Making Finance Feel Human: Inside Experian’s Brand-Building Creative Strategy

Experian is upgrading its brand identity—moving from a focus on credit to becoming a consumer’s “Big Financial Friend.” During a recent panel discussion, Nicole Dancel, Brand & Marketing Insights Research Lead at Experian, and Steven Millman, SVP of Data Science at iSpot, shared how celebrity and influencer authenticity is key to making this shift resonate.

The Strategy: Brigning Levity to Finances

The topic of finances can feel stuffy and confusing. To help counteract that, Experian actively seeks partners who bring levity, relatability, and a sense of reality to the category. Actor and comedian Sam Richardson anchors their “Big Financial Friend” campaign, helping to introduce the brand’s expanded mission. Through iSpot Creative Assessment, Experian found that the ad excelled at conveying “new news,” validating that the celebrity partnership was effective in communicating the fresh message. 

The brand also uses creators to act as educators and conduits in the complex financial space. A prime example of this is their partnership with LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. When Johnson was featured in broad-reach broadcast ads, the creative successfully over-indexed with its intended younger audience.

Measurement for Authenticity

For Experian, authenticity is the baseline, not a buzzword.  Partnerships must be a natural fit with their core brand equities, and measurement is crucial to confirming this alignment. By tracking performance across the full funnel they can see exactly how their singular brand voice resonates and performs across broadcast and digital channels. As Millman explains,  balancing brand salience with conversion isn’t just a nice to have—it’s what drives long-term growth and a strong market presence.

Key Takeaways

• Validating Brand Evolution: Experian is successfully rebranding from a credit bureau to a “Big Financial Friend.” The lead ad, featuring Sam Richardson, was validated by performing “exceptionally well” on new information and news, confirming the message shift landed with consumers.
• Influencers Drive Full-Funnel Performance: Experian uses influencers like Flau’jae Johnson as “educators” to make finances relatable. Her creative “over indexed with that younger consumer base” across both digital and broadcast channels, proving a singular brand voice works.
• Unified Measurement Focus: Experian successfully links brand response with direct response (brand pull and web traffic), using tools that track performance across the entire marketing funnel.
• Strategic Insights: Tools that provide competitive intelligence, norms (benchmarking), and specific audience views are essential to ensure that creative choices support both brand salience and performance against competitors.

By focusing on star power, unified measurement, and authentic partnerships, Experian is reaching their marketing goals and making finance an approachable conversation for all.