Keeping up with ephemeral social media trends while maintaining compliance with regional regulations is a tricky task. Chris Franklin, CMO at Vibepay, Laura Brown, CMO at M&G Investments, Sophia Bhaumick, head of marketing and commercial at WTW, and Jonathan Franklin, global social media lead at Janus Henderson discussed how to navigate this at Financial Promoter Live! 2025.
“We are highly guided by compliance, with regulations in every region shaping our processes,” said Bhaumick, “When it comes to social media and global campaigns, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.”
She added that each piece of content must be tailored to regional nuances, local regulations, and, of course, undergo compliance review.
“Finfluence”
Franklin discussed Janus Henderson’s internal “finfluencer” strategy, which focuses on leveraging employees as brand ambassadors rather than seeking external influencers who must learn the brand’s values from an outside perspective.
He said: “That’s something we also focus on internally, leveraging our colleagues who engage with the press and attend events as influencers,”
“By developing advocacy campaigns, we train employees to represent the business and share their expertise, building trust and positioning them as reliable sources of knowledge because they have the qualifications.”
Chris Franklin added that there is value in having a person presenting a message, as it unlocks a deeper level of consumer trust.
“The reality is that consumer trust people more than large corporates,” said Franklin, “Delivering a message that is free of jargon can be practical for consumers, as long as companies are mindful of what advice they are giving.”
Social media usage is growing
Brown added to the discussion the diverse capabilities of social media, and how companies need to educate internally.
“There’s still a learning curve around social media literacy within the business, so some education is often needed to explain its value,”
“We tend to use it more as a broadcast channel rather than for true social engagement. However, by guiding people through the process, showing them what we’re aiming for and encouraging small tests, we help them gradually build confidence and get involved,” she said.