Fintech is an industry born out of a series of sparks of ideas that have ignited and disrupted the entire way money moves. Fintech Luminaries, an exclusive VIP event held annually ahead of the world-renowned South by Southwest (SXSW), honors the fintech companies responsible for transforming the financial services world for the better.

As an agency on a mission to help fintech companies build brands and grow through purpose-driven marketing strategies, CSTMR was honored to be one of this year’s sponsors for the FinTech Luminaries event in Austin on the evening of March 9. Our team met with industry leaders—including CEOs, founders, and executives—who are playing an integral role in the future of fintech.

Expected to experience a CAGR of 74.16% between 2019-2025, fintech is one of the most influential and fastest growing sectors in financial services history. To be in the presence of so many influential members of the fintech community was as educational as it was humbling.

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In a city of over 100,000 businesses, CSTMR is honored to make UpCity’s Austin City Excellence List highlighting the top 20 marketing service providers in the area.

An agency built by industry leaders and sustained by a team dedicated to helping fintech and financial companies grow, CSTMR crafts purpose-driven marketing strategies that empower, inspire, and fuel the unlimited potential of every business it serves.

Published on May 14, 2019, UpCity’s Austin City Excellence List celebrates the top 20 marketing service providers in the city. City Excellence Award winners are chosen based on their individual UpCity Rating, a proprietary scoring system aimed at identifying the “recommendability” of marketing agencies to the businesses that depend on them.

CSTMR was hand-selected by UpCity for its unwavering commitment to brand integrity and customer satisfaction. “The competitive landscape of digital marketing agencies here in Austin makes this honor that much more special,” said CSTMR Founder and CEO Rory Holland following UpCity’s announcement on Tuesday.

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Here’s why you should join us at The Forum 2018 May 7-9th in Las Vegas.

1) The latest financial marketing ideas, actionable insights and networking with peers!
The Forum 2018 brings specialists in banking, financial services, digital marketing and design explaining the “how to,” not just “why you should” — three straight days loaded with strategy sessions, killer keynotes, and in-depth workshops.  The Forum 2018 Agenda.

2) Learn from the best in the business.
No one goes to a conference to listen to a bunch of consultants make sales pitches. Which is precisely what makes The Financial Brand Forum different. Our speakers never “sell from the stage.” When we build our agenda, we look for one thing only: the smartest teachers we can find — period. The Forum 2018’s world-class lineup includes speakers including, Guy Kawasaki, Randi Zuckerberg,

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We’ve accelerated growth for Fintech and financial service companies at all stages of growth.

Whether it’s a humble startup, recently nourished with their first investment, or a blue-chip brand looking for exponential growth, both will likely hit a wall at some point. That’s usually when our phone rings looking for help.

Here are a few key questions to ask yourself:

1. You’re short on experienced resources

Assessing the competition’s marketing efforts can be a heartbreaker. You know you need to establish/re-establish yourself but you don’t have the staff or expertise to pull off what you want to achieve.

2. Sales pipeline needs priming and conversion rates are poor

When filling your sales pipeline and meeting conversion goals cause you to let out a “BIG SIGH! It’s equally heartbreaking to tinker with website copy, email marketing, paid advertising,

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Having been personally involved in crafting Finovate pitches and having seen many dozen more, I know how exhilarating and scary it can be. You’re putting it out there, trying to communicate all of your hard work and vision to a room full of fintech practitioners, partners and investors (don’t forget the investors!), to tell them that you are the next big thing in financial services — all in seven minutes.

If just the thought of it makes you break out in a cold sweat, here are five tips to remember that might help you prepare for your big moment in the spotlight:

1. Keep it stupid simple – I know, the saying is “Keep it simple, stupid” (KISS), but I prefer to take it a step further. Keeping it “stupid simple” doesn’t mean dumbing it down, but getting to the very basics of your offering.

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A single ant can bear 5,000 times its own weight – not too shabby for such a small insect. But strong as they are individually, ants are most impressive when seen in their colonies. Each ant serves a necessary function, whether that’s gathering food, laying eggs, or protecting the queen. Together, they sustain a thriving, dynamic colony.

Marketing teams, whether internal or a collection of outside resources or contractors, can learn something from these tiny heavyweights. Rather than each person toiling away in isolation, everyone should collaborate and innovate together for the greater good of the company.

When you draw customers into your pipeline, you must give them a coordinated path to follow. You can’t delight them with a fun social media post, then expect them to follow up on their own. Clear calls to action turn prospects into customers.

Establishing that path requires a team effort,

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