Why is consistent storytelling important in global branding

How do you develop ideas that resonate with a global audience?

We always consider this question when crafting engaging content for Ferratum or for any other of our brands. It takes a team of professionals to produce great concepts and creative materials for any campaign. The secret to our success has been building a strong in-house creative team and a surrounding network of long-term external agency partners and freelancers to bring ideas to life. An approach like this provides a healthy balance between the work we do in-house and the external freelancers or agency partners that support in selected cases. This is what sets us apart: crafting scalable and globally relevant assets for our markets worldwide, being true to our brand voice.

What are the benefits of an in-house creative team?

Working with an in-house team is a strategy that startups and fintech companies use instead of relying primarily on outside agencies. This arrangement allows for more creative freedom in what we can accomplish while staying true to our brand. We have built a talented brand and creative team together with a solid network of long-term, professional freelancers and some key agencies to seamlessly shift and pivot based on the needs of any particular campaign. My team also reaps the benefit of more job satisfaction by working internally and with creative partners to keep conversations fresh and ideas flowing. Introducing AI tools into our content creation practices, be it copy or images, has further increased our efficiency, as well as provided a new creative path to take.

What are the best practices for working with external partners?

We can accomplish quite a lot internally, but some tasks are better left to an external expert. For example, illustrators or animators are masters of their craft and imperative for specific campaign assets but would not warrant a dedicated full-time position in-house. We also have a long-standing relationship with our lead creative partner, VML Finland, which helps our key campaigns deliver the anchor video & TVC content. This additional creative arm adds to the scope of what our campaigns can become and, being with us for many years already, knows our brand's past and present, providing myself and the team invaluable and much-needed unbiased 3rd party consultation.

What problems do you have to overcome?

Best-laid plans can always change, and sometimes for the worse! For example, an excellent idea was formed for a Women's Day campaign a few years ago showcasing how women need to break through walls in many cases to achieve their goals. It was a fantastic idea on paper, with a strong message and a well-thought-through activation plan spread across different marketing channels. We started to produce it in icy Tallinn during February with a temperature of -25 degrees. Unfortunately, the outcome of the video was not what we expected. Physically going through a wall did not feel natural and didn't deliver our intended message holistically. Engaging with our creative partner and in-house team to brainstorm alternative solutions on the spot proved to be an incredible asset. We pivoted and cut the video from the original length into a quick, snappy one, delivering just the key message. This problem provided a better way to share this concept and became a fantastic, well-received campaign.

How do you stay current with trends?

Staying on top of trends and having amazing ideas 24 hours a day can start to waver for anyone. My team and I are so fortunate to be able to engage in inspirational workshops and meetings to stay up to date with the latest business, marketing and creative trends with our network of creative partners and international colleagues from all our markets. We share best practices, market knowledge, industry forecasts, ideas for fresh approaches and creative angles, test new tools like AI-powered solutions etc. Fresh ideas happen through collaboration, and this is especially true when it comes to trends that are forever changing.

Do you have any tips for speaking to such a broad audience?

Our brand positioning, tone of voice and visual identity are core to sharing the story of who we are and guiding all we do. Consistency is key to telling a cohesive story, especially when scaling messaging across various cultures and languages. A global brand must be experienced in the same manner throughout various customer channels to provide value, help in global customer recognition, and eventually lead to lower customer acquisition costs. The ultimate goal is to guide customers on a streamlined, unique, and engaging journey.