Great social campaign examples for regulated industries in UK

social media insights for Finance, Legal & Professional Services

25 FEBRUARY 2026

Influencer Social Media

Marketing in regulated categories, including financial services, healthcare, legal, and professional services has traditionally moved at a measured pace. Social media is a critical touchpoint for building trust, but the usual “move fast and break things” approach simply doesn’t apply when compliance is on the line.

Recent insights suggest that the “safe” approach is evolving. From a roundtable discussion hosted by Prolific North, it’s clear that the most effective regulated brands aren’t avoiding social, they’re learning to tell high-trust, engaging stories within the boundaries of their sectors.

Alongside key takeaways from industry leaders, we highlight four standout social campaign examples that show how regulated brands can spark meaningful conversations without overstepping compliance.

Trust over tactics keeps coming up

At the roundtable discussion, one idea stood out: success is increasingly defined by long-term credibility and thoughtful engagement, not chasing viral moments.

As Joel Bransfield from The BIG Partnership put it during the session:

“Success should be viewed as a long-term strategy, positioning brands as thought leaders in their space rather than chasing quick wins.”

That sentiment will feel familiar to many marketers in regulated sectors. Rather than competing for attention through trends or stunts, the emphasis is often on credibility, clarity and consistency, especially where trust is central to brand value.

Another point raised during the roundtable was the role of earned media. When coverage from credible publications is amplified through social channels, it can reinforce trust in a way that standalone social content sometimes can’t.

Social media as an early feedback signal

Beyond immediate engagement, social platforms can provide valuable insights into how audiences interpret regulated messaging.

Research from PwC shows that social media interactions can act as early indicators of misunderstanding or friction, especially around Consumer Duty in financial services. By monitoring these signals, brands can identify issues before they escalate into complaints or customer support cases.

In other words, social isn’t just a broadcast tool, it’s also a feedback mechanism that offers early visibility on audience understanding.

Social doesn’t sit alone

This also connects to a broader shift happening across regulated marketing more generally.

In financial services especially, many brands are spending more time thinking about the systems, governance and tools behind their marketing, from approvals and data handling to martech stacks that support compliance at scale. We explored this in more detail in our look at marketing and martech in financial services, where similar themes around control, accountability and transparency came up repeatedly.

Social activity often reflects how comfortable a brand is operating within those structures.

Success stories from regulated brands on social media

Sometimes, the best way to see what’s possible is to look at actual campaigns in the sector. Here are 4 examples of regulated brands using social media creatively and effectively:

Bupa: #PowerfulRealStories

Bupa used a custom AR "unfilter" and influencer partnerships to tackle the toxic impact of social media on mental health. By using creators like Lisa Dawson to reveal the reality behind the "filtered" world, they generated 17.5 million completed views and drove 45,000 people to free support resources. This campaign succeeded by using "unfiltered" authenticity to turn a digital trend into a credible health intervention. Check it out.

Lloyds Bank’s #ForYourNextStep

This campaign used social content connected to real-life milestones rather than product promotion, driving 4.1 million impressions and a 37% engagement rate, with audiences responding strongly to emotional life transitions rather than financial selling.. Read more

Barclays’ “Make Money Work For You” initiative

Barclays leaned into financial literacy across social and TV, partnering with broadcaster Nick Knowles to create approachable educational content. The campaign reached millions of viewers online and on social, with measurable uplift in brand recall and positive sentiment. Read more

NN Insurance: influencer-led TikTok & Instagram campaign

NN Insurance simplified complex insurance topics through relatable social content. The campaign delivered ~6.9 million video views and a 44% increase in brand favourability, showing how educational, shareable content can resonate even in highly regulated sectors.. Check it out

A pattern, not a playbook

Taken together, these examples hint at a direction of travel rather than a formula:

Educational content often resonates more than overt promotion
Real people-experts, practitioners, specialists, feel more credible than brand statement
Earned attention can reinforce trust in ways paid activity sometimes can’t
Consistency matters more than momentary visibility

None of this guarantees results. But it does reflect how many regulated brands are quietly adapting to the realities they operate in.

Influencer marketing in regulated sectors

Influencer marketing is often assumed to be off-limits for regulated sectors, but recent UK campaigns suggest it’s evolving rather than disappearing.

The strongest examples tend to prioritise:

subject-matter credibility over reach
lived experience over endorsement
transparency and disclosure over persuasion

Many of the UK’s best influencer marketing campaigns succeed precisely because they don’t feel like traditional influencer marketing, a dynamic that feels particularly relevant in regulated categories.

Wrapping up

In regulated sectors, social media isn’t just about visibility or quick wins. The brands that resonate most are often the ones that focus on clarity, credibility, and consistency, showing up in ways that feel authentic and thoughtful.

It’s less about chasing every trend and more about paying attention to what works quietly, and thinking about how those approaches might translate to your own context.

For those looking for an extra layer of perspective, connecting with specialists who understand compliance-heavy sectors can provide valuable insight and reassurance. Explore agencies with experience in regulated sectors.