The Client’s Challenge
The Friendly CFO delivers feel-good business growth for purpose-led organisations. The antithesis to the stuffy, straight-laced experience most people associate with financial advice, The Friendly CFO is on a mission to teach purpose-driven people how to grow their business sustainably.

Jérrard Wayne developed a brand identity that appealed to The Friendly CFO's three core audiences - start-ups looking for advice, businesses seeking support to take their next steps and thriving companies who need expert financial advice as they scale.

Our Approach
As The Friendly CFO’s approach is unique in their sector, we took the company through our initial discovery process to help define the brand purpose, core values and potential brand language. We also conducted qualitative research around the target demographic and interviewed Friendly CFO clients to develop accurate user personas.

The new brand needed a warmer and more personable feel than the corporate financial companies who dominate the finance and business advisor industry.  To make the brand – and business finance - feel more accessible, we developed a jargon-free, conversational brand tone, encouraging people to feel more confident talking about and working with numbers. The tagline 'Feel-good business growth' communicates how the company's services positively impact clients' lifestyles, organisations, and communities.

With a new brand strategy, tagline, mission statement and user personas, work on the visual language and the website's UI/UX process began. The visual language emphasised the business's highly personalised, empathetic ethos with organic, handwritten details.

The Friendly CFO simplifies finance with interactive workshops, easy to understand sketches and creative thinking. We incorporated these organic shapes throughout the branding to give a relaxed and approachable feel. The full logo mark also followed suit, with a handwritten typeface that captures the brand's personality.

The Friendly CFO has links to Greece, which was part of the inspiration for the colour palette. A golden yellow shade reminiscent of the Grecian sun was chosen as the primary colour, to stand out from the bland blue, black and white branding prevalent throughout the business advisor industry. Emerald green, Sky and Sea blues and Bougainvillea pink made up the secondary colour palette, designed to add vibrant pops of colour and give the brand a fun and energetic feel.

Our UI/UX team combined this distinctive brand identity with a simple user experience for The Friendly CFO website, complimented by streamlined copy to keep information digestible. The website includes a manifesto in the ‘About’ section that outlines the company's approach and values, as well as credentials and expertise - so there is no room to dismiss the approachable brand as lightweight. The addition of a ‘Free Resources’ page underlined the passion for helping fledgling businesses, and a series of informative blogs simplify complicated financial advice.

The Outcome
The mix of beautiful design and strategic messaging created a bold and inviting brand that reflected The Friendly CFO’s personality and capability in equal measure. The visual identity and tone of voice highlight stellar results as well as meaningful brand philosophy. The mix 'n’ match visual elements of the brand reflect the company's bespoke approach, while the straightforward copy takes the fear out of finance, so everyone can own their numbers and focus on how they grow their businesses in a way that feels good.