Let’s get straight to it: if your financial or healthcare brand sounds like everyone else, you’re invisible. And in today’s crowded, high-stakes landscape, invisibility is a death sentence.
I recently surveyed top marketing leaders across these industries. The overwhelming majority—80%—said differentiation and brand trust are their biggest hurdles. That tracks. Between tight regulations, cautious consumers, and fierce competition, most brands end up retreating to the safety of sameness.
Here’s how to stop blending in and start standing out:
1. Nail your positioning—or be positioned by someone else
You can’t differentiate without a crystal-clear brand position. What do you stand for? Who are you here for? Why should anyone care? Generic slogans and vague promises don’t cut it anymore. The brands that breakthrough have a sharp point of view—and aren’t afraid to use it.
2. Stop chasing features. Start telling stories.
In both healthcare and finance, people are scared, skeptical, and overloaded with options. They don’t need another product sheet. They need to know why you exist, how you help, and what makes you worth trusting. Brands like CVS Health have leaned heavily into storytelling to humanize their services and build deeper consumer connections—a strategy that helped them grow loyalty during a time when trust in healthcare institutions was declining. (source: Deloitte Health Care Consumer Survey.)
3. Speak directly to your actual audience (not everyone)
One of the fastest ways to become forgettable? Trying to please everyone. Great brands make deliberate choices. That means understanding your best-fit customers deeply—and crafting messaging that hits their pain points, not just your talking points.
4. Lead with emotion, back it with evidence
Yes, we’re in rational, regulated spaces. But emotion still drives decisions. Whether it’s the stress of a retirement plan or the fear of a health diagnosis, your audience is feeling something. A brand that acknowledges those feelings—and responds with clarity and care—will always win out over one that simply lists features and benefits.
5. Be consistent (because repetition builds trust)
You can’t say one thing in your email campaign and another on your website. In a world full of noise, consistency isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about trust. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, 81% of consumers say they must be able to trust the brand to do what is right before buying. That trust is built through clear, aligned messaging—over time, across every touchpoint.
Bottom line? Differentiation is survival.
If you can’t clearly explain why your brand matters—if your audience can’t see it, feel it, or believe it—then you don’t have a brand. You have a placeholder.
Sources:
Edelman. “2023 Edelman Trust Barometer.” https://www.edelman.com/trust/2023-trust-barometer
Deloitte. “2023 Health Care Consumer Survey.” https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/industry/health-care/consumer-behavior-trends.html