Trust remains the main factor in how Portuguese people assess the national banking sector. This is one of the conclusions of Reputation by CARMA: Brand Benchmarks – Reputational Analysis of the Portuguese Banking Sector, an independent study that analyzed the reputation of the leading Portuguese banking institutions Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Santander Totta, Millennium BCP, Novo Banco and BPI, and was issued in a press release.
According to the same source, conducted between June and October 2025, the study combines online media data, social media data, and public opinion research, offering an integrated view of the sector’s reputation in a context marked by accelerated digitization, greater regulatory scrutiny and new customer demands.
The results show that stability, responsible management and the quality of the customer experience continue to weigh more in the banking reputation than isolated media visibility. News linked to financial solidity tends to reinforce positive perceptions, while issues such as service failures, branch closures or difficulties in direct contact generate reputational wear.
Digital transformation emerges as an ambivalent factor. While it is seen as a sign of innovation and efficiency, it raises concerns related to closeness and inclusion, especially among less digitally inclined audiences. On social media, most spontaneous discussions focus precisely on the customer experience, with emphasis on response times, app usability and the clarity of processes.
Sustainability gains relevance, but is not yet decisive in the banks’ overall assessment. The study indicates that reputational impact is positive only when there is coherence between rhetoric and practice, with inconsistencies particularly penalized by younger audiences.
The benchmark also reveals that the Portuguese clearly distinguish between the different institutions, even in similar media contexts. Proximity, transparency, perceived innovation and stability are stronger differentiating factors than many traditional corporate communication attributes.
The CARMA methodology rests on the premise that reputation is an intangible asset that should be measured based on what people really think and feel. For this, the study evaluates six reputational dimensions, Products and Services, Culture, Sustainability, Conduct, Performance and Vision, combined into a Reputation Score that allows direct comparison of each bank’s position.
“It takes years to build a reputation and only minutes to compromise it,” CARMA notes, underscoring that reputation is dynamic and requires continuous monitoring, especially in a sector undergoing deep technological and cultural transformation.
The Reputation by CARMA: Brand Benchmarks – Reputational Analysis of the Portuguese Banking Sector is available for consultation upon request.
