If you think memes are just for Gen Z scrolling through TikTok, think again.
Memes have become a surprisingly effective way for fintechs to cut through the noise, especially in a sector often accused of taking itself way too seriously.
Take Revolut, for example. Their Instagram strategy has often leaned on playful graphics and irreverent posts that feel more like something a friend would share than a bank. Compare that to the starchy “customer update” emails we’ve all received from legacy institutions, and it is clear why Revolut gets far more traction on social media channels (to the tune of 10x in most cases).
Why does this matter for fintechs? Because customer trust isn’t just built on slick interfaces and FCA regulation (those are table stakes); it’s built on relatability. Memes offer a shortcut to showing personality and building community. A 2024 HubSpot survey found that 52% of Gen Z prefer “funny” content while 63% say “relatable” and "authentic" content is vital when engaging with brands. And given Gen Z are the fastest-growing cohort of digital banking users (Business Insider, 2022), that’s a stat worth memeing about.
Of course, not all memes land. Remember when Pepsi tried to jump on the “protest” bandwagon with Kendall Jenner in 2017? The backlash was swift, proving that if humour or cultural references feel forced, the internet will call you out. The lesson: memes work best when they’re authentic and rooted in your brand voice.
For fintechs, this could mean poking gentle fun at industry jargon (“Another day, another ‘AI-powered’ card processor”) or highlighting shared frustrations (like watching an international transfer crawl through the system at the speed of dial-up internet). Done well, memes can turn faceless companies into brands people root for.
You still have to deliver outstanding service and fix issues quickly - you don't have permission to be silly or funny if your service is patchy or unreliable. But when you get the balance right, engaged customers will help you in other ways – they’re more willing to share feedback, write reviews, suggest upgrades and make recommendations to friends.
So, the next time your marketing team is debating whether to post the Woman Yelling at a Cat meme to illustrate investor versus regulator expectations, don’t dismiss it outright.
Sometimes, a well-timed joke is the best investment in long-term engagement.