Financial marketing

When is a financial services brand no longer a financial services brand?

28th February 2018

….when your people no longer know what it stands for

How many times have you been at a conference or similar gathering and listened to people being asked “So what does your firm do?” Sometimes you will be inspired by the answer, as someone succinctly and deftly says what they deliver and achieve above and beyond the transactional process of selling insurance or finance etc.

Broken brands
Sadly, however, the answer can come back as ‘We’re an adviser’ or ‘We’re in insurance’. Occasionally you may get an unquantified statement as to how they are a ‘disruptive brand challenging the norm’ (but perhaps not delivered with the conviction to say how).

That’s when you know that a financial services brand is broken – when your own people can longer articulate what it stands for.

It’s at that point that you have to take it back to the workshop for restoration.

The urban myth of expense
Conventional wisdom has dictated for far too long that brand development projects are long, difficult and expensive. That is an urban myth. The secret is to transform the project into an inclusive, outcome driven, coaching programme. After all, if only your agency is involved in designing your brand, how on earth can you expect your team to own it and cherish it every day?

Proven brand workshop process
Our tried and tested one day Brand Workshop process can restore your brand and ensure that you create a clear and compelling shared and strongly differentiated vision, in an actionable framework. This will enable your firm to bring your brand to life in a way that turns your employees into ambassadors and that your clients will love and want to actively share with others.

As part of the Brand Workshop process, we guide you to developing and articulating the brand’s purpose, proposition and personality. We will you help map out the practical details of how your brand can be a unifying force that drives every area of your business.

All of your future communications will cascade from this important session, enabling a consistent approach to market.

The brand workshop will:

• Ignite your business purpose, defining the essence at the core of your brand and business
• Spark the imaginations of your senior team through a powerful and deliverable shared vision
• Illuminate your firm’s irresistible points of difference
• Create an elevator pitch that enables your unique value propositions to shine
• Deliver a marketing action plan that spreads your messages like wildfire.

Litmus test
If you have read this and are thinking that this isn’t for you and all is well, go out into your office and ask five people what your firm does.

If the answers are a united, punchy and passionate pitch that makes even you want to say ‘Tell me more!’ – all is well.

If the answers make you scared, you need workshop time.

Remember, a brand is more than a logo. If it becomes lost, you’ll be fighting to save your organisation’s very soul.