Last month, Lendable became the first fintech to officially launch a mobile phone plan in the UK, announcing a new £20 a month tariff. This followed a raft of moves by fintechs this year, including industry leaders Monzo, Revolut, and Klarna, who have all announced this year their intentions to move beyond banking products to enter the world of telco.  

The neobanks are leading this charge, and their message to big telco operators is clear: this is a disruption play, targeting mobile-native customers familiar with day-to-day fintech products already. 

Interestingly, this diversification strategy isn’t just one way, with some telcos also starting to edge into wallets and credit in some emerging markets. At face value, it’s easy to see why brands would look to expand out of their product niche, with rewards to be gained including lower customer churn and more brand stickiness.  

So, what does this mean for comms as brands evolve? There will certainly be some complex challenges along the way. Brands will be required to launch a new service that enhances and in no way dilutes their original market proposition, bringing their existing customers on the journey, while building credibility in a new industry and regulatory landscape. 

With Missive’s telco roots and deep fintech expertise, we’ve created a playbook for the brands navigating how to communicate a proposition change amid these challenges.  

1. Define the comms problem 

The core of the challenge isn’t necessarily market expansion – it’s firstly about trust. Brands are asking people to trust them with something new: their money, their data, or their signal. But in consumers’ minds, the business is still just a bank, or just a network. Most people won’t see telco and finance as a natural bundle. They might have a family mobile plan with one provider, and a personal banking app with another. Those habits are entrenched.  

Before a single campaign runs, comms teams need to understand how those associations form, and how to reframe them. People don’t buy ‘telco from a bank’, they buy reliable connectivity from a brand they already trust, or financial tools that make life easier on the move.  

That’s the first comms problem to solve: translating cross-category ambition into a single, simple promise people actually believe. 

2. Map out your audience  

New territory means new audiences. It’s not just consumers – regulators, partners, and industry insiders will all have very different expectations. Each needs its own proof and messages.  

For a fintech moving into telco, that means learning a new language. The mobile world runs on interconnected infrastructure, networks, and partnerships. A brand like Monzo will need to show it can fit in before it stands out, proving reliability to networks and regulators, while keeping simplicity and trust front and centre for customers.  

Teams should treat audience mapping as a relationship strategy, not just a messaging exercise. Every group a brand needs to convince is part of the ecosystem it will depend on. 

3. Nail the narrative  

Once the audiences have been defined, brands need a story that cuts through, one the newsroom can brief, journalists can run with, and customers can repeat. This starts with the master story, supported by key message pillars that connect the product to a bigger purpose. The question is simple – what does this move really say about the brand? Is it about democratising access, making life simpler, or shaking up an established market? 

The fintechs leading this charge are already testing the narrative. Revolut and Klarna have both gone public with simple, confident messages – mobile plans woven directly into their apps, signalling ease and integration.  

Ultimately, brands shouldn’t just announce a new service, they should own the change they want to be known for. That’s what turns a product launch into a comms platform.  

4. Prepare to launch  

A strong launch isn’t just about making noise. It’s about landing the story in the right places, with the right proof, and setting up momentum that can be sustained.  

Brands entering new categories should plan a phased comms approach. This should include exclusive pre-briefings to key trade and national journalists, a clear consumer promise at launch, and a pipeline of owned data and customer stories to sustain interest over time. Partner amplification and short, educational content can also help build trust and familiarity beyond day one. 

Of course, whether to take a soft vs hard launch depends on what stage the brand is at. Monzo, for instance, opted for a soft signal – an exclusive with the Financial Times that teased intent rather than over-promising on hard product details. This was then picked up widely across fintech and telco media, getting Monzo’s message out into the market to consumers, competitors and operators alike.  

5. Manage the risks  

Entering a new market means inheriting new risks – and comms should stay one step ahead of them. That might mean pre-briefing watchdog media, publishing a consumer duty checklist, or proactively explaining how bundled services protect consumers rather than complicate their choices.

There’s also the risk of alienating existing users. Not every customer will want a bundle,  and that’s fine. Messaging should make it clear this is an expansion, not a pivot: a considered move that adds value without diluting what already works.  

6. Measure the results  

Launching is only half the job, proving impact is the other half.  

Measurement should focus on how effectively the story is landing, not just how loudly it’s being told. That means tracking share of voice across telco and fintech media, as well as share of message around the themes that matter most, such as price clarity, reliability, and trust. The quality and authority of coverage often say more than volume alone.  

The strongest programmes will link comms data with customer outcomes, such as sentiment shifts, sign-ups, service satisfaction and complaint levels. Aligning with customer success teams ensures the external story matches the lived experience.  

Over time, this joined-up view becomes the real metric of success, signalling not just awareness, but enduring credibility in a new market.  

The line between fintech and telco is only getting thinner, and the comms opportunity only bigger. At Missive, we’re helping brands on both sides tell stories that earn trust, not just headlines. 

If you’re shaping your next move in this space or thinking of changing your own brand proposition, we’d love to talk. Get in touch today.