From Starbucks to Duolingo: What Finance Can Learn from Bold Brands
At Vested, we’re proud to be finance-first marketers, but we’re also students of how the world’s most innovative brands are shaping culture, consumer behavior, and business strategy. From wealth management and fintech to retail and digital platforms, our work sits at the intersection of industry expertise and marketing insight.
That’s why I was excited to spend last week at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival in New York’s Financial District. The agenda was packed with big-name speakers (any other Brené Brown fans?) and bold ideas. While the sessions I attended weren’t necessarily finance-specific, the themes of customer experience, technology-driven innovation, and courageous leadership couldn’t feel more relevant to the work we’re doing as an agency and to the challenges and opportunities our clients are navigating every day.
Brewing a Comeback with Starbucks
Starbucks’ CEO Brian Niccol highlighted how the company is re-centering around its role as a “community coffeehouse.” Beyond the convenience of mobile ordering and drive-thru, Starbucks is investing heavily in store renovations, seating, and even something as simple as ceramic mugs to restore the in-person “third place” experience. To Niccol, customer experience is king, small details, like bringing back the condiment bar or comfortable seating, can make a huge difference in loyalty.
AI Beyond the Hype
In another session, leaders from Pepsi, Chipotle, and Fetch shared how they’re embracing AI. What stood out was not the technology itself, but the discipline behind it: building AI literacy, focusing on repeatable processes, and using automation to free teams for creative work. Chipotle’s “Avocado” AI assistant, for example, has streamlined hiring, while Pepsi is working with AWS and Salesforce to test high-value use cases. The common thread: AI works best when it empowers people, not just processes.
Duolingo’s Playful Innovation
Duolingo’s CEO Luis von Ahn reminded us that staying true to your mission can fuel both growth and creativity. With 48 million daily users, they’ve leaned into AI to scale content while keeping their scrappy, playful brand voice alive (think Duo the owl’s unhinged memes). The company’s willingness to experiment, from launching a chess course this summer to letting employees dedicate time to AI exploration, shows how culture can accelerate innovation.
Courageous Leadership with Brené Brown
Of course, no innovation conversation is complete without leadership. Brené Brown underscored that transformation requires courage – breaking what doesn’t work, operationalizing values, and leading with honesty. Her reminder that “presence does not mean preparedness” resonated deeply, especially in a business climate where leaders are under constant scrutiny.
Final Takeaway
Across sessions, the themes of customer experience, disciplined innovation, and courageous leadership connected back to what we strive for at Vested: helping our clients find their voice, innovate with intention, and lead with clarity. Whether in finance or beyond, these lessons apply to anyone building brands that last.
