Insights
Thoughts, ideas and more…
Request your free brand maximisation™ audit
Share your brand guidelines with us and we’ll show you how you could uncover new untapped potential with the brand you already have
Thoughts, ideas and more…
Share your brand guidelines with us and we’ll show you how you could uncover new untapped potential with the brand you already have
If you have a project in mind please get in touch. We’re always happy to chat.
Request your free brand maximisation™ audit
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In regulated markets, branding isn’t just about standing out, it’s about staying credible. Modernisation in financial services isn’t difficult because the industry lacks creativity, rather it’s difficult because trust is fragile and regulation is rightly strict. Regulation is in place for a reason and the FCA does an excellent job of protecting consumers. Any claims and messaging must be unambiguous and risk must be acknowledged.
Rebranding is exciting. A lot of energy builds up. Leadership teams are passionate and agencies have something to work with. There’s a danger in the excitement and desire to stand out from the crowd that value propositions are inflated, benefits are exaggerated and messaging promises too much.
Many of the institutions that operate in financial services have legacy systems. So, whilst the external face of the organisation can be modernised, the internal operation of the business may not be able to keep pace and modernisation can only run skin deep. A slick new app or website may be masking aging software. The key is to avoid overpromise and keep eyes on what can be realistically delivered.
In regulated markets creativity needs to be tempered and it’s imperative to stay true and factual. A clear value proposition with defined guardrails and carefully constructed copywriting. These aren’t creative constraints, rather they’re the foundation of any successful rebranding effort.
There’s no doubt that there’s a resistance to change in the financial services sector and it’s not entirely irrational. Customers have skin in the game. They’re not buying trainers or socks. They’re entrusting you with investments, pensions, mortgages and life insurance. So, when a financial brand refreshes its identity, or its tone of voice, or its value proposition, customers subconsciously ask themselves questions like ‘is my money still safe?’ or ‘has something fundamentally changed?’.
Updating and refreshing something they trust and have a longstanding relationship with isn’t necessarily a barrier but it’s certainly a hurdle which brands need to manage carefully. Simplify their user journeys, strengthen identity systems and make sure that the brand is still sending the right signals that they are stable, secure and worth trusting.
Feeling modern in financial services doesn’t require a radical overhaul, nor does it involve an effort to appear younger. In many cases, the most successful rebranding efforts in the sector are the ones that feel clearer and transparent, more human and more accessible. The brands that succeed are those that refine rather than reinvent. They don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. That could simply be a modernising of the language used but it’s evolving in a way that customers feel safe following you.
In branding, the need to feel modern versus being modern are two very different things. You have to walk the walk to talk the talk! We’ve seen this done well with brands like Nationwide and Lloyds who have evolved their visual identities and digital experiences gradually, modernising tone, refining systems and simplifying journeys without destabilising their core signals of security.
In our experience the best results and the smoothest projects happen when brand and compliance are brought together at the beginning of the rebranding effort. By agreeing on shared goals early in the process, establishing clear creative guardrails, defining the risk appetite of the project and by outlining what is and isn’t allowed then creativity can flourish. Clear communication sets everyone up for success. Without fear of rework, without clients falling in love with concepts that cannot be realised and without the frustration of last-minute rejections.
In financial services, the challenge to stand out is high. Products can be similar from one firm to another and the language used is often similar. The best financial services brands are those which have a believable value proposition, make no exaggerated claims, clarify rather than blur and are distinct thanks to their consistency. In a regulated market, trust is the ultimate differentiator.
Considering a rebrand? We’d love to talk.