AFME

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) is a trade association representing the interests of Europe’s wholesale financial markets (EU and UK). It advocates for the collective interests of its members, which include Pan-European and global banks as well as key regional banks, brokers, law firms, investors and other financial market participants.

The Challenge
AFME was seeking to transform their current website into a dynamic, user-friendly platform that accurately represents their role and engages more fully with their target audiences.

To deliver a new refreshed AFME website, Fin was mandated to:

• Review and define a new Brand Positioning with messaging
• Create a new Brand Visual Identity across the website and member communications to enhance AFME’s visual appeal and user experience.
• A comprehensive website content strategy to create a more user-friendly experience.

The Solution
Our methodology began with Brand Positioning Discovery to define the messaging which also shapes the creative brief for the Brand Visual Identity.

We conducted one-to-one interviews with key stakeholders within AFME and with AFME members across Europe, to discover how AFME is perceived and how it supports its members.

The Discovery analysis revealed that AFME operates across Europe both as a trade association and a think tank, providing thought leadership and research, helping regulators create effective policies, and keeping the industry informed about market trends.

This dual role enables AFME to foster a safe and innovative regulatory environment, bridging the gap between market participants and policymakers while amplifying its members’ voices and building credibility with key European regulatory bodies.

This insight allowed us to build a Brand Positioning Message House across three levels:

AFME’s core value proposition – The Voice of Europe’s Capital Markets – inspired our creative solution: a ‘sonic wave’ sweeping across the skies of Europe. This dynamic brand graphic signature is to feature prominently across the website and member communications, symbolising AFME’s far-reaching, influential, and ever-present voice within Europe’s capital markets.

While the existing logo was not part of our brief, it was retained in its original format and seamlessly integrated into the new creative system.

We developed a comprehensive Brand Visual Identity, encompassing a cohesive colour palette, typography, image styling, maps, charts, and diagrams, all supported by detailed application models to guide implementation.

The Success
A clearly defined strategic brand positioning, supported by a high-impact visual identity, successfully delivers on the goals of the brief, capturing the true essence of AFME’s role across Europe’s capital markets and ensuring it is represented with clarity and authority.

This integrated strategy and creative approach not only strengthens AFME’s credibility and visibility but also deepens engagement with its target audiences, from policymakers and industry leaders to members and partners, by presenting a brand that communicates expertise, influence, and purpose in a consistent and compelling way.