Creating a go-to digital banking platform

Money matters. And making financial progress can be intimidating, difficult and emotional.

So, when Oportun, a provider of affordable personal loans and credit cards, wanted to become known as a leader in the digital banking space, it needed a purpose-led brand that would add value and cut through the noise for its customers. One that drove growth on a broader scale, without alienating its traditional customer base of lower-income individuals.

Following the acquisition of Digit, an all-in-one saving and investing app, the business vision to be known as a go-to digital banking platform was clear. We partnered with Oportun to navigate its journey there, from creating the positioning, architecture and visual identity to developing breakthrough messaging and activating the brand within its newly integrated employee base.

Our first step was to glean the shared insight that would act as a unifying ethos for its existing customer base and the customers it hoped to attract. Through external and internal research, we uncovered that the true customer need was a brand that instilled confidence throughout the financial journey. One that acted as a trusted, money-savvy friend, ready to help.

Armed with that insight, we crafted a positioning and commitments that acted as a manifestation of what the brand aimed to achieve: giving its customers the confidence to seize every opportunity. It’s motivational, reinforces the idea of an expert friend providing you the tools to tackle your money goals, and even nods to the company’s name, Oportun.

From this positioning, the brand’s look and feel started to take shape. The visual identity is built to bridge the gap between the digital disruption of fintech brands and trustworthiness of established banks, instilling an ease of use across digital and physical touchpoints. The “O” in the new logo is composed of three distinct parts, symbolizing the customer, their money, and their financial journey. The color palette is unique within its industry, and conveys a sense of confidence, reliability, and expertise.

Once we crafted how the brand looks and feels, we got to work activating the brand internally and unifying two distinct cultures: the existing Oportun employee base, and the newly joined Digit employees. To do so, we codified an inspiring set of unique company values which crystallized Oportun’s internal cultural imperatives. We then developed an activation plan that included a cascade of initiatives aiming to bring the values and the new culture to life for a diverse set of Oportun employees (from corporate to call center, to mostly remote).

Oportun revealed its new brand to the outside world on March 8, 2023, poised to drive awareness for customers ready to take control of their financial journey.