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In the dynamic world of financial marketing, seasoned expert Daniel Darst, SVP and Deputy CMO at Flagstar, champions the power of storytelling. He often distills complex ideas into a single, resonant word, like “patience”, to connect with audiences.
Darst recently leveraged this concept to differentiate Flagstar’s investment expertise. As the bank expands its wealth management and private banking services beyond traditional retail offerings, he recognized a unique angle. “What’s an investor got that they don’t think about? It’s patience. It’s a beautiful word,” Darst explains. This insight led to a series of successful posts for Flagstar, spotlighting the virtue of patience in investing.
Understanding Your Audience: Beyond Simple Demographics
Darst emphasizes that the most challenging aspect of a marketer’s role is “getting the story right.” Effective storytelling involves grasping the core desires of people and then skillfully adapting that narrative for various demographics and audiences.
He cautions against over-reliance on standard generational models. While understanding demographic distinctions is crucial, Darst believes many bank marketers fall into a trap of rigid generational pigeonholing. True storytellers, he asserts, look beyond such simplistic categories.
This critical theme will be explored further by Darst at The Financial Brand Forum 2026, where he will present “Five Generations, One Brand: How to Stay Relevant Across a Century of Change.”
The Resurgence of Storytelling in a Data-Driven World
The importance of storytelling is escalating, particularly as web-based analytics face challenges from AI-driven search. In this evolving landscape, Darst highlights that “the messaging, the storytelling, the value proposition, and the actual attributes of your brand are more important than ever.” Fundamentally, brand basics are making a powerful comeback. “Your brand has to have resonance and stickiness,” he stresses.
Challenging the “Rise of the Engineers”
While data-driven marketing is often celebrated, Darst argues that an excessive emphasis can be detrimental. He refers to this phenomenon as “the rise of the engineers” – data scientists who often view demographic segmentation as the ultimate solution.
Darst frequently observes meetings where every marketing message is meticulously refined by generation. However, he strongly believes that categorizing people by broad demographics is misguided.
“A 75-year-old woman can have the same response as a 25-year-old man to a checking account offer or a message about wealth management,” Darst explains. He notes significant “movement and porosity between groups.” For instance, two 16-year-olds can have vastly different outlooks – one seeking novelty, the other preferring stability. Similarly, a “wild and crazy 52-year-old” might be open to a new offer, while another might dismiss a digital ad with stock imagery as inauthentic. Marketers must invest more energy, Darst advises, rather than assigning uniform messages to seemingly homogenous groups.
Discovering Nuance: Uncovering Hidden Audience Segments
To excel as a storyteller, Darst advises dedicating time to understanding subtle nuances and customizing messages. This means looking beyond the obvious.
While it’s clear that individuals in their 70s are more likely to consider retirement than those in their 20s, many marketers mistakenly assume all seniors are solely focused on income management. This can lead to wasted marketing efforts on those with different priorities, such as navigating a multi-generational “sandwich” caring for elderly parents, adult children, and grandchildren. Others, Darst points out, might be affluent and have entirely distinct concerns.
Learn more from Daniel Darst at The Financial Brand Forum 2026.
Don’t miss Daniel Darst’s breakout presentation, “Five Generations, One Brand: How to Stay Relevant Across a Century of Change” — a session loaded with proven strategies and real-world examples you can put to work immediately. Meet Daniel in person live at the Forum 2026, and see why he’s one of our all-time top-rated speakers with sessions that are standing-room-only!
Financial Services Aren’t Just About Age
Darst believes many marketers overlook significant opportunities among older consumers due to pigeonholing. He criticizes the pervasive marketing approach that often portrays older individuals in pharmaceutical ads as solely defined by their age and medical conditions.
“Yet I would rather try to bring in a 50-to-70-year-old who has money, who can make good financial decisions, and become a loyal customer than some flighty 22-year-old who is clicking on every link they see,” Darst asserts.
So, how would a storyteller like Darst frame a compelling message for this demographic? His take:
“Build a story around the importance of a healthy, mature life with a healthy, mature bank that can flex with you, listen to you, and offer you solutions.”
Connecting the Dots: Addressing Overlooked Needs
Darst encourages marketers to delve into deeper, less apparent consumer needs that transcend traditional demographics. He cites financial fraud as a powerful example. While performance marketing often prioritizes product sales, many consumers across all ages and income brackets share a common anxiety about fraud.
Older individuals may be acutely aware of scams like “pig butchering,” worrying for themselves or their parents. Conversely, digitally native younger consumers, though tech-savvy, can be ironically naive about online risks, trusting nearly every link they encounter, potentially losing critical personal data.
Selling security presents a compelling, cross-generational narrative. Flagstar, for instance, actively participates in industry-wide anti-fraud initiatives and implements various white-label solutions. Banks and credit unions with similar commitments have a powerful story to tell a population increasingly concerned about digital safety.
The Indispensable Role of Creativity
Despite the current emphasis on data and the growing acknowledgment of storytelling, Darst warns against dismissing the importance of creative elements in marketing. He views this as a significant oversight.
“If we’re not getting the story across, if we’re not communicating it with the right language, the right images, the right color pattern, the right fonts, then, even if it’s only a two-second digital message, we’re missing our opportunity,” he states.
Banking organizations, Darst believes, must dedicate more attention to upper-funnel marketing. This is where compelling storytelling truly shines, generating a “halo effect” that ultimately boosts results in the lower funnel.
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Source: Thefinancialbrand.com