The paradox of risk

Finance has a strange relationship with risk.

On the one hand, it thrives on it and is completely necessary for the industry to survive. Trading strategies, portfolio investments, M&A moves. Risk is literally baked into the business model.

On the other hand, when it comes to marketing, everyone suddenly grabs their armrests and hangs on for dear life.

The contradiction isn't hypocrisy. It's psychology.

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Why finance bosses are ‘risk-averse’ in marketing

Financial decisions are measurable. You can calculate VaR, build accurate financial models and stress-test them and back-test outcomes.

But with marketing, it’s much more difficult to quantify whether a bold headline will attract clients or make them walk away.

And when something can’t be modelled, people who have worked in finance instinctively lean more towards being conservative.

There’s also career risk.

A portfolio loss can be rationalised – you know, ‘market conditions’ and all that. But a failed campaign can become much more personal.

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Why you should take more risks anyway

In crowded markets, complete safety makes you invisible.

If your message feels exactly like everyone else’s, you’re not protecting your brand, you're camouflaging it. And this will stifle your growth.

Look at Stripe.

Payments are as dry as it gets. But they lead with clean, human copy and bold product launches. These are the things that make headlines.

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And what about Wealthsimple. Their “Money Diaries” series turned finance into human-first storytelling by having celebs and everyday people share raw, personal money experiences.

With vulnerability came trust, making finance relatable. People then sought out Wealthsimple to see how it could help them with their personal finances.

It proved that you can be bold in a risk-averse industry without crossing compliance lines.

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The art of the calculated risk

Taking a risk doesn’t mean doing something reckless.

It means pushing just far enough to stand out – but with a parachute.

So, here’s how to tiptoe past the corporate tripwires without setting off the “let’s run this by legal for six months” alarm:

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1. Start with a low-stakes experiment. Suggest a “test run” on a narrow channel (like a targeted LinkedIn ad set) before going right across the business.
2. Frame it as a competitive defence. Risk-averse stakeholders tend to respond better to “we really don’t want to be left behind” than “hey, I know, let’s try something different”.
3. Provide evidence: Show past campaigns in similar industries or geographies that worked well with similar moves.
4. Highlight the backup plan. Just in case it doesn’t land, have a backup plan in place.

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The psychology of persuasion

Stakeholders don’t say no because they hate ideas. They say no because they fear loss more than they desire gain. It’s a cognitive bias called loss aversion.

You win them over by making the upside feel tangible and the downside feel contained.

So, for instance, instead of saying:

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​“Hey, I had this great idea. Let’s run a bold, plain-English campaign about our asset-backed lending!”

pitch them with:

“We need to stand out in a market full of corporate speak and attract 8 new clients by year-end. This campaign aims to do just that. Let’s limit it to one region and if it underperforms, we can pull it within one week.”

The first is an idea.

The second is an idea with a seatbelt.

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Final thought

In finance marketing, the real risk isn’t doing something bold. It’s blending in.

When trying to get buy-in, your job is to make boldness feel like it’s the safest choice on offer.

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Speak soon

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