Creating personalised experiences is now a critical business necessity. 

Consumers expect brands to understand their needs, preferences and behaviours, rewarding those who do so with increased loyalty and engagement. Almost two thirds of customers now say they expect companies to adapt experiences to match their changing needs and preferences1 and more than half that they’d likely become repeat buyers after a personalised experience2. Businesses that don’t adapt will find themselves outpaced by competitors and at odds with regulatory mandates including Consumer Duty. 

Despite 80% of financial institutions seeing personalisation as essential to meet the expected and required standards3, many still underinvest and deprioritise this within marketing strategies. With fewer than one in four businesses having the required technology to deliver consistent personalised experiences across channels2, the risk is customer disengagement and shallow, transactional relationships.

__The importance of cross-channel__

AI-driven data processing is fast-tracking personalisation across all customer touchpoints, further raising expectations. Without an accurate, cross channel view, insights are limited. 63% of buyers say experiences fall short of what’s possible4 – the same percentage stated they’d stop purchasing following poorly executed personalisation5. Businesses must invest in the right tech and test rigorously sooner rather than later. 

Prioritising personalisation will boost revenue, strengthen brand loyalty and support meeting regulations. This means building targeted, impactful and well-executed personalisation strategies that evolve with customer needs, fostering trust and differentiation. Investing in these efforts will outweigh potential losses, positioning brands for success in an increasingly regulated, customer-centric landscape.

This blog comes from our recent insight paper ‘Signals’, which includes fourteen thought pieces from departmental experts at Teamspirit on emerging trends, opportunities - and how marketers can stay ahead of them. You can download the full ‘Signals’ report [here](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/6BG5pebjty67CF7a8VnEAk/fe62e6890db19c99797987852c736d94/TS_2025_Signals_Report.pdf).

### Sources
1. [https://www.salesforce.com/uk/resources/research-reports/state-of-the-connected-customer/](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/resources/research-reports/state-of-the-connected-customer/)
2. [https://www.twilio.com/en-us/blog/announcing-the-state-of-personalization-2021](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/blog/announcing-the-state-of-personalization-2021)
3. [https://www.dynamicyield.com/personalization-maturity-report-for-finance-2023/](https://www.dynamicyield.com/personalization-maturity-report-for-finance-2023/)
4. [https://www.salesforce.com/blog/what-is-customer-experience/](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/what-is-customer-experience/)
5. [https://www.smartinsights.com/ecommerce/web-personalisation/consumers-personalized-marketing-engagement/](https://www.smartinsights.com/ecommerce/web-personalisation/consumers-personalized-marketing-engagement/)

How can financial services best respond to customers’ growing expectations of personalised experiences?

The power of personalised experiences

Could there be a more perfect setting to host this year’s Innovate Finance Global Summit than the historic and stunning Guildhall, where hundreds of fintech businesses, financiers, marketers and more gathered?  

In a nutshell the message was ‘The future of fintech is the future of finance’.

Janine Hirt, (CEO, Innovate Finance), called for the UK to be given fresh regulatory and governmental support, enabling us to become the world's fintech leader and placing digital finance at the heart of our economic strategy. The size of the opportunity? A £328bn contribution to the UK economy. Innovate Finance’s Stablecoin report (no, not crypto) outlines the opportunity for the UK to stay ahead of this curve and become the global stablecoin issuer by 2026. 

With the future of London’s Stock Exchange critical to the UK’s success story, the launch of The Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PISCES) is much anticipated. This new private stock market has been created to transform how private companies access funds and grow. PISCES is set for its first issuance this year.  

Key summit takeaways:
- Pension fund money flowing into UK stocks is vital. With less than 5% currently held, regulation is needed to make the ‘concierge’ service work.
- Individuals who sell their fintech business and exit taking their cash abroad need to be encouraged to stay. Silicon Valley thrives because the money stays and is reinvested.
- Capital access. Panelist after panelist called for the flood gates to capital to be opened up.
- Retail enfranchisement. A number of panelists called on both the Regulator and Government to unite and change the retail landscape, helping create greater capital flows.
- Consumer confidence to invest. There is a need to help consumers realise the value of investing in equities for long-term saving, not just invest in cash.
- The need to understand the Government’s risk appetite. Stimulating growth requires clarity on this to help the Regulator.
- Set an audacious goal for the sector: e.g. double the FTSE in the next five years.
- There is a need for increased collaboration across the Regulator, policymakers, Government, fintechs and capital revenue suppliers. 
- The summit’s specific asks of the Regulator included:
  - To think ‘fintech first’ in policy.
  - To promote the Government’s Growth Guarantee Scheme for SME lending, reinforcing the success     of the British Business Bank’s distribution role.
  - Change the prospectus rules to make capital raising easier
  - Allow liquidity to retain staff and stem the flights out to Dubai and Singapore.
- Payments. The National Payments infrastructure should focus on the future, including digital assets and digital IDs. making us less reliant on the US.

A terrific day, full of optimism. The energy in the great halls was palpable. Fintech remains as exciting and promising as ever.

How do we ensure our fintech industry continues to thrive? Key takeaways from the 11th Innovate Finance Global Summit.

The future of fintech is the future of finance. 

Slowly but surely, the view of cryptocurrency as a fringe asset embraced only by a loyal, speculative few is changing. This switch in sentiment is being driven by several factors, with one of the most influential being the development of proper regulatory frameworks to support cryptocurrency. Whilst the average consumer might not be overly invested in the technical details of regulation, the knock on effects for the wider economy must be considered. Recent months and years have seen the UK’s two biggest trading partners, the US and EU surge ahead of them in the development of regulation that provides clarity, consumer protections and encourages investment. 

## What's been going on abroad?
Readers of the financial news and market analysts witnessed a big shake up in Crypto markets at the back end of last year. The re-election of former President Donald Trump sent markets soaring across the board with none benefitting more so than crypto markets. Bitcoin, the world’s most universally recognised digital currency, broke the $90,000 barrier, and the total global market value of Cryptocurrency climbed above $3 trillion for the first time in three years. This renewed enthusiasm was fueled by the expectation that the incoming President will continue his ‘pro-crypto’ stance, encouraging widespread adoption of the asset class by American businesses and streamlining compliance requirements. 

Meanwhile in Europe, the Markets in Crypto-Asset regulations (MiCA) have taken full effect across the EU, providing cryptocurrency firms, investors and consumers alike with a clearer set of rules and boundaries that are to be followed. Whilst some Crypto leaders, especially the less established players, will view much of the regulation as overly burdensome and as a drag on investment, having a clear framework dedicated to the asset class is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. A step that the UK has yet to emulate. 

## What’s going on at home? 
In short, not as much as our counterparts in Europe and America. Last year the FCA only regulated four new cryptocurrency firms in the UK, including a full 6-month patch where not a single new firm was authorised. As with any type of business regulation, there is of course a difficult balancing act to strike between ensuring consumer protection, preventing market abuse and encouraging innovation. But if the UK wants to continue living up to its moniker as one of the world's ‘Financial Capitals’ then one would think more has to be done in this space to prevent falling well behind our peers. 

Whilst not without its challenges, Crypto offers the potential for faster international transfers, greater transparency and lower transaction costs. These positives, coupled with recent research from the regulator revealing that 12% of UK adults now own a form of cryptocurrency, offers ample evidence that this growing sector of finance needs to be embraced.

## Steps in the right direction?
Despite the slow start, positive steps are being made in the right direction. The FCA recently regulated two significant players in the Cryptocurrency space, Coinbase and Bitpanda, with the former noting that the UK has quickly grown into their largest market outside of the US. Furthermore, the FCA also announced that their full cryptoasset regulatory regime is due to go live in 2026, providing standardised rules for Crypto firms operating in the UK and therefore bolstering market integrity. 

The UK has long been the home to innovative, world beating financial services companies, from high street giants like Barclays to emerging fintechs like Monzo. Moreover, the FCA itself has proven itself to be a pioneering innovator, with their fintech regulatory sandbox proving so successful it has been implemented by several other nations. If the right regulatory balance is struck, there is no reason why the UK cannot also be home to pre-eminent Cryptocurrency firms of the future.

## Key stats 
- Bitcoin - broke 90k dollars for the first time and global markets value topped 3 trillion usd for the first time in three years - [https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2024/hss/why-donald-trumps-election-win-fuelled-a-stock-market-surge.html](https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2024/hss/why-donald-trumps-election-win-fuelled-a-stock-market-surge.html)
- Criticism of MICA - [https://www.ulam.io/blog/mica-regulations-and-their-impact-on-the-crypto-industry](https://www.ulam.io/blog/mica-regulations-and-their-impact-on-the-crypto-industry)
- UK being sluggish on approvals - [https://www.cityam.com/the-uk-is-at-a-crypto-crossroads/](https://www.cityam.com/the-uk-is-at-a-crypto-crossroads/) 
- Coinbase approval and statistics - [https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/f632bdd5-6b46-48b1-b473-5cfee459c281](https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/f632bdd5-6b46-48b1-b473-5cfee459c281)
- Bitpanda approval - [https://www.cityam.com/bitpanda-shake-up-uk-crypto-market/](https://www.cityam.com/bitpanda-shake-up-uk-crypto-market/)

The view of cryptocurrency as a fringe asset embraced only by a loyal, speculative few is changing. Here’s what’s been going on and why the FCA may yet be a pioneering innovator in the space

Why the UK is playing catchup in the race for Cryptocurrency infrastructure

While the summertime is typically considered a quieter period, it hasn’t been the case for our busy PR team who have been powering through the warm days and launching some fantastic work across a number of our clients. 

One of those campaigns has been Scottish Widows' landmark [Retirement Report](https://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/about-us/media-centre/reports/retirement-report.html), which is now in its 20th year. Examining how people think and feel about the future while charting the nation's preparedness for retirement year-on-year. This year, the findings show an alarming number of people aren’t on track for the retirement lifestyle they would like, people are having to work longer to save the money they need later on, and the heavy reliance on the state pension will continue for the foreseeable future. 

Working closely with the team at Scottish Widows and other agency partners, we launched the report at the end of July. Armed with the landmark findings, exclusive data, case studies, expert spokespeople and the support of sporting legend Paula Radcliffe as third-party spokesperson, the findings landed with a bang across broadcast, national, consumer and trade media. Coverage spanned from BBC You & Yours to The Times, The Telegraph and FT with over 100 pieces achieved to date, and more still to come. 

We love working on campaigns like this for a number of reasons. 

Firstly, engaging with a third party spokesperson, like Paula Radcliffe, added a different perspective on the findings. Paula was able to share her own experience of what it was like to retire from her ‘job’ at an early age, and the emotions she encountered. While this isn’t possible with every campaign, adding a third party spokesperson and well-known voice can really amplify the findings into a different space, to a different audience. And for us, the interviews coincided with the day that Andy Murray announced his retirement from tennis after the Olympics - a nice extra news hook. 

Secondly, Scottish Widows is forging a path in the financial services industry and spotlighting the experiences of marginalised communities. The team understands that we don’t all have the same experience and if we are to improve retirement outcomes across the entire population, we need to understand diverse experiences from those living with disabilities, minority groups and the LGBTQ community. And importantly, equip everyone with the tools, conversation starters and small actions they can take to make a positive change to their financial futures. 

Thirdly, with the formation of a new government we’ve been able to work closely with the public affairs team to call for changes needed to get more people in the UK on track for retirement. From lowering auto-enrolment age, widening the scope to bring in self-employed workers, and increasing contribution rates, these calls, if implemented, would have a really significant impact on people’s retirement outcomes - especially for the next generation of retirees. 

We’re incredibly passionate as an agency about transforming the world of finance for the better and these values align closely with Scottish Widows ambitions. And, with Pension Engagement Season around the corner, this certainly won’t be the last you hear from us! 

The warmer summer weather hasn’t seen our PR team down tools. Instead they’ve been busy launching fantastic work across a number of our clients including the Scottish Widows Retirement Report which is now in its 20th year! Read more here:

Marking 20 years of retirement insights with Scottish Widows

In an effort to demonstrate their fintech expertise, earlier this week Barclays launched a [co-working space](http://www.cityam.com/263931/barclays-ramps-up-fintech-ambitions-launch-europes-largest) for financial technologies in Shoreditch called [Rise](https://thinkrise.com/).

This is the seventh site to be added to Barclays’ growing fintech innovation arm, following on from Rise’s existing locations in New York, Mumbai and Cape Town.

They hope the working environment will nurture customer and business opportunities by pulling together fintech startups, corporate clients and additional experts. The space will be used to host workshops, hackathons and networking on a regular basis.

It is certainly exciting to see London assume a position in this network of global fintech workspaces, and we will keep an eye out for any innovation to emerge from the platform.


In an effort to demonstrate their fintech expertise, earlier this week Barclays launched a co-working space for financial technologies in Shoreditch called Rise.

A Rise for London

Related News

Sun 17 Aug 2025

The power of personalised experiences

Mon 5 May 2025

The future of fintech is the future of finance.

Tue 4 Mar 2025

Why the UK is playing catchup in the race for Cryptocurrency infrastructure

Thu 15 Aug 2024

Marking 20 years of retirement insights with Scottish Widows