I’ve recently bought a far-too-expensive and very-hard-to-justify water bottle from Yeti.

It was made a little cheaper thanks to birthday vouchers from the team at Yardstick (thanks, guys!), but still.

Is it really different to other water bottles on the market? Not really, no.

Could I have bought a better one for a lower price? Probably.

Will I pay over the odds for other Yeti products in future? You betcha.

Why? Because the brand has won me over.

Partly because of the quality; I received a Yeti travel mug years ago and it’s lasted the test of time, unlike other mugs.

Partly because we’ve stayed at Three Mile Beach, another brand I trust, in Cornwall a few times. They stock Yeti products for visitors to use during their stay. So, I trust Yeti because another brand I trust trusts Yeti.

But mostly, more than the product, I like how the brand makes me feel.

Yeti feels premium, practical, rugged, reliable, and culturally credible. It feels like proper kit. The kind of thing you buy once, use often, and quietly feel pleased about every time it does exactly what it promised.

That’s what great brands do.

They don’t just sell us products or services. They create a feeling. They give us reasons to trust them and they help us feel warm and fuzzy about ourselves for choosing them.

And that, in a slightly roundabout way, is why one of the most interesting questions we ask during discovery calls is: “Which brands do you admire?”

The answer tells us more than you might think

When we ask this question, we’re not necessarily looking for financial services brands.

In fact, it’s often more useful when the answer comes from somewhere else entirely.

Waitrose, New Balance, Patagonia, Apple.

The brand itself is only part of the answer. What we’re really listening for is why that brand matters.

Because when a financial planner or adviser tells us they admire a particular brand, it can reveal a lot about how they see their firm, what they value, who they want to attract, and how they want clients to feel.

For example, if a client tells us they admire Volvo, they might be saying they want their firm to feel safe, dependable, quietly confident, and human-first.

Not flashy. Not trying too hard. Just reassuring, well-made, and trusted to protect the people who matter most.

In a financial planning context, that’s useful.

It tells us the firm probably doesn’t want a loud, disruptive, “look at us” brand. They probably want to be seen as a safe pair of hands. The kind of firm clients turn to when they want peace of mind, sensible advice, and confidence in the road ahead.

But there’s another layer too: the brands we admire don’t just reveal what we like. They reveal what we expect.

So, I thought I’d do the exercise myself

Here are three brands I love, why I love them, and the lessons financial planners and advisers can learn from them.

1. Doc Martens

I love Doc Martens because they’re reliable. They’ve stood the test of time, they’re instantly recognisable, and, for me, they’re tied to people, music, and moments I care about.

I got my first pair after watching countless videos of Kurt Cobain wearing them as a teenager in a deep Nirvana phase. Later, I saw Hayley Williams wearing them on stage. Then Joe Strummer.

In other words, I like Doc Martens because the people and subcultures I like like Doc Martens, which says a lot about brand influence.

Lesson #1

Sometimes, we don’t choose a brand because of what it says about itself. We choose it because of who else has chosen it.

That matters for financial planners and advisers too.

Your future clients are often looking for cues from people they already trust. A friend who recommends you. A professional connection who refers you. A client testimonial. A VouchedFor review. A familiar local business associated with your firm.

When someone sees that people like them already trust you, they’re more likely to believe they can trust you too.

2. Hard Lines

I love Hard Lines, Wales’ very own coffee brewer. Their branding is beautiful, their aesthetic is welcoming, and they’re proudly Welsh. Oh, and they make great coffee.

But it’s not just the product that makes them stand out. It’s the feeling around the brand. They feel human, warm, independent, and creative. Local without feeling small. Cool without feeling unapproachable.

So, what does that say about me as a consumer? Probably that I like brands with personality.

I like brands that feel like they’re run by real people. Brands with roots that know where they’re from and aren’t afraid to show it.

Lesson #2

A lot of financial planning websites could belong to almost anyone. The copy is polished, but vague. The imagery is professional, but forgettable. The values are worthy, but expected.

The firms that stand out are often the ones willing to show a little more of themselves: their local roots, personality, point of view, story, and people.

That doesn’t mean becoming quirky for the sake of it. It means building something real that attracts, connects with, and converts right-fit clients.

3. Uniqlo

Anyone who knows me will tell you I love Uniqlo. It’s simple and brilliant.

While I could give a million examples of the ways they’ve won me over, I’ll use my most recent exchange with them in Bristol.

When checking out, I put my purchases onto the self-checkout area and, without scanning anything, it gave me the total cost. Win number one.

Then, when I tried to pay with my phone, it automatically gave me access to the in-store WiFi so I could leave a review and access my receipt. Win number two.

That’s the kind of detail that people notice. It’s good customer understanding, not just good technology. Uniqlo thinks about what its customers could possibly want long before they do.

Lesson #3

Your clients don’t always know what they need from you at each stage of the journey.

They don’t always know what to ask before an initial meeting. They don’t always know what documents to bring. They don’t always know what happens after they enquire. They don’t always know whether they’re “right” for financial planning.

So, your job is to think ahead for them.

Your website, emails, onboarding process, meeting confirmations, review packs, and client communications should answer questions before they become friction.

What do your favourite brands say about you?

The brands you admire are rarely random. Volvo might reveal a desire for safety and reassurance, while Waitrose might suggest quality, service, and quiet confidence.

For financial planners and advisers, that matters because your clients are not just choosing a service, they’re choosing a relationship.

They’re choosing how they want to feel about their money, their future, their family, and the decisions ahead of them.

So, the next time someone asks which brands you admire, don’t treat it as a throwaway question.

Your answer might reveal more than you think.

Ready to build a brand your clients trust?

If your website, brand, or messaging no longer reflects the firm you are today, we can help.

Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 and we’ll help you dig into what makes your business different, what your clients really value, and how to turn that into a brand that feels clear, human, and genuinely useful.