Insights on AI, customer lifetime value, and sustainable marketing strategies

Disclaimer: The opinions represented here are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent those of their current or former employer.

Stacy Wakefield is a seasoned marketing and strategy leader with nearly two decades of experience in fintech and ad tech. She has led marketing initiatives at companies like Credit.com and SoFi, focusing on strategic growth, partnerships, and data-driven decision-making. In a recent conversation with LifeStreet, she shared key insights on building sustainable and scalable financial service marketing strategies in 2025, the role of AI in personalization, and why balancing efficiency with experimentation is critical for success.

Key Takeaways

• Prioritize sustainable growth over short-term acquisition: Over-reliance on paid acquisition leads to diminishing returns — focus on lifetime value (LTV), retention, and engagement instead.
• AI can be a strategic advantage, not just an efficiency tool: AI helps marketers scale personalization, optimize targeting, and predict LTV, but it’s those who use AI strategically, not just for automation, who will thrive.
• User-generated content (UGC) and testimonial marketing work — but fintechs need a compliance strategy: Storytelling and testimonial-based campaigns are powerful for trust and engagement, but fintech brands must navigate compliance challenges carefully.
• Balancing efficiency with experimentation is key to innovation: Budget scrutiny is high — teams must stay lean while testing efficiently to drive continued growth.
• Hyper-personalization and customer-centricity will define winning strategies: Customers expect real-time insights, transparency, and tailored experiences — companies that master personalization while respecting privacy will win.

Prioritize Sustainable Growth Over Short-Term Acquisition

As Wakefield explains, too many companies fall into the trap of chasing quick acquisition wins without thinking about the long-term sustainability of their customer base. While paid acquisition can drive short-term success, over-relying on it leads to diminishing returns over time. Instead, financial marketers should focus on building a more durable demand model — one that balances paid, owned, and earned strategies to create sustainable customer relationships. Long-term success isn’t just about getting users through the door; it’s about keeping them engaged and maximizing lifetime value (LTV) through retention and upsell strategies.

“Too many companies focus on short-term acquisition tactics, pouring resources into paid channels without considering the long-term impact. But real, sustainable growth comes from building durable demand—balancing paid, owned, and earned strategies rather than relying too heavily on any one approach. Over time, an over-dependence on paid acquisition leads to diminishing returns. 

Instead, companies should optimize for long-term value by prioritizing retention, engagement, and growth loops. It’s not just about conversion rates; it’s about creating a customer journey that fosters loyalty and continuous interaction. The fintech companies I’ve seen succeed are the ones that focus on lifetime value, not just immediate acquisition. They invest in relationships, trust, and customer experience, ensuring that growth isn’t just a one-time spike but a lasting, scalable advantage.”

To achieve this, companies must move beyond a transactional mindset and build engagement loops that keep users coming back. In fintech, for example, many brands introduce customers to an entry-level product — like a free credit score tool — before expanding them into more profitable services. This model only works if brands build trust and relevance at every step of the customer journey. Instead of bombarding users with generic offers, companies should focus on personalized messaging and value-driven engagement, ensuring every interaction deepens the customer relationship rather than feeling like a hard sell.

AI Can Be a Strategic Advantage, Not Just an Efficiency Tool

AI is transforming financial marketing, but the companies that will truly win with AI aren’t just using it for automation — they’re using it to make better strategic decisions. AI enables hyper-personalization, predictive modeling, and efficient targeting, helping marketers reach the right users with tailored messages at the right time. However, the real advantage lies in how marketers use AI to enhance their decision-making, not just to automate repetitive tasks. AI can help teams spot trends, identify high-value customers, and anticipate shifts in user behavior, making them more proactive and strategic rather than reactive.

“AI is a game-changer for marketers — not just in terms of efficiency, but in how it enhances strategic decision-making. It helps us cover more ground, anticipate challenges, and gain deeper insights into customer behavior. Beyond automation, AI enables hyper-targeted messaging, better product recommendations, and predictive modeling for lifetime value.

While some fear AI will replace marketers, I believe it will elevate those who know how to use it effectively. The real winners will be the ones who leverage AI to refine their strategy, see around more corners, and make smarter, data-driven decisions—rather than just using it as a tool for productivity.”

This means that AI should be seen as a co-pilot for marketing teams, not a replacement for human strategy. The brands that will thrive are those that use AI to gain deeper insights into their customers, refine segmentation models, and optimize campaign performance in real-time. But AI isn’t a silver bullet — it still requires human oversight and strategic thinking. The best marketers will be those who know how to blend AI-driven efficiencies with human creativity and intuition, using data to guide their choices while maintaining a human-centric approach to engagement.

User-Generated Content (UGC) and Testimonial Marketing Work — But Fintech Needs a Compliance Strategy

User-generated content (UGC) has been a major driver of engagement in digital marketing, particularly in industries where trust and authenticity are crucial. In fintech, where financial decisions require a high level of confidence, UGC — such as testimonial campaigns, influencer partnerships, and community-driven content — can be incredibly powerful in building credibility and driving conversions. However, unlike other industries, fintech brands face compliance hurdles that make it difficult to fully capitalize on this strategy. Many financial marketers struggle with legal and regulatory challenges, making it harder to implement UGC campaigns at scale.

“User-generated content, whether through testimonial campaigns or influencer partnerships, can be incredibly powerful for building trust and engagement—especially in fintech, where credibility is key. But the challenge is that fintech marketers have to navigate strict compliance requirements, which can slow down or even block these initiatives. Many of the most successful campaigns I’ve seen have been built around storytelling—taking a ‘show, don’t tell’ approach to demonstrating value. 

However, compliance teams often push back, making it tempting to abandon these strategies altogether. The teams that succeed aren’t the ones who give up at the first ‘no’—they’re the ones who work closely with compliance teams, proactively addressing concerns, and finding creative ways to make these campaigns viable. It takes persistence, but when done right, testimonial-driven marketing can be one of the most effective ways to build lasting trust and drive customer engagement.”

Despite these challenges, fintech brands that find innovative ways to navigate compliance issues can unlock the full potential of UGC. Rather than abandoning the strategy altogether, teams should proactively collaborate with compliance departments to develop pre-approved frameworks for UGC campaigns. This might include customer success stories with structured approvals, controlled influencer partnerships, or interactive but compliant social proof initiatives. The key is to strike a balance between authenticity and regulatory adherence, ensuring that campaigns build trust without creating legal risks. Companies willing to push through the initial compliance roadblocks and refine their approach will gain a major edge in customer engagement.

Balancing Efficiency with Experimentation is Key to Innovation

With tighter budgets and increasing pressure on marketing teams to prove ROI, there’s a growing temptation to cut back on experimentation in favor of “safe” strategies. But according to Stacy, eliminating experimentation kills innovation — and in today’s rapidly evolving fintech landscape, standing still is not an option. While companies must be more deliberate with spending, they also need to maintain a culture of testing to uncover new growth opportunities. The best marketing teams will find a balance between efficiency and innovation, running lean without sacrificing strategic risk-taking.

“With the current scrutiny on budgets, many marketing teams feel pressure to cut back on testing and experimentation. But completely eliminating experimentation is a mistake—it kills innovation and limits long-term growth. Even in a cost-conscious environment, teams are still expected to evolve, adapt, and discover new opportunities. 

The key is finding the right balance: staying lean while continuing to test in a way that is deliberate and efficient. There are always new channels, new strategies, and new technologies emerging, and teams that approach experimentation strategically—focusing on the highest-impact opportunities—will be the ones that thrive. The companies that win won’t be the ones that cut innovation entirely, but rather those that refine their approach, testing smarter and optimizing every step of the way.”

To make experimentation cost-effective, teams should prioritize data-driven testing frameworks that allow them to iterate quickly and scale successful strategies. Instead of launching large, high-risk campaigns, brands can use incremental testing methods — such as A/B testing, controlled pilots, and phased rollouts — to optimize performance before making large-scale investments. This approach ensures that every marketing dollar is spent wisely, while still leaving room for the kind of innovation that drives long-term competitive advantages.

Hyper-Personalization and Customer-Centricity Will Define Winning Strategies

Today’s consumers expect speed, transparency, and hyper-personalization from financial services. Generic, one-size-fits-all marketing is no longer effective — users want real-time insights, self-serve tools, and tailored experiences that meet their specific needs. AI-powered personalization is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s table stakes for fintech brands looking to stay competitive. But beyond just delivering customized recommendations, companies must also focus on building trust and respecting consumer privacy, ensuring that personalization feels helpful rather than intrusive.

“Customers today expect more than just convenience—they demand speed, transparency, and seamless self-serve experiences. Real-time insights and AI-powered personalization are no longer differentiators; they’re table stakes. 

But successful personalization isn’t just about pushing recommendations—it’s about creating a full-funnel experience that feels intuitive, relevant, and frictionless. The companies that will win aren’t the ones that bombard customers with offers but those that take a thoughtful, strategic approach—delivering the right message at the right time while respecting privacy.”

Winning in this environment requires a data-driven approach to personalization. Companies should use predictive modeling and AI-driven insights to understand user intent, deliver contextually relevant offers, and create frictionless customer journeys. However, personalization shouldn’t come at the cost of consumer trust. Brands must prioritize ethical data usage, give customers control over their preferences, and ensure that AI-powered experiences enhance the user journey rather than overwhelm it. The future of fintech marketing belongs to those who can deliver deeply relevant, user-centric experiences while maintaining a strong foundation of transparency and trust.

Future-Proofing Growth with Smart, Scalable Strategies

As financial marketers face an increasingly competitive landscape, Stacy Wakefield’s insights highlight the importance of long-term sustainability, AI-driven strategy, and a balance between efficiency and experimentation. Success in 2025 and beyond will come from prioritizing lifetime value, leveraging AI for smarter decision-making, and delivering hyper-personalized, compliant experiences. At LifeStreet, we help brands achieve this through our AI-powered programmatic platform, Nero, enabling transparent media buying, precise targeting, and scalable growth strategies. If you’re looking to future-proof your marketing efforts and drive sustainable growth, connect with us today.

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