5th Feb 2026
It is often said that there is comfort in the familiar. It’s predictable and ‘safe’. However, in an AI-driven attention economy, where financial advice decisions are often made quickly, this can be a costly mistake to make. Especially when it comes to your brand.
Why? Because a dull brand means you blend into the background. Which, in an era of consolidation in the financial advice sector, means you are in danger of being ignored.
That is why taking a risk with your brand (without being ‘risky’) should be the one thing advice companies should do in 2026.
This is something we explored in a recent webinar, where we talked about ‘Selling the Sizzle’.
The sizzle is how you make people feel, and how much you stand out. Because, if everyone looks the same, sounds the same and says the same thing, clients stop paying attention. And, you won’t grow if no one’s paying attention.
In the session we discussed three important lessons all financial advice companies should take note of:
People don’t buy what they don’t understand. If your brand is vague or confusing, the brain rejects it. Not out of spite, but out of self-preservation. Clarity is a survival mechanism.
To demonstrate the point, we often talk about the ‘Netflix effect’. Once a bold disruptor with must-watch shows, it is fast becoming a library of familiar content shaped by data rather than creativity.
It’s safe but bland. A sea of “gourmet cheeseburgers”, as a recent article in the Guardian put it.
Consolidation and the growth of AI means that the financial services sector is in danger of heading the same way. Thousands of smaller advice firms have either merged or been bought out over the past few years. In fact, according to analysis from a Freedom of Information request by Begbies Traynor, the number of UK advice firms fell from 6,283 in Q1 2022 to 5,304 in Q3 2025, a drop of 15.6%.
The result of this is a landscape where many firms are beginning to look interchangeable.
This means that the ones who choose clarity, originality and proper brand work will stand out, giving them an enormous advantage over their competitors.
Something we often take clients through to demonstrate the point is a piece of research that is fun at first glance, but has a really serious message behind it when it comes to your brand.
During a test for a series of ads, participants were asked to score videos based on how each made them feel. Among the ads was a video of some cows standing in a field doing absolutely nothing.
Which ad performed best? I think you may know where this is going.
Yes, the cows outperformed three quarters of the ads.
That’s right, 75% of video ads scored worse than a field of cows doing nothing.
So, if you want to be remembered, you have to stop blending in. Not by being loud, but by being unmistakably you. Your brand should feel human, specific and confident. Not generic and definitely not corporate beige.
The recent Budget gave us a useful reminder – every time the Chancellor steps up, advisers experience a wave of client contact. Those clients are not reacting to spreadsheets. They are reacting to the story they believe the numbers are telling them about their future.
Money has always been emotional and brands that understand that outperform those that do not.
This is why we use StoryBrand principles with advisers. When you frame your client as the hero and position yourself as the guide, you tap into the emotional pattern people naturally respond to. It creates recognition, trust and momentum.
In the final analysis, you are not the hero, your clients are. Your clients aren’t interested in your story until they see how it connects to theirs. They want to see themselves reflected back, their problems, goals, and worries. Then, you can show how your service solves that problem.
Will 2026 see more consolidation in the financial services sector? Will AI continue to influence who sees your brand? The answer is probably ‘yes’ to both.
While it is difficult to predict the next big trend one thing is certain, your brand has never mattered more.
A clear message, confident tone, and website that feels alive, are things that can’t be merged, acquired or automated.
So, in a world optimised for efficiency and where everything is starting to look the same, advisers that invest in their brand will be the ones that win.
Your brand and website should be powerful assets, so we’re offering a free Brand Scan to help. It’s a professional look at where you stand today, and what improvements should be made.
You need only drop us a line – or if you prefer a chat, use our online booking tool – and we’ll get the ball rolling.
What the Beckham saga reveals about intergenerational wealth transfer, and why adviser brands and websites must appeal to the next generation.
The algorithm made Netflix boring. Don’t let it do the same to your brand. Stand out with personality, purpose and a brand that feels human.
We joined P1 Investment’s Time & Money webinar to show how storytelling and strong branding help financial firms stand out & grow. #BeLessCow
What the Beckham saga reveals about intergenerational wealth transfer, and why adviser brands and websites must appeal to the next generation.
The algorithm made Netflix boring. Don’t let it do the same to your brand. Stand out with personality, purpose and a brand that feels human.
We joined P1 Investment’s Time & Money webinar to show how storytelling and strong branding help financial firms stand out & grow. #BeLessCow
