-day sessions (€1,200), full-day sessions (€2,500), plus materials and travel costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Agency is a boutique full-service digital communication agency offering monthly retainer plans (Social Media Management, Performance Management, Website Management, and Content Creation) alongside custom projects (Webdesign, Branding, Photography & Video, Strategy & Consulting, Marketing Coach, Low Carbon Webdesign, and Employer Branding & Recruitment Marketing). All services are delivered by a multidisciplinary in-house team that handles the entire cycle from strategic conception through practical implementation. The agency is positioned as a strategic business partner rather than a traditional external vendor.

Product overview

The Agency is a boutique full-service digital communication agency offering a comprehensive suite of marketing and communication services. The portfolio consists of four monthly retainer plans (Social Media Management, Performance Management, Website Management, and Content Creation) that form the core recurring service offering, supplemented by custom project services including Webdesign, Branding, Photography & Video, Strategy & Consulting, and Marketing Coach. The agency also offers a distinctive specialty service in Employer Branding & Recruitment Marketing. All services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team and can be contracted individually or bundled. The business model emphasizes transparency in pricing and operates as a strategic business partner rather than a traditional agency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TA Academy: Trainee program for entering the digital marketing universe, offering experience in how a communication agency operates.
• Enablers Programme

Products and services

• Social Media Management (Gestão de Redes Sociais) Monthly retainer service for managing brand presence across social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others, with content creation, community management, and performance reporting for businesses of all sizes.
• Performance Management (Gestão de Performance) Data-driven performance marketing service maximizing ROI through social ads campaigns, SEO, engagement optimization, growth hacking, and sales funnels.
• Website Management (Gestão de Websites) Technical maintenance service for websites including plugin updates, security management, content management, license and domain management, and hosting provision.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum 6-month commitment ensures sustainable and consistent results
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GOAT StreetwearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGOAT is a marketplace partner for physical products sold through The Agency's website. The Agency acts as intermediary, forwarding order data to GOAT for fulfillment and delivery. Terms and conditions of GOAT apply to these transactions.
• ZohocoreTechnology or IntegrationZoho suite including Zoho Projects (project management and pipeline visualization), Zoho Desk (customer communication and support), Zoho Bookings (meeting scheduling), and Zoho People (HR management) for internal operations and client service delivery.
• CTT (Portugal Post)Others
• Factory BragaminorOthersCoworking space partnership in Braga providing office facilities, meeting rooms, and collaborative creative community environment for The Agency's northern Portugal operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• McCann Lisbon: Global creative agency with Lisbon office providing advertising, brand strategy, content, and digital services to enterprise clients. Directly comparable as a Lisbon-based full-service creative agency targeting the same enterprise communications spend.
• BBDO Portugal: Global creative agency network operating in Portugal, offering advertising, brand strategy, and integrated communications services. Comparable as a Lisbon-based full-service agency competing for the same enterprise marketing budgets.
• Ogilvy Portugal: Global advertising network operating in Portugal with capabilities spanning brand strategy, creative, PR, and digital transformation. Comparable as a full-service creative agency in Portugal competing for enterprise marketing mandates across retail, hospitality, and technology.
• Havas Portugal: Global creative and media network with Portuguese operations offering creative, media planning, digital, and healthcare communications. Comparable as a full-service agency headquartered in Lisbon serving enterprise clients with integrated marketing offerings similar to The Agency's retainer model.
• TBWA Lisbon: Disruption-focused global creative network with a Lisbon office providing brand strategy, advertising, and content services. Comparable as a full-service creative agency in Portugal serving enterprise clients with integrated communications.
• Dentsu Creative Portugal: Global creative and media network with Portuguese operations delivering integrated advertising, CX, and digital transformation services. Comparable as a full-service agency in Portugal offering similar enterprise-level communication and brand services.
• Publicis Portugal: Full-service advertising and communication network in Portugal offering integrated creative, media, digital, and brand strategy services to enterprise clients. Directly comparable as a Lisbon-based full-service creative agency competing for the same enterprise marketing budgets as The Agency.
• Young & Rubicam Lisbon: Global creative agency with Lisbon operations offering brand strategy, creative, and integrated marketing communications. Comparable as a full-service creative agency in Portugal targeting enterprise clients across categories similar to The Agency's portfolio.
• Wunderman Thompson Portugal: Global creative, technology, and data agency with Portuguese presence offering end-to-end digital marketing, branding, and customer experience services. Directly comparable as a Lisbon-based full-service creative agency competing for enterprise clients.

Regional players

• Lola Mullen Lowe: Madrid-headquartered creative agency within the MullenLowe global network, serving major Spanish and Iberian brands across creative, brand strategy, and digital. Comparable as an Iberian boutique-network competitor targeting similar enterprise creative mandates, though primarily operating in Spain rather than Portugal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theagencylisbon
• Instagraminstagram.com/theagencylisbon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-agency-for-storybrands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Agency