For Lilah Zohar, marketing has always been about one thing: making the complex feel human.
Now Vice President of Social and Digital Marketing at Morgan Stanley, she spoke to Financial Promoter during a moment of transition, stepping into a new role after six years in financial services, most recently at Neuberger Berman.
“I’ve been in marketing for well over a decade,” she said. “Across brand, content, digital, the full spectrum. But the part I’ve always loved is taking complex ideas and making them resonate with people.”
That instinct has been shaped by timing as much as experience. Entering financial services just two months before the world shut down in 2020, Zohar claims it was a crash course in both markets and marketing during one of the most volatile periods in recent history.
“It was an education,” she said. “Not just in financial services, but in how quickly the world can change.”
That disruption, she believes, is still playing out six years later. From hybrid working to shifting investment strategies, the industry continues to adapt to a “new normal” that remains loosely defined, but within that uncertainty lies opportunity.
“There’s always opportunity in every market,” she said. “It’s about who you’re working with and how you position yourself.”
For marketers, that means helping clients and audiences navigate complexity with clarity, particularly in an environment where confidence can shift quickly. Despite the technical nature of financial services, Zohar is clear: connection remains the foundation.
“Whether it’s B2B or B2C, you’re still talking to people,” she said. “There are humans behind every decision.”
That belief shapes her approach to channels, particularly social media, which she sees as more influential than ever.
“Social has never been stronger,” she noted. “It’s how people understand who you are as a brand, your story, your reputation, your intent.”
Platforms like LinkedIn have become especially powerful in this regard, offering a space where professional credibility and personal voice can coexist. But success, she argues, isn’t about following a formula.
“There’s no rulebook,” she said. “You have to test, learn, and refine.”
What matters most is substance.
“It’s substance over style that wins. You can’t rely on fluffy messaging, especially in B2B. If it doesn’t say something meaningful, you’ll lose people.”
That shift towards substance is also changing how stories are told. Static content still has a role, but increasingly, Zohar sees video and dynamic formats as essential to engagement.
“The more dynamic the story, the better the outcome,” she said. “People want to hear from people, not just read polished statements.”
This human-led storytelling is key to performance. Audiences are more responsive to real voices and lived experiences than to abstract messaging.
“People are inherently social,” she said. “They want to connect.”
Like many marketers, Zohar is embracing AI, but with a clear sense of its limits.
“It’s helped me immensely,” she said. “But it’s a booster, not a replacement.”
Used well, AI can refine ideas, challenge assumptions and strengthen storytelling. But it cannot replace strategic thinking or genuine understanding.
“You still need the substance,” she added. “AI can’t do that part for you.”
Her move from asset management to investment banking reflects a desire to see the industry from a different angle.
“Asset management gave me a strong foundation,” she said. “But investment banking is where you’re seeing deals happen in real time, M&A activity, companies merging, industries reshaping.”
It’s a shift from analysing markets to helping tell the stories behind them.
“We’re seeing these deals play out in real life,” she said. “And being part of that, being able to tell those stories before they hit the headlines, is incredibly exciting.”
It’s also an opportunity to challenge the status quo.
“There’s so much room to make storytelling more compelling, more engaging.”
That ambition relies on collaboration. Marketing, PR and communications, Zohar argues, are inseparable, each one amplifying the other.
“You need all of them working together,” she said. “If one is missing, the message doesn’t land.”
At a senior level, this alignment becomes even more critical, particularly when shaping executive voice and thought leadership.
“A big part of my role is helping articulate the voices of senior leaders,” she said. “Helping them tell their stories in a way that connects.”
That connection extends internally, too. While some organisations fully recognise marketing’s value, others still question its impact. For Zohar, proving that value is part of the job.
“You have to show it,” she said. “Through KPIs, through outcomes, through alignment with business goals.”
Her new role is a signal of that shift – an acknowledgement that leadership visibility and storytelling matter more than ever.
“My role exists because there’s a desire to be more present, more visible,” she said. “To have a voice.”
If there’s one principle that underpins everything, it’s authenticity.
“Stay true to yourself,” Zohar advised. “And know your strengths.”
In a field where messaging can quickly become generic, authenticity is what cuts through, both for individuals and for brands.
“Markets change. Campaigns change,” she said. “But if you stay aligned with what’s real, you’ll always have something meaningful to say.”