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The Friday financial marketing & technology briefing.

6d ago

What FS marketers should steal from UX London

Mark's just back from UX London, and this week we dig into what financial services marketers can actually use from it. The headline: stop asking for more research time and start packaging what you already have. We get into validation, falling in love with the problem, not the solution, why failure is a feature of good UX, not a bug, and where AI is genuinely earning its place in the process. If you run marketing or operations in a finance firm, there's a year's worth of customer insight already sitting in your support inbox and your chatbot logs. We tell you how to find it. 00:00 Introduction to UX London and Event Overview 01:55 What is UK London? 02:41 UX is now a board-level concern in financial services 05:02 Effective Research and Stakeholder Validation 12:28 Using Validation to Drive UX Success 21:04 Using keyword research as a source of user validation 24:15 AI chatbots as a source of user research 26:34 Turning Failure into Opportunity in UX 35:04 A framework for organising content 37:09 How did UK London address AI? 41:22 Key Takeaway: The Power of Validation 44:21 Final Reflections and Future Trends

48 min
Jun 5

The Economist is working on a website for the 'two-track web' (one for us, one for AI)

This week, we look at the concept of a two-track internet, something floated in a recent article in Digiday about work taking place at The Economist. We dive into the complexities of creating a web environment that caters to both human and AI users, highlighting the need for a strategic shift in website design and content presentation. Takeaways Two-track internetAI experience Tone of voice is a trust signalAI chatbots may struggle to convey a brand's tone of voice Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Two Track Internet 01:31 The Economist's Case Study on AI and Content 05:41 Exploring AI Experience vs User Experience 08:01 The concept of AIX (AI Experience) 10:59 Designing for Two Different Audiences 16:13 Two-track vs one-track web 25:46 Can AI agents drive trust? 32:03 Navigating Google's Guidelines for Brands 36:43 The Future of AI and Brand Representation 43:03 The Impact of AI on Advertising and Monetisation

49 min
May 29

Don't worry about it, it's just SEO...isn't it?

Google has published a guide on optimising your website for the AI features in Google Search. On the face of it, that's good news; guidance straight from the horse's mouth. In practice, the guide is weak: written in a vacuum, dodging the traffic problem, treating agentic AI as a footnote, and ultimately telling you "don't worry about it, it's just SEO." We aren't convinced. Amelia, Paul, Pat and Russell unpack the document section by section: the jargon (SEO, GEO, AEO, AIO), the technical mechanics (RAG and query fan-out, explained with dominoes), the myth-busting section that's caused half the SEO industry to celebrate, and the bit Google glosses over entirely: agentic AI, and the difference between an AI model's training data and what it pulls in through search. Plus what financial services content teams should actually be doing now, including the compliance challenge of disclaimers being clipped out of AI-generated answers. 02:08 Google's New Guidance on Generative AI 05:49 What is an LLM compared to an AI Chatbot? 08:24 RAG (retrieval augmented generation) and query fan out 11:42 Understanding SEO in the Age of AI 14:15 Is structure still important? 22:15 Google's AEO/GEO mythbusting section 27:27 The Evolution of Search: AI and Google 31:26 Trusting Google's Guidance: A Critical Perspective 34:48 Navigating the New Landscape of Content Creation 40:39 Is Google's GEO guide helpful? 41:42 The Future of Financial Services Content 47:53 The Role of Research and Authenticity in Content 50:52 Jargon Busters: Churning

53 min
May 22

One in three are using AI for personal finance, every week

28 million UK adults are now using AI for personal finance. One in three of them every week. We dig into Lloyds Banking Group's 2025 Consumer Digital Index and what it means for the FS brands trying to stay visible in a world where ChatGPT is doing the top-of-funnel research. Pat shares what happened when he turned Claude Code loose on a year of bank statements. Russell looks at the UX of trust. Paul plays devil's advocate on the sycophants and the scams. And we tackle the data-privacy question every FS marketer should be asking: when ads land in ChatGPT, what does your bank statement say about you? Plus: a jargon buster on ETFs. Takeaways AI in personal financeTrust and concerns about AIData privacy and security Monetisation through AI advertisingImpact of AI on financial services brands Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Personal Updates 04:03 - Exploring AI in Personal Finance 08:37 - Trust and Accuracy in AI Financial Advice 16:47 - The Future of AI in Financial Planning 21:00 - Concerns about data privacy & security 26:31 - The Accessibility Challenge of AI Tools 27:25 - Monetisation and Advertising in AI 28:11 - User Experience and Trust in AI 31:13 - Implications for Financial Services Brands 35:11 - The Future of Personal AI Assistants 39:36 - The Race for Personal and Business Assistants 44:05 - Jargon Busters: ETFs

47 min
May 15

Is friction in a system always sludge?

This week we explore the concept of friction in user experience, highlighting its impact on decision-making, user error, and the role of AI-driven systems. We delve into the balance between speed and convenience, safety, and comprehension, and discuss the potential adoption of AI agents in daily life. We look at the concept of friction in user experience, highlighting the role of design in mitigating friction and ensuring accessibility. We also explore the challenges in legacy processes, user research, and the impact of AI as a financial advisor on consumer protection. Takeaways Friction in user experience can have both positive and negative impacts.The balance between speed and convenience, safety, and comprehension is crucial in the design of AI-driven systems. Friction in user experienceAccessibility and consumer duty Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to friction in the user experience 04:10 - The balanace of caution and convenience 09:35 - Designing for user experience 14:23 - AI's impact on user experience 15:40 - Progressive disclosure 17:59 - The future of AI agents in everyday life 27:09 - Consumer Duty and the concept of 'sludge practices' 42:01 - Navigating pension transfers

50 min
May 8

Bad data in, bad results out

In this week's episode, we discuss the impact of bad data on AI, highlighting the definition of bad data, examples of bad data in AI, and the risks and challenges associated with bad data. The conversation delves into the challenges and implications of AI in decision-making, the impact of bias in AI applications, the technical hurdles in AI implementation, the importance of data structure in AI transformation, and the concept of setting guardrails for AI systems. Takeaways AI Tool PreferenceData Quality and AIAI as a Managerial Tool AI and biasData structure and AIFriction in AI systems Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Chat GPT Subscription13:36 The Impact of Bad Data on AI26:23 Data Quality and AI Implementation50:57 Understanding 'Whale' in Finance

47 min
May 5

Bonus Episode: SEO is sexy again (BrightonSEO 2026 special)

All of the key takeaways from BrightonSEO Spring 2026. The episode discusses the impact of AI on SEO, the rise of zero-click marketing, challenges in defining success metrics, and the changing user journey. It also explores the impact of bias in AI, the redefinition of search as media, and the changing marketing funnel. Takeaways AI's impact on SEOChallenges in defining success metrics Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Brighton SEO06:18 Impact on Brands and Search Results12:13 Redefining Success Metrics25:38 Impact of Bias in AI32:28 Search as Media37:56 Attribution and Long-Term Thinking

36 min
May 1

Google wants to replace your landing pages

The episode discusses Google's controversial patent application and its potential impact on web search and user experience. It explores concerns, controversies, and the role of AI in reshaping web content, as well as the implications for financial services firms and regulatory concerns. The conversation also delves into positive impacts, risks, understanding the patent application, the Model Context Protocol (MCP), concerns and distrust of Google, the impact on websites and user experience, and future scenarios and accessibility implications. The conversation delves into the impact of AI on website accessibility, quality of input and output, and the challenges faced by small businesses. It also explores the role of SEO schema, privacy concerns, and the concept of a web for humans and a data layer for AI. The discussion concludes with key considerations for brands and a fun segment on jargon busters. Takeaways Google's new patent application and its potential impact on web search and user experienceConcerns and controversies surrounding Google's patent applicationThe role of AI in reshaping web content and user experiencesThe implications of Google's patent application for financial services firms and regulatory concerns Quality content is crucial for better AI outputSmall businesses may face challenges with AI-driven website changes Chapters 00:00 Future Scenarios and Accessibility Implications32:12 Impact on Small Businesses39:43 Privacy Concerns and Data Mining45:08 Key Considerations for Brands

46 min
Apr 24

I'm going to replace my design team with AI, unless you tell me otherwise...

The conversation delves into the impact of AI on the design industry, exploring the essence of design, the changing landscape of graphic design, and the role of AI in UI/UX design. It highlights the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in the field of design. The conversation delves into the role of designers in AI production, client concerns about AI, ethical considerations, client perception and acceptance of AI, focus on outcomes and user engagement, AI in UI design and compliance with regulations, frameworks for accessibility and consumer duty, impact of AI on the job market for designers, and a discussion summary with jargon busters. Takeaways AI's impact on designChallenges and opportunities in design with AI Designers possess empathy and understanding towards end users, making them valuable in AI production.The use of AI in design raises ethical considerations and the need for transparency with clients. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage06:14 The Essence of Design and the Design Process11:59 The Role of AI in Graphic Design and Client Transparency21:21 The Changing Landscape of Graphic Design and UI/UX Design26:22 The Role of Designers in AI Production32:10 Client Focus on Outcomes and User Engagement38:23 Impact of AI on the Job Market for Designers

45 min
Apr 16

Pragmatic AI

It's episode one, and we're kicking off our series on pragmatic AI. What is pragmatic AI and what does it mean for marketers and technology teams in financial services?

43 min

10 Episodes

The Friday financial marketing & technology briefing.

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