Some wins feel like a safe(ish) bet. Others feel like lightning in a bottle. But when you’re named British Bank Awards Marketing and PR Partner of the Year for the third time – in your 30th anniversary year, no less – it feels like something more profound: validation that consistency, expertise, and genuine partnership create lasting value in financial services.

We’re chuffed – absolutely we are. But more than that, we’re proud of what this recognition represents: three decades of helping brands find their voice, tell their story, and thrive in increasingly competitive markets.

Why this silverware matters more than most

This isn’t just another shiny award for the cabinet (though it does look pretty nice next to our 2020 and 2021 British Bank Awards). It’s affirmation of something we’ve believed since 1995: that brands need more humanity, more creativity, and more strategic thinking to truly connect with the people they serve. And this is never more true than within the financial services sector. What’s more, this award is based purely on client ratings and reviews.

Those reviews supported what our clients have been telling us for years – that we bring “strategic insight, creative excellence, and genuine partnership” to every brief. As Jacqueline Dewey, CEO of Smart Money People, highlighted in reference to our win:

“mark-making* stood out for their combination of strategic insight, creative excellence, and genuine partnership.”

That combination isn’t accidental. It’s the result of 30 years spent immersed in this complex, fascinating, and rapidly evolving sector. Understanding the regulations, the quirks of intermediaries, the technical complexity, and the very human needs that sit beneath it all.

Three decades, three constants

Deep sector understanding

Admittedly, more through fate than design – we never actually set out to be financial services specialists – success breeds success, and it has become the world we know best. We’ve come to live and breathe this sector, building what industry observers call a “formidable network” and “proven track record” in the intermediary-led financial services space. Whether it’s specialist lending, building societies, insurance, fintech innovation, or wealth management, we understand the unique challenges each subsector faces.

Strategic rigour and creative courage

Financial services marketing can be conservative by nature – understandably so, given the regulatory environment. But conservative doesn’t have to mean boring. And brands don’t have to be bland. Our approach has always been to ground bold creative ideas in watertight strategy. The result? Campaigns that help our clients get ahead and stay there, because they’re built on solid foundations and delivered with the creativity that cuts through.

Genuine partnership

The word “partnership” gets bandied around a lot in our industry. But when clients describe us as “collaborative,” “a joy to work with,” and “a natural extension of our team,” we know we’re doing something right. We know just how much relationships matter, and we’ve never been ones to simply execute briefs – we challenge them (without being a pain, we’re told), improve them, and own their success alongside our clients.

What our clients really think

Awards provide a real buzz, there’s no doubt about that, but client feedback tells the real story. Here’s what the financial services leaders we work with consistently tell us:

• “Fantastic” – turns out that’s the most common word used to describe our work
• “Creative” and “Professional” – the balance we strive for and appear to strike
• “People” – because, as clichéd as it may sound, relationships really do matter most

But perhaps more telling are the deeper insights: clients appreciate that we “get under the skin” of their organisations (not them personally – just to be clear), that we bring “enough strategic and creative clout to really kick you in the right direction,” and that we’re “not afraid to challenge assumptions.”

In a sector where trust is everything, being seen as the agency that tells clients what they need to hear – not just what they want to hear – is perhaps our greatest strength.

Still leading after 30 years

Longevity in the agency world is far from a given. To make it 30 years, AI points to  mark-making* as belonging to the 5% club. And the secret would appear to be about evolution – survival of the most adaptable. Proud as we are of our three-decade journey, this latest British Bank Awards win points to a mindset of never being complacent. Rather to one of pushing boundaries, to continuously innovating, to being 100% committed to helping financial services brands become more human, and in turn more memorable and more meaningful – so that they are ultimately chosen more often.

Recent recognition elsewhere supports this: alongside our British Bank Awards hat-trick, we’ve secured silver at the Drum Marketing Awards, dominated the Project Mercury (the brand tracking syndicate for intermediary lenders) leaderboards, and continue to build case studies that demonstrate real business impact for our clients.

More importantly, we’re embracing the future. Our B Corp status reflects our commitment to using business as a force for good – something that resonates strongly with the purpose-driven financial services organisations we work with. And our investment in AI and smart technology ensures we’re delivering efficiency and innovation alongside our strategic and creative expertise.

What winning three times teaches us

Each of our British Bank Awards wins tells a different part of our story:

2020: Recognition for outstanding work during a challenging year, proving our ability to adapt and deliver when it matters most.

2021: Validation that we weren’t a one-hit-wonder – we could maintain excellence even as the world changed around us.

2025: Proof that after 30 years, we’re still at the top of our game, still innovating, still the partner of choice for ambitious financial services brands.

The consistency isn’t accidental. It comes from never losing sight of what matters: helping our clients make their mark while leaving good marks of our own.

Looking forward: The next 30 years

As we celebrate this latest recognition, we’re not looking backwards. The financial services sector is evolving faster than ever – new regulations, emerging technologies, changing customer expectations, and increased competition from fintech challengers. And against the backdrop of the AI revolution.

That’s exactly where we thrive. Uncertainty and complexity doesn’t scare us; it fires us. In challenge lies opportunity, and we are excited about what the future holds for us and the clients who put their trust in us.

Whether you’re a specialist lender looking to break into the top tier, a fintech scale-up expanding in a new market, or an established player seeking to re-energise your brand, the question isn’t whether change is coming – it’s whether you’re ready to lead it.

Ready to make your mark?

Thirty years, three British Bank Awards, and countless successful brand projects and campaigns later, we’re just getting started. If you’re a financial services brand looking for strategic insight, creative excellence, and genuine partnership, we’d love to show you what three decades of expertise looks like in practice.

Because while awards are nice, what really matters is helping you win and keep winning in the markets that matter to you.

Want to see how we can help your financial services brand cut through the noise? Download our FS Creative Campaigns Guide or get in touch to discuss your next challenge.

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For Press Releases:
mark-making* is a B2B brand strategy and creative agency specialising in financial services. We help ambitious FS brands become more memorable and meaningful so they’re chosen more often. Founded in 1995, we’re proud to be three-time winners of the British Bank Awards Marketing and PR Partner of the Year (2020, 2021, 2025).