Financial services advertising in SA is characterised by jargon and little differentiation. Advertising in this category tends to fall into one of two categories: more factual ads that use complicated jargon and emotive storytelling that does little to reveal the brand or product’s differentiation. According to Wendy Bergsteedt, Coronation head of marketing, brands have been doing a good job of telling stories and relying on big budgets to do so. But no sooner has one brand crafted a unique creative space than competitors follow suit. “We have to achieve a level of brand distinction, ideally based on original brand meaning and purpose,” she says. Many brands in the financial services category continue to rely on a more esoteric approach to get their proposition across, she points out. “A big challenge for financial services brands is misattribution,” says Bergsteedt. “Given the parity in the category and competitive spend patterns, consumers are generally confused.” Locally, media ...
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