The term “mass affluent” encompasses a significant portion of investors, typically those with £50,000 to £5m in investable assets. This group is estimated to control around 67% of UK investable wealth, underscoring the importance of understanding their financial attitudes and aspirations.

Yet, despite their substantial market influence, financial brands often misunderstand or misrepresent them.

The mass affluent are distinguished not only by the size of their portfolios but also by their investment behaviour and mindset. Proprietary research from AML, conducted through its Investor Index, surveys those with over £10,000 invested, while a high-net-worth cut isolates individuals with more than £500,000 invested.

‘76% of high-net-worth individual investors agree that investing for the long term is more important than ever,’ notes Ian Henderson, CEO of AML. This compares to 67% of all investors, highlighting a pronounced focus on strategic growth rather than short-term gains.

Risk appetite is another defining trait.

High-net-worth investors tend to take more calculated risks than the average investor and exhibit a greater confidence that markets will recover after downturns. They actively seek multiple sources of information from advisers and traditional media to social platforms and emerging digital tools to inform their decisions. This willingness to explore diverse channels challenges the stereotype that affluent investors are conservative or disengaged from innovation.

‘One misconception is their financial savvy; you may think that they are less likely to follow trends,’ Henderson explains, ‘more HNWIs bought cryptocurrencies this year compared to last and are more likely to rely on traditional channels.’ The segment increasingly relies on technology such as robo-advisers and AI tools like ChatGPT, supplementing traditional advisory channels rather than replacing them.

For marketers, connecting with this audience requires careful messaging. Emotional brand appeal, trust, and mental availability resonate strongly, while commoditised or indistinct campaigns tend to fall flat. ‘A strong brand can help here as it can provide direction to a company’s services at any level of communication. This applies across broadcast campaigns through to targeted content and social campaigns,’ Henderson says. Effective storytelling conveys the unique value a financial institution can deliver, rather than simply promoting products.

Balancing exclusivity and accessibility are crucial. Campaigns must reach both current investors and potential future clients while communicating personalised benefits. Successful examples illustrate this principle such as: ‘Examples from our own work range from Barclays Private Bank, where the messaging is exclusive, targeted and premium. Through UBS, where a social media campaign targeted UHNW women with educational content aimed at improving financial empowerment (which drove significant lead generation) to Vanguard, where the broad-church messaging (from savers to UHNW) was designed to be inclusive and accessible,’ says Henderson.

The choice of channels and touchpoints reflects the segment’s evolving media habits. High-net-worth investors trust both financial advisers and influential voices such as “finfluencers.” This duality requires campaigns that appeal simultaneously to advisers and end clients. Digital-first wealth platforms and fintech entrants have also reshaped the landscape, pushing traditional institutions to focus on unique benefits beyond basic platform capabilities. ‘Investing is now easy for everyone, and previous selling points such as platform capabilities have become hygiene factors. Brands need to hone-in on the benefit they deliver on top of their investment proposition,’ Henderson notes.

Data and personalisation play a supporting role in campaign strategy. While financial marketing often overweight activation, allocating roughly 75% of effort to short-term tactics – research suggests an 80:20 split favouring brand-building is more effective. Personalisation enhances engagement but should reinforce the brand rather than replace it.

Emerging affluent clients, especially younger generations set to inherit wealth, are reshaping marketing strategies. They are confident navigating market volatility and increasingly consult diverse sources, including digital tools, to inform their decisions. Brands must clearly articulate their value proposition to attract this cohort, demonstrating relevance and empowerment.

Several campaigns exemplify effective engagement with mass affluent audiences:

• Barclays Private Bank – a highly successful global content campaign targeting UHNW (ultra-high net worth) through digital, social and physical media (such as premium printed magazines and events like Monaco and Wimbledon). The content ranges from high-end travel and restoring old Jaguars, through to school choice and moving region. Content is created by world-class journalists and image-makers
• UBS – social and digital campaign targeting UHNW women, who are underserved by most private banks. Educational, networking and support content including film, workbooks and events. Drove significant lead generation among UHNW female inheritors and entrepreneurs.
• Vanguard – IPA Effectiveness award winning campaign (big deal in the marketing industry) that has transformed the UK wealth sector by offering ‘value to investors’, from first-time ISA savers to UHNW.

Across these examples, the common thread is clarity of purpose, audience insight, and a balance of broad and targeted approaches.

Looking ahead, the emphasis on brand-led campaigns is expected to grow, with multichannel strategies incorporating broadcast, social, digital, and experiential media, serving to activate awareness.

Chris Kruger, Head of UK and MENA at Alpha FMC, observed, ‘Sort of five years ago, there was never an advert on TV for an asset manager in the UK. Now they’re everywhere, right? And Vanguard have kind of been at the forefront of driving that.’

For marketers, this highlights the increasing importance of brand visibility and storytelling in a competitive and digitally saturated landscape.

Ultimately, the mass affluent are a nuanced and influential segment. They demand thoughtful engagement, balancing innovation with trust, exclusivity with accessibility, and data-driven personalisation with overarching brand messaging.

Financial institutions that understand these dynamics, embrace multichannel strategies, and communicate genuine value are best positioned to win the confidence and business of this pivotal market.