Fleximize

Fleximize is a multi-award-winning digital business lender committed to delivering flexible finance solutions for UK SMEs. Since their launch in 2014, they have assisted thousands of businesses across various sectors, including professional services and hospitality. Flexibility is a core element of their offerings, with all of their loans featuring top-ups, repayment holidays, and no early settlement fees.

As a business with a value-driven UK offering, there is considerable growth potential, paired with a genuine dedication to quality service and support. They are known for their team of approachable, knowledgeable experts. Fleximize has worked tirelessly to revive business finance for businesses of all sizes, winning awards for its marketing campaigns, innovation, and excellent customer service. It has continued to evolve and adapt its products to fit the changing needs of SMEs, lending over £550 million to SMEs across the UK. 

Even during challenging times, Fleximize has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing financial solutions to SMEs. With over 80 members of staff, Fleximize has ranked 2nd in the 2025 Elite Business 100 and won awards  such as; ‘Best Business Loan Provider’ at the Business Moneyfacts Awards 2024, ‘Best Alternative Business Funding Partner’, ‘ Fintech Employer Award’ and the ‘Diversity & Inclusion Award’ at the 2025 Business Awards UK.

Fleximize understands that finance is just one step towards success for its customers. With the landscape getting more competitive, Fleximize has enhanced its offering with additional tools and resources to help SMEs thrive and bring value to them through real people, transparency, efficiency, clarity and support.

The financial market is getting more competitive – 49% of SMEs were considering more than one finance provider in 2023, compared to 1 in 5 in 2021. It’s harder to ascertain how offerings differ as competitors are all leading with the same message, discussing speed, borrowing amounts, flexibility and simplicity. With an increasingly competitive landscape, Fleximize recognises the opportunity to improve its strategic position and marketing efforts.

Funding can provide crucial support to SMEs, but many business leaders remain reluctant, worried, or fearful about seeking out loans or other forms of financial assistance. SME leaders largely consider funding a taboo subject and that seeking funding is a sign of failure. We explored this and worked with Fleximize to turn the narrative on its head, reframing funding to being the key to success and achieving their growth ambitions. Fleximize needed a campaign that not only stood out but addressed the preconceived notions of funding being a sign of failure rather than a facilitator of success.

Standing out in a competitive market requires more than just creativity – it requires courage and Fleximize have it! They embrace a disruptive approach to challenging norms and standing out in their industry and we thrive on bold disruptive ideas that deliver measurable results. The recipe for a perfect partnership. 

The goal was to craft a compelling narrative that addresses the challenges SMEs face with external financing whilst also highlighting the role of finance in driving business growth. Through a combination of shock tactics, defying industry norms and leveraging the persuasive power of profanity, we could deliver a campaign that shocked, engaged, and inspired action. 

Swearing, as behavioural science research shows, is a proven emotional intensifier and persuasive tool, but is also viewed as taboo. Among business owners, the words ‘funding’ and ‘finance’ are also viewed as taboo. This presented an opportunity to play on the cultural stigma to shine a light on how the concept of funding your business should not be viewed as a taboo topic. 

The campaign was delivered through a phased approach. Our brand strategist ran a workshop with Fleximize to define the campaign’s core message, target audience and key insights to help drive the creative direction and align on strategic objectives.

We conducted in-depth research into the current market landscape, including an analysis of SME attitudes towards funding, an exploration of common misconceptions and barriers related to external finance, and a review of successful campaigns addressing similar issues. 

We then created mood boards to explore the campaign’s potential look and feel. We aligned visual styles, colour schemes, typography, imagery and themes to deliver the campaign’s message in a way that would resonate with the concerns of SMEs. 

Of the three creative concepts explored, we then refined the one selected  into a cohesive and compelling visual identity before applying that to core campaign elements.

To ensure the campaign effectively addressed SME concerns and delivered maximum engagement, we:

• Conducted in-depth SEO and paid search analysis to identify key trends and audience search behavior.
• Developed and tested multiple messaging approaches to find the right balance between clever and offensive, ensuring the campaign was disruptive without being alienating.
• Reviewed customer data to gain insights into their funding challenges and fears.
• Created and refined campaign materials across multiple marketing channels to ensure a consistent, high-impact presence.

To enhance performance and ensure the campaign reached the right audience, we:

• Analysed customer and industry data—including insights from Mintel—to pinpoint the most relevant industries, business sizes, and personas that the campaign would resonate with. 
• Used data-driven targeting strategies to ensure ads and content reached the most engaged and high-intent audiences.
• Implemented an iterative approach, using campaign performance data to refine messaging, audience segments, and creative assets in real-time.

We didn’t just respond to an existing challenge—we identified a unique market opportunity and presented it to Fleximize as a game-changing approach.

• The Fear of Funding campaign was designed to challenge industry norms and directly confront the psychological barriers that prevent SMEs from seeking finance.
• By leveraging bold creative execution, we developed a 360° integrated campaign that spanned audio ads, a dedicated website landing page, programmatic display ads, and out-of-home (OOH) placements.
• This innovative approach positioned Fleximize as a thought leader in the SME lending space, helping them cut through the noise in an increasingly competitive market.