U.S. HISPANIC
Milena Sabogal of Zenith Colombia: “The Advertising Business Remains a Blend of Science and Art”
12 de diciembre de 2025
Milena Sabogal
The Colombian advertising sector is undergoing an accelerated transformation driven by digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, and an increasingly demanding consumer. In this landscape, Zenith—the media agency of Publicis Groupe—is redefining its role under the leadership of Milena Sabogal, who took over as Managing Director in March 2025 with a clear priority: establishing a more agile model focused on Return on Investment (ROI).
For Sabogal, 2025 has been a year of consolidation, marked by the integration of new capabilities aimed at operational efficiency. Zenith has sought to balance the rigor of managing multi-million dollar budgets with the flexibility demanded by a volatile market. “Every industry is changing, not just because of the economic context, but also due to new technologies reconfiguring the way we work,” she noted.
The Reality of Artificial Intelligence
One of the greatest challenges has been managing expectations surrounding AI. Sabogal warns that while powerful, AI is not a catch-all solution:
“Many want to solve operational issues with the ‘magic wand’ of Artificial Intelligence. But a client’s business—production, the plant, distribution, pricing—AI doesn’t fix that. Everything remains a blend of science and art.”
The Obsession with ROI
Zenith’s positioning as “The ROI Agency” is supported by a robust team of mathematicians and statisticians who develop econometric models to guide investment decisions. “If I recommend a medium, it’s because it brings a return on investment and is validated,” Sabogal asserts. The challenge, she explains, is not just building complex models, but making them understandable and useful for clients.
Throughout 2025, the agency transformed its analytical team so that results are no longer just “charts that no one understands,” but actionable insights. This collaborative approach has strengthened relationships with key clients like L’Oréal and AB InBev, while also attracting new accounts, including two major brands set to debut in Colombia in 2026.
2026: A Challenging Year Full of Opportunities
With a calendar marked by elections and the FIFA World Cup, the coming year will be far from simple. “It won’t be easy, but then again, which year has been?” Sabogal reflects.
Advertising investment in Colombia remains below regional standards. According to IPG Mediabrands, the 2024 per capita investment was $27 USD, far from the global average ($160 USD) and the regional average ($65 USD). For 2025, growth was projected at 7.7%, driven mainly by digital media (+19%).
This growth, however, brings added complexity. “It’s getting harder every time. Client problems are more complex and deeper,” she says.
In this panorama, the strategic moves of Publicis Groupe—including the acquisition of Epsilon—are vital. “Epsilon is that ‘data brain’ we are leveraging. Very interesting things are coming for the World Cup, involving advanced audiences and segmentation.”
For Sabogal, the formula for 2026 combines flexibility, rigor, and judgment: “The spirit has to be: we are ready. And if something is missing, we calibrate and we get it done.” This vision consolidates Zenith as a central player in the evolution of the Colombian advertising market.
