How we partnered to transformed 27 years of legacy into a scalable, modern brand.

Company: Financial Services Industry: Financial Planning & Wealth Management Engagement Type: Brand strategy, Storybrand, Messaging, Brand Identity Timeline: 3–4 months Role: Brand Strategist, messaging lead, identity designer

Gained deep alignment on identity, audience, and messaging

Strong team cohesion with minimal revisions throughout the process

The new direction resonated with both clients and leadership team

Equipped with the tools to grow with consistency and confidence

Conversion-centered messaging and story designed to connect with both retirees and professionals

Despite managing over $200 million in private assets and thriving for 27 years purely through referrals, Finmap lacked a digital presence, consistent visual identity, or clear brand story. They had no website, minimal messaging, and visual branding that varied across materials.

With plans to expand, the stakes were high: without a unified brand and message, Finmap risked stalling its growth and alienating its next-generation audience.

I recommended we reposition the firm by building a brand platform that aligned its $200M credibility with a modern, human-centered identity. Instead of starting with design, we first created clarity on messaging, values, and archetypes to make sure every future expression of the brand felt consistent and scalable.

The Brand Platform to create a central source of truth to anchor the brand

StoryBrand principles to simplify complexity and make the customer the hero

Brand Archetypes (Sage + Caregiver) to balance credibility with empathy

Customer Personas (ICP) to map out key needs and goals of ideal client

Gain consensus on their identity, mission, and audience personas

Translate 27 years of legacy into a clear, repeatable message

Build a scalable foundation for geographic and generational growth

Move from ad-hoc design to a cohesive, future-proof brand system

We delivered a full brand system, including:

Brand Workshop and Facilitation: To align with the team and step

Brand Platform: Values, archetypes, voice, customer personas, mission, and vision

StoryBrand Narrative: Hero’s journey framework tailored to Finmap’s customer archetypes

Messaging Toolkit: Brand statements, taglines, CTAs, and core messages

Visual Identity: Refined logo, color system, typography, and Circle of Concern motif

Design Assets: Moodboards, logo stylescape, and a comprehensive brand guide

No digital presence

Disconnected visual identity

No clear messaging or positioning

Brand built on founder-led trust, but hard to scale

A unified brand rooted in legacy, clarity, and empowerment

Visual system ready for web, print, and campaign use

Clear messaging that speaks across generations

Internal alignment on Finmap’s role, promise, and customer journey

This new internal mantra captured the shift from transactional finance to human-centered planning.

If that’s what you want, let’s talk.

https://calendly.com/gavinbooyens/discovery