Personalizing financial brands

Financial matters can be the most personal ones in our lives. Yet, financial brands often feel emotionless, corporate, buttoned-up to the top button. Brands that incorporate a sense of humanity reflective of their employees and customers can stand out in a cold sea of sameness.

Appealing to everyone, connecting with no one

Finances are so personal. Finance brands are so not. To appeal to everyone, they talk broadly about their “years of expertise” and “innovative approach” that “improve outcomes,” helping you “reach your goals” or “whatever matters most” to live with “peace of mind.” Their black, blue and green color palettes offend and excite no one. And their stock photography not only looks like competitors’, but often includes the same models.

Bringing humanity to financial services 

Speak with the investment managers, advisors, analysts, and more who work at these companies and you quickly see the gap between the personality of the people and the brand. Marketers that are willing to unbutton their brand with funny customer stories, candid photography, jargon-free messaging or brutal honesty not only differentiate themselves, but capitalize on deeper connections with those they serve. 

Celebrating the individuality of each investor with Aperio

Recently bought by BlackRock, Aperio works with financial advisors of high-net-worth investors to personalize and tax-optimize their investment portfolios. 

In initial conversations with their leaders, it felt like they spoke a different language. ESG investing, tax loss harvesting and indexed equity separately managed accounts were some of the terms they used to describe what they do. Our minds were in pain. But once we got past the jargon, we uncovered the very human role this eclectic group of researchers (and mostly kite surfers as well, if you can believe it) plays in the lives of their clients.

Aperio reflects who you are through how you invest, celebrating the individuality of each investor. They take a uniquely personal approach to partnership, working side-by-side with advisors and their clients to build the most tailored portfolios in the industry. 

Their positioning, “Portfolios as unique as DNA,” embodies this. Along with a more laid-back tone of voice, we brought their positioning to life with a bright, unexpected visual identity that stands out from competitors, but still fits within the BlackRock system. See the full case study here.