Humanising financial brands through storytelling

Bank accounts, superannuation funds, loan repayments – they can feel like uninteresting, almost nuisance fixtures in consumer’s lives.

And it doesn’t help when brands insist on using bland, jargon-filled messaging to peddle these financial products.

But behind every mortgage or investment is a human need – security, growth, stability… By tapping into that need through storytelling, financial institutions can set themselves apart.

Trust is currency for financial brands

Trust doesn’t come from having the best rates or the slickest app. It comes from a genuine feeling of human connection. Storytelling is key to building up that currency.

By sharing relatable and emotionally engaging stories, financial brands can go from faceless entities to trusted partners who understand their customers’ needs, concerns and goals.

What it means to humanise your brand

Humanising a brand means making it approachable, trustworthy and empathetic. It requires really getting into the weeds about what your customers are looking for, and letting them know that you get it. The stories you tell can do a lot of this legwork.

Take Sharesies, for example. They’ve made investing – something that can be super intimidating – feel accessible and fun. The way they write is relatable and approachable, and they talk about finance the way a friend would, without all the confusing jargon. They’re all about creating equal opportunity for people to invest – and this consistently comes through in their content.

Right now, Westpac is driving home a story around ‘safety’. And their content is cleverly positioning products that speak to this. They’re plugging the data protection features in their app, their youth savings account with parental controls. Even the Westpac helicopter is taking up real estate on the homepage. This consistent message of safety – especially when words like ‘recession’ and ‘crisis’ are dominating news headlines – puts customers at ease. It says: your money is safe with us.

Another example is the very Gen Z-coded digital bank, Up Bank by Bendigo. They know their audience insanely well. A Spotify-wrapped for your finances? Genius. Shouting you a coffee on a random Thursday? Brilliant. Perks aside, Up has built its brand narrative around the human side of money – what it can help you achieve, what milestones it can unlock. It’s not simply about the number in your account.

How financial brands get messaging wrong

Unfortunately, some financial brands miss the mark when it comes to humanising their messaging. The three most common mistakes we see are:

Fake authenticity: Many brands say they care about their customers but, for some, their actions don’t align with their words. If the story you tell through your content doesn’t match the customer experience you provide, people will notice – and trust will take a nosedive.

Inconsistency: When a brand’s messaging fluctuates across platforms, it confuses customers and erodes trust. If your brand is playful on social media but formal and distant elsewhere, or if your values seem to shift depending on the campaign, customers will struggle to connect.

Self-centred messaging: A lot of brands make the mistake of focusing too much on themselves – what they offer, what they stand for – without ever addressing what the customer really cares about. You have to lead with what’s in it for them​.

The power of a good story

So, how does storytelling fit in?

Storytelling taps into emotions, making customers feel something beyond the cold logic of numbers. For financial services brands, where trust is paramount, this emotional connection can be the key to long-term loyalty.

Stories can also be aspirational. We’re all out here, hustling to create a secure, prosperous future for ourselves. If your audience can see themselves – or the version of themselves they want to be – in your content, they’ll be more likely to think of your brand when the time comes.

And most importantly, storytelling builds trust. It allows brands to demonstrate their values – be it transparency, responsibility or something else. That could mean introducing a few of the faces behind the brand, or sharing a customer success story in an authentic, engaging way.

How to tell a story that sticks

Want your stories to stick with your audience? It’s a careful blend of science and art. Here’s how to start:

Make your customer the hero of the story: Use storytelling archetypes to craft a story that consumers are hard-wired to respond to.  

Get hyper-granular: Focus on the small, but relatable moments of your customer stories to magnify benefits

Focus on the transformation: How will your customers be transformed? What role did your brand play in that? Once you get to the crux of the story, you’ll feel your heart move – and your customers will too.

Storytelling is your competitive advantage

Trust is a valuable currency in the financial services industry, and trust comes from human connection. By embracing storytelling, financial brands can move beyond cold, transactional relationships and build genuine, lasting connections with their audience.

It’s time to stop talking at your audience and start connecting with them. At Wonderthink, we’re here to help you tell stories that inspire trust and drive results.

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