How Standard Chartered ditches the numbers to tell real stories of wealth

When Standard Chartered launched its global brand campaign "Now’s your time for wealth" earlier this year, the message was clear: stop waiting, start building.

Backed by data and insights into affluent Asian and Middle Eastern consumers, the campaign was designed to inspire immediate action toward wealth aspirations. However, while the numbers told one part of the story, the brand knew the emotional engine behind wealth-building needed its own spotlight.

Enter "WealthNOW", a new content series created in collaboration with BBC Storyworks commercial production, the branded content division of BBC Studios. Featuring the personal journeys of six prolific business leaders from across Asia, the series puts a human face to the idea of wealth.

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It’s not just about investment strategies or market timing. It’s about navigating success, legacy, and sometimes failure, all while staying anchored to family values, personal ambition, and cultural identity, said Haymans Fung, global head of wealth and retail banking marketing at Standard Chartered in conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. 

Even with the availability of data, consumer decisions are often driven by emotions and personal goals.

"At Standard Chartered, our approach is to understand our clients, their motivations, and engage them in a relatable way. Storytelling is a very powerful and effective way of connecting with people," added Fung.

That relatability was critical in selecting the protagonists for "WealthNOW". Rather than polished actors or celebrities, the bank tapped real business leaders, many of whom are multi-generational entrepreneurs, to share how they’ve grown, protected, and passed on their wealth. These are individuals who’ve experienced business highs and personal setbacks. Their stories aren’t just aspirational; they’re instructional. They speak to the complexities of navigating wealth in an ever-changing world.

To that, Fung said: 

For stories to resonate, they have to be real and strike the right chord.

“Some of these leaders are third or fifth generation of successful business families, and they were able to talk about the values that have guided their families over generations. They represent a diverse segment that aligns with our target client segments of global Indians, global Chinese and international entrepreneurs," explained Fung. 

While the storytelling may feel elevated, the tone is grounded, something Standard Chartered was deliberate about. The goal wasn’t to produce glossy highlight reels, but to surface the nuanced, often messy realities behind success.

“We realised that their stories went beyond just business skills and strategies. There were failures, disappointments, and deeply rooted family values that shaped their mindset and motivation. That’s what we wanted to bring to audiences who are also on their own wealth journeys," she said.

The campaign, now mid-flight, is already generating strong engagement across Standard Chartered’s and BBC’s platforms, with high click-through and view-through rates. But more than just metrics, the bank is tracking how the content resonates in different markets, and what that says about the universality of its message.

Looking ahead, Standard Chartered is focused on keeping the broader campaign culturally relevant and emotionally resonant. While "Now’s your time for wealth" is global in ambition, its execution is tailored to the bank’s core segments, with localisation baked into both creative and copy.

In addition to branded content, the campaign is supported by thought leadership from Standard Chartered’s wealth experts, alongside educational material on financial planning, especially in today’s unpredictable economic climate.

“This collaboration with BBC Storyworks commercial production is another manifestation of our targeted approach through storytelling,” said Fung. “Whether it’s global Indian or global Chinese audiences, our goal is to connect with them in the most culturally relevant way.”

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