As tempting as it is to think about marketing as a complex, data driven science, in reality it can be distilled down to some pretty basic philosophies on how to drive people’s behaviour.
The traditional approach is about persuading people to do what you want them to do. Advertising is a key tool in the art of persuasion. This is like the loud and brash friend who always has a flashy new idea, constantly pushing you to try something.
The other approach—which I will call the influence model—is like a friend who’s dependable, who shows up with practical advice when you need it, and doesn’t try to push you into a quick decision. They are there for the long-term, reliable and consistent and never demanding.
It seems almost rhetorical to ask which friend are you likely to trust more?
For financial advisers, as it is with consumers, consistency and reliability always win out over fleeting sales tactics and the constant parade of ‘shiny new ideas’ that are likely to run out of steam next quarter.
As one adviser told us at our recent Growth Collective events:
“We’re used to providers introducing a new initiative every quarter that doesn’t really go anywhere”.
Traditional marketing typically pushes for immediate sales and short-term results. Like the spruikers who lurk at the entrance to restaurants trying to lure you in with quick offers and flashy promises (half price drinks, children eat free), focused on catching your attention right now. But that’s a limited relationship. Once the novelty fades, or when the product doesn’t meet expectations, the customer might walk away, often with lingering distrust.
(Conventional wisdom has it that you should never eat at a restaurant that targets tourists. They have no incentive to offer consistent, reliable quality, as most of their clientele aren’t likely to come back).
Intuitive marketing, on the other hand, plays a long game, based on understanding and fostering deep, lasting trust. It’s the difference between a brand saying, “Let me show you why we’re great right now,” and one saying, “Let us show you, time and again, why we’re reliable.”
In this model, companies emphasise building a consistent relationship that reduces the target audience’s natural vigilance. Initially, when people encounter something new, they’re on high alert, actively assessing its value. But as a product or service proves itself consistently, that vigilance gives way to familiarity and even comfort.
Trust, however, isn’t about constant reassurance; it’s about consistent performance. Trust doesn’t need big bold promises; it thrives on predictability and reliability in the little things. It’s about getting the minutiae right.
Over time, as customers use a product or interact with a brand and repeatedly get what they expect, they start to assume reliability. It’s a quiet confidence, an automatic preference. If they’ve had a good experience, they’re likely to think, “I trust this brand,” and that becomes their default choice.
What makes intuitive marketing so powerful is this transformation of customer choice. It’s not about persuasion at the moment of sale. Rather, it’s a front-loaded influence where trust carries the decision. This means that customers don’t feel pushed or marketed to, they feel like they’re making choices based on what they already know and believe to be true about a brand.
Reliability, consistency, and a reputation for trustworthiness have been shown to significantly enhance brand influence and customer loyalty.
Harvard’s Service-Profit Chain Model emphasises that long-term customer satisfaction and profitability grow from these foundations. Meanwhile, a McKinsey study revealed that companies focused on consistent delivery—getting the basics right—see far higher customer satisfaction than those with flashy but inconsistent service.
The takeaway? Flashy fades, but trust endures.
At Ensombl we work with a variety of companies, from household names to up and coming challenger brands. What they all have in common is a willingness to build trust by giving advisers what they want – solutions to their real-life challenges. Whether it be through insight driven thought leadership, through accessible CPD, or educational, multimedia content, these brands know that to build trust you must be prepared to give before you receive, you must be patient, and above all you must be reliable and consistent.
The reward for this selfless attitude shows up in the numbers. Whether it be our stable of podcasts – the most downloaded financial planning podcast across the entire market – our written content, which achieves readership and engagement others can only dream of, or our ALPD Day, the largest single-day CPD event in Australia, Ensombl is a leader in so many categories. And it’s thanks to our partners being prepared to do what is required to ‘influence’ advisers, rather than persuade them.
If you are looking to influence advisers at scale, reach out, we’d love to chat.
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