Case studies
AREA
Banking and fintech solutions
B2C Branding / B2B Branding / Product and service development / Employer branding
Context
Who will come to own the fintech space?
Fintech is the ultimate technology playground, where transforming established players and up-and-coming challenger brands fight over who will get to define the future of finance as we know it. The challenges in doing-so are threefold. For challengers, it is trying to make new value understandable and relevant in one of the hardest categories to explain to a user. For incumbents - it is finding ways to catch-up in terms of digital experience, value models and image. And for all involved - attracting top tech talent and employees with niche competence to be able to scale.
Experience
Helping banks and fintech startups find their human value
We have extensive international experience in brand and product development for financial services, aiding executives in discovering, explaining and delivering new user value. Since 2016 we have worked on transforming established bank brands, trend and service innovation projects for regional leaders as well as helping bring new startups to the global market. In each project, we aim to work in unison with executive teams to find the right path forward through research and experience backed decisions.
COMPONENTS
- Group brand architecture
- Brand strategy
- Brand identity
- Employer brand strategy
- Tone of voice
- Brand messaging
- Internal launch guidelines
- Creative agency briefing
B2C Branding / B2B Branding / Business strategy
Šiaulių Bankas
Transforming a local bank brand
We were approached to help a local bank rethink their value in the banking category, dominated by bigger regional banks and challenged by international startups like Revolut. Siauliu Bankas was finding it difficult to expand its client base due to its outdated brand perception. We needed to find a clear value territory for a traditional bank unable to attract new audience segments. While the established and emerging service providers were focusing on directing clients towards digital service and self-service use in cases of all key financial services, we saw an opportunity for our client to become more approachable and flexible in terms of where and how bank’s clients are served. Our client’s already existing advantages in live customer service and the largest physical branch network created an opportunity to reposition it as the most people-friendly bank that is closer to clients, businesses, and changes that happen in the region.
Product and service development
SEB
Enhancing banking experience across digital and physical space
With the banking and related sectors undergoing rapid digitalization, it is becoming more difficult to navigate changes in market standards, client expectations and strategic digital product and service development opportunities. Our cooperation with SEB resolved product and service offering development opportunities both in digital and physical channels. While implemented separately, the projects followed the same logic: 1) analysis of global trends, solutions and regional practices 2) followed by internal strategic sessions 3) and finally - validation with target audiences that allowed to define functional requirements and development directions.
Brand strategy and design
Rockit
Positioning a leading fintech innovation hub
Rockit was looking to update its identity and positioning that would reflect its growing ambition and would set it apart among other innovation hubs. Working together with Latvian, Lithuanian, and Swedish marketing teams, Synthesis evaluated alternative positioning scenarios and helped define the development direction that resolved around creating a neutral space for fintechs, banks and talents. Finally, the ambition of representing the local fintech community both locally and internationally was successfully translated into renewed visual identity.
Brand and sales strategy
Creditinfo Group
Building a unified global sales approach
Creditinfo is a leading service provider for credit information and risk management solutions worldwide. The company operates in 42 countries, which makes it difficult to maintain a consistent and efficient approach to product presentation and sales. Our challenge was to create a unified product positioning and sales logic that would work for both marketing and sales teams around the globe. We realized that in order to avoid commoditisation, our narrative had to pull away from product features and focus on ultimate business values - discovering new customer segments, re-evaluating existing ones and, instead of selling a complex financial product, accessing uncovered markets. This became the new positioning, which we translated into a coherent sales narrative, sales materials, and team trainings.
Testimonials
“We managed to reform our brand image and actions, uniting the business around a principle that sets our offering apart.”
Paulius Pocius
Director of Marketing & Communications, Šiaulių bankas
