Starling Bank has launched a UK campaign to encourage Britain’s small businesses to be “Good with money”, marking the bank’s biggest push yet into SME marketing and the second major activation of its brand platform.
The work gives Starling’s business‑banking proposition a dedicated moment of focus, following the consumer‑led retail campaign that aired in April.
For financial‑services marketers, the move signals a clear escalation in the competition for SME loyalty at a time when digital challengers are aggressively targeting business customers.
With Starling already holding a 10% share of UK SMEs, the campaign underlines the bank’s intent to deepen its presence in a segment where financial habits, operational pain points and trust dynamics differ sharply from retail banking.
“Our latest campaign is built on a deep understanding of what’s at stake for UK businesses today,” said Michele Rousseau, CMO at Starling.
“Small business owners are savvy and enterprising in their own right, so we avoided clichés to focus on the real behaviours that drive success.”
Clemmie Telford, Executive Creative Director at The Sunshine Company, added: “If Good with money set out the stall, this is the sister campaign, taking the same mindset and applying it to our business customers.”
Set to Lily Allen’s The Fear and voiced by broadcaster Zoe Ball, the 30‑second film features real business owners sharing the habits that help them stay financially resilient: sending invoices early, automating admin and simplifying payment processes to “make getting paid easy”.
The campaign was created with The Sunshine Company and directed by Sara Dunlop, continuing the cinematic realism established in Starling’s refreshed visual identity launched in September 2025.
Running for two months from 1 June, the media plan, led by MG OMD, prioritises VOD platforms such as ITVX, Prime Video and Sky, alongside smaller partners designed to reach a diverse entrepreneur audience. Radio activity will run across Bauer’s network, while OOH placements will appear in small‑business hubs nationwide, including high‑impact screens, roadside 48s and rail sites.
Starling’s paid digital and social activity will link SME habits to specific product features, including free business banking, integrated accounting software, 24/7 UK‑based support and tools such as Spaces, Spending Insights and Tap to Pay.
The bank will also lean into platforms like Reddit and LinkedIn, where business owners actively seek community and operational advice.
The campaign follows a period of rapid product expansion for Starling, including the launch of free HMRC‑recognised Making Tax Digital software, mobile invoicing, expense cards and Tap to Pay.
It also comes after the bank was named a Which? Recommended Provider for the seventh consecutive year.