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The Friday financial marketing & technology briefing.

  1. 4d ago

    Reacting to the FCA's 2026 Annual Public Meeting

    This week saw the FCA host it's annual public meeting in Edinburgh. Hosting over 900 attendees both online and in the room, the FCA were quizzed on topics from how it works with whistleblowers, Consumer Duty, AI, and more. We pick up on the technology and marketing angles present in the event and unpack what we took away. We look specifically how the FCA does (or doesn't) oversee AI, and what that means for firms in the industry. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the FCA Public Meeting and Key Themes 03:25 Human Element in Financial Regulation 05:28 Handling of Criticism and FCA's Response to Whistleblower Questions 11:14 AI Developments and FCA's Upcoming Papers 13:11 Regulation of AI and Consumer Duty Framework 14:47 Financial Advice from Large Language Models 16:12 Firm Accountability for AI and Technology Use 18:05 Targeted Support Regime and Advice Gap 20:08 Regulation of AI and Fast-Moving Technology 21:58 Lead Generation Crackdown and Data Misuse 23:50 Enforcement Actions and Data Provenance 25:59 Data Gathering and Observational Data Use 27:42 Consumer Duty and Market Impact 31:55 Vulnerable Customers and Power of Attorney Issues 37:21 Accessibility challenges and power of attorney 38:23 The FCA is appealing for support in assessing Consumer Duty outcomes 39:56 Using Data and Trends to Detect Harm 42:44 Search Trends and Financial Harm Indicators 43:32 Jargon Busters: Fiduciary Duty

  2. Oct 2

    Signal Loss launch: why Google Analytics isn't as useful as it used to be

    It's launch week for Q4 and this edition is all about Signal Loss. Whilst demand for accurate reporting data is as high as it has ever been, access to clean and reliable web data is arguably worse than it has been since the launch of the web. To kick things off, we dig into cookie compliance and why Google Analytics (or GA4) isn't anywhere near as accurate as it used to be. Thankfully, we have a few thoughts on what marketing teams can do ahead of planning their 2027 marketing strategies! Chapters 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 00:16 Meet the hosts and episode context 01:03 Series focus on trust and signal loss in Q4 02:12 Setting the scene for tracking challenges in 2026 05:23 Technical overview of web tracking and cookies 07:18 The decline of Google Analytics and cookie compliance 12:03 The rise of third-party tracking and privacy laws 17:30 Browser controls and their impact on tracking 20:46 GA4 and the limitations of cookie-based tracking 23:23 Impact of cookie banners and user opt-in behavior 26:12 Data segmentation and bias in tracking data 30:42 Triangulating data sources for accurate insights 31:41 Design considerations for cookie banners and UX 35:39 The future of cookies and alternative tracking methods 39:55 Google’s evolving approach to privacy and ad targeting 44:48 Emerging AI tools and privacy concerns 46:26 Key takeaways: triangulation and data reliability 47:05 Jargon busting: understanding junk bonds

  3. Sep 25

    Using Cloudflare? You might unwittingly be blocking your website from search

    In July (2026), Cloudflare announced that it was going to categorise web crawlers (bots) in one of three ways: search, agent, or training. If you want to opt out of training, you can block training bots - easy, right? Not so...common crawlers such as Googlebot (critical for showing up in Google search) are classed as multi-purpose. They crawl for search purposes, but they also train AI models. In this discussion, we explain Cloudflare's strange decision to hide settings within the 'security' section and how easily a brand could trap itself into obscurity if it chooses the incorrect settings. Chapeters 00:00 Introduction to AI training and web crawling issues 01:58 Overview of Cloudflare's categorization of crawlers 03:31 Cloudflare's default settings for training and agent crawlers 04:27 The challenge of 'multi-purpose crawlers' 06:19 What is Cloudflare and how does it work? 08:14 The evolution of Cloudflare's features and internet security 09:28 The rise of AI crawlers and their impact on content security 11:36 The challenge of balancing bot access with website security 15:31 Implications for businesses and website owners 21:32 Managing crawler settings and the role of IT and marketing 24:25 Historical context and the evolution of AI and web scraping 25:48 The decoupling of impressions and clicks due to AI overviews 28:17 Cloudflare hides crawler settings within 'security' 29:39 Next steps for businesses: managing Cloudflare settings 33:20 The importance of transparency and security in bot management 38:30 The future of website visibility and AI training 42:02 Jargon busters and closing thoughts

  4. Sep 18

    AI is powering financial fraud and the battle against it

    Fresh from our annual security training with Pat, the team discussed AI-driven fraud in our industry. It's a growing challenge; according to Mitek/Datos, U.S. unsecured credit losses reached ~$2.94 billion in 2025, up from $1.8 billion in 2020. We cover some horror stories, like the UAE banking exec who was scammed by a 'deepfake' of a company Director into initiating $35m in transfers. But AI is also at the forefront of the fight against fraud. Banks are flagging potential issues sooner and apps are using smart features to show when you are and aren't on a legitimate call. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to AI's impact on fraud 01:48 Statistics on AI-driven fraud increase 03:44 Deepfake scams: case studies from 2020 and 2024 07:09 How scammers use AI to craft convincing emails and calls 12:50 The role of AI in enhancing verification and security 13:37 Who owns the role of tackling AI-driven fraud? 18:21 The evolution of scam sophistication and AI's role 22:29 The concept of AI prompt injection 29:58 Using AI in the battle against fraud 31:31 Balancing security with user experience 33:40 Invisible security measures and behavioral signals 36:52 Balancing data sharing for security versus privacy 41:39 Innovative UX features to prevent scams 46:47 Future outlook: AI in security and fraud detection 49:04 Jargon busters: amortisation

  5. Sep 11

    Talking pension engagement and more with Nick Laws of Nest & The Centre for Inclusive Money

    This week, Paul and Amelia sit down for a chat with Nick Laws, the senior creative leader behind work with Nest Pensions and the recently rebranded Centre for Inclusive Money (formerly Nest Insight).   Nick chats about the tricky task of engaging consumers with their pensions. We touch upon his work alongside Aardman (of Wallace & Gromit fame) on building a national ad campaign.   We also discuss the role of influencers in financial campaigns; including the Everyday Investor campaign featuring a former winner of The Great British Bake Off who baked using products that benefited from Nest pension pot investment.   It's a fascinating discussion covering one of the most lively parts of the world of financial services.   Chapters   00:00 Introduction to Nick Laws and his role at Inclusive Money 02:28 The challenge of engaging consumers with pensions 04:17 Complexities of pension types and communication hurdles 06:32 Creative restrictions in financial promotion 09:28 Working with Aardman on the Nest brand awareness 15:37 Auto-enrollment and consumer inertia in pensions 21:43 The Everyday Investor campaign and innovative engagement 30:24 Impact of generative AI on creative work 37:54 Working on a mission-led brand and its unique aspects 39:36 The importance of purpose and authenticity in branding 40:59 Jargon busting: Understanding the black swan event

  6. Sep 4

    SEO in financial services & why SEO is a Consumer Duty factor

    We've just updated our big guide to SEO in financial services, so this week the marketing team got together to define what SEO actually means in our industry. We outline the challenges banking, insurance, wealth management, and fintech firms face in search and what good search strategy looks like. We also outline our case for why search is a relevant factor when it comes to Consumer Duty. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to SEO in Financial Services 01:09 What is SEO and why is it different in finance? 04:36 Unique challenges of finance SEO: YMYL 05:49 EEAT: Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness 07:01 Regulatory and compliance considerations in finance SEO 11:40 Subsector differences: Banking, Wealth Management, Insurance, Fintech 16:38 SEO in wealth management 19:55 SEO for insurance brands 22:03 SEO for fintechs 23:22 Content strategies: FAQs, keyword research, and outdated content 27:12 Powerful keyword research using a brand name 29:28 Building a strategic approach: Technical, Content, Promotion 33:24 Navigational search and user journey optimisation 36:40 Impact of AI and generative search on SEO in finance 42:28 Consumer duty and the importance of accurate search results 45:59 Why SEO is a Consumer Duty factor 46:37 Jargon Busters: AUM

  7. Aug 28

    Finding the bias inside AI with Azahara Corrales

    Is AI actually neutral? Is that something you've even ever thought about? Earlier this year, Paul and Mayna attended BrightonSEO and our favourite session was an eye-opening talk on the bias within AI. So this week, we're delighted to be joined by the expert behind that session, Azahara Corrales! Did you know that 71% of men vs. 29% of women report having AI skills (Randstad, 2024)? Did you know that Citizens Advice found customers in areas with high Black and South Asian populations were quoted at least £280 more for car insurance? These aren't quirks of the system, they are manifestations of a deep bias that is present in the AI systems and algorithms the world (increasingly) relies upon every day. AI consultant and adoption advisor to leaders, Azahara Corrales, has devoted time to understanding and spreading awareness of this often overlooked risk. For anyone working with AI (that's probably all of us), and any firm rolling out AI systems, this episode should be required listening! Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Azahara Corrales and episode overview 00:57 Azahara explains her focus on AI bias and its origins 01:54 Why this topic captured the interest of the hosts 03:10 The importance of understanding how AI works 03:54 Where AI bias actually comes from 05:58 Disparities in AI usage among genders and age groups 08:03 The bias triangle: builders, users, data 10:26 Research findings on gender bias in language models 12:02 The deep-rooted nature of AI bias and its persistence 13:28 The impact of biased AI in everyday life and decision-making 15:36 Self-fulfilling biases in AI and solutions 17:30 Practical advice for users to mitigate bias 19:10 Regulation, regulation, regulation: the need for oversight 22:59 The long-term consequences of unregulated AI 24:07 Bias beyond gender: race, religion, and other groups 27:49 AI in financial services and personal finance 40:17 What individuals and firms can do now 41:49 Jargon Busters: Flat money

  8. Aug 21

    Does the financial services sector have an accessibility issue?

    This week we jump back into our Consumer Duty teardowns which throughout four weeks earlier this year, shocked us with the level of web accessibility issues. Of 600 issues uncovered, almost half were accessibility challenges. We're joined by accessibility expert and advocate, Luke, who takes us through what some of the terms mean, and where things are going wrong. In an area that the FCA is sure to take an interest in, this is a must listen for teams in our sector. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest expertise 00:16 What is web accessibility and why it matters 06:24 What's the difference between A, AA, and AAA in WCAG? 10:06 What accessibility issues did we find in FS? 11:50 What, actually, is a screen reader? 17:19 FS websites are failing users who can't/don't use a mouse 20:48 Is accessibility compliance extra work? 23:15 Can AI fix accessibility challenges for firms? 30:44 Is the finance industry failing its consumers? 35:16 Is this bigger than just being the right thing to do? 43:34 Why doesn't the FCA currently mandate WCAG AA standard? 45:39 Jargon Busters: AER

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The Friday financial marketing & technology briefing.

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    Indulge
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
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