Financial Services Is Still Moving Towards Personalisation. We’ve Been There for Years.

Personalisation isn’t new. Social media feeds are tuned to your interests. Amazon and Netflix recommend exactly what you’re most likely to want next. For years, these industries and providers have known that personalisation is the key to engagement, understanding and better outcomes. 

Financial services, however, has been slower to follow. Despite the huge amount of money at stake, most customers still receive the same statement or update as everyone else. It’s no surprise that research shows 67% of consumers expect their financial provider to understand them and offer a personalised experience (Apiture, People Like You report).

The FCA has acknowledged and is beginning to address this gap. Its Advice Guidance Boundary Review points to new forms of “targeted support” – nudges designed for “people like you” that don’t stray into regulated advice. Combined with the Consumer Duty’s requirement to check and evidence whether customers actually understand what they’ve been told, the regulatory direction of travel is clear: personalisation isn’t optional.

At Video Canvas, we’ve been delivering personalised communications for years. Our in-house studio team designs video experiences that make complex topics engaging and understandable. These modules are deployed through our award-winning Video Canvas player, which was built to flex dynamically for every individual viewer.

Here’s how it works. 

A financial provider embeds the Video Canvas software in their client portal or communication channel. When a customer logs in, the provider’s system passes tags that reflect their profile or circumstances. The Video Canvas player then uses its Dynamic Chapters feature to automatically assemble the right content journey in real time.

For the end viewer, this means:

• Only relevant chapters are shown, sequenced to their situation.
  
• Graphics and data reflect their own figures, not generic examples.
  
• Avatars and narration match their context, speaking clearly and emphasising what matters most.
  

The result is an experience that feels like a one-to-one conversation, not a mass-produced disclosure. It’s flexible enough to cover a pension statement, an investment update, or a product explainer – whatever the provider needs to deliver – yet always feels unique and personal to the viewer.

The benefits are proven. In trials, interactive personalised video has boosted comprehension scores by up to 98%, compared with 68% for paper-based communications. Viewers consistently tell us they prefer clear, data-driven presentations over flashy animations, and providers see higher engagement and stronger evidence that customers truly understand.

As Mastercard’s Evolving Customer Expectations study reminds us, 61% of customers are unlikely to return to a brand that fails to provide a tailored experience. In financial services, that means firms who don’t take personalisation seriously risk losing trust and loyalty.

The industry may still be moving towards personalisation. At Video Canvas, we’ve been there for years – helping our clients deliver communications that are not only compliant, but genuinely understood, trusted, and acted upon.