5 Fintech PR Trends That Define 2025

The fintech sector is no longer a scrappy disruptor at the edge of finance. It is finance. But as the space matures, so does the need for more sophisticated public relations strategies. In 2025, fintech PR is not just about announcing funding rounds or celebrating new partnerships. It is about signaling credibility, creating narrative authority, and reducing decision risk for buyers, regulators, and investors alike.

If you are a CMO or founder at a fintech company, here is what you need to know. These are the five fintech PR trends that are reshaping how the most strategic brands win attention, trust, and influence.

‍

1. AI-Native Storytelling Is the Baseline

The fintech industry is deeply entwined with artificial intelligence, from fraud detection and credit scoring to underwriting and predictive analytics. But in 2025, simply saying you “use AI” is no longer a headline. Your communications strategy must go deeper.

PR teams are now expected to shape nuanced narratives about how AI is deployed responsibly, securely, and in ways that actually help customers. Reporters are scrutinizing vague claims and favoring companies that can offer real product explainers, ethical clarity, and forward-looking perspectives.

The best fintech PR strategies are now using AI to tell the story, not just to be the story. That includes generating earned media angles from internal data models, adapting pitches in real time using AI-powered media intelligence, and even pre-testing narratives against public sentiment.

Takeaway: If you cannot articulate your AI story clearly and credibly, someone else, possibly a competitor or regulator, will.

‍

2. Tier-One Media Is No Longer a Silver Bullet

The past decade trained founders to obsess over getting into TechCrunch, Forbes, or Bloomberg. Media consumption habits have shifted. Trust is diffused. Trade media, newsletters, podcasts, and LinkedIn are just as influential, especially for niche fintech categories like embedded finance, regtech, or vertical SaaS.

This shift has also affected how PR teams think about sequencing. A smart fintech comms plan today builds reputation layer by layer. You start with technical credibility in your domain, build thematic consistency across channels, and create internal POVs that resonate with your ecosystem. Only then do you earn a major media moment that feels organic, not forced.

Takeaway: Tier-one is still valuable, but it should be a byproduct of consistent signal, not a short-term goal.

‍

3. Regulators Are Now Part of Your Audience

Fintech startups used to speak only to buyers, partners, and investors. Today, regulators are paying attention to your messaging, especially if you touch credit, lending, consumer data, or payments infrastructure.

A key fintech PR trend is regulatory-aware storytelling. This does not mean legalese. It means clear, values-based communications that anticipate scrutiny. Startups that proactively show how they handle compliance, customer protections, and data privacy have a stronger edge in both media and market conversations.

Regulatory news cycles now move fast. Comms teams must be ready with reactive statements, internal alignment, and a narrative that holds up under questioning. This is especially true for consumer-facing fintechs and anything with “as-a-service” infrastructure.

Takeaway: Silence is not strategic. Clarity is power. Speak like your regulator is listening, because they probably are.

‍

4. Fintech Buyers Now Care About Brand Trust, Not Just Features

In a market where products often look and sound the same, trust has become the competitive differentiator. Buyers are more skeptical, more informed, and more risk-averse, especially when choosing financial software or services.

This shift has moved fintech PR from a feature-first discipline to a perception-first one. It is not enough to communicate what your product does. You need to show who stands behind it, what values guide it, and how it has succeeded in real-world conditions.

Customer success stories, analyst recognition, and independent validation matter more than ever. Earned media placements that communicate your “why,” not just your “what,” are now central to building enterprise trust.

Takeaway: The perception of your company is not just a marketing asset. It is a sales advantage.

‍

5. Your PR Tech Stack Is Becoming as Important as Your Media List

Gone are the days of managing PR through spreadsheets and email threads. In 2025, top fintech PR agencies operate with real-time visibility, data-driven media targeting, and clear attribution models.

Clients now expect dashboards, not PDFs. They want to know which messages are resonating, which publications are moving the needle, and which influencers are actually shaping the conversation in their sector.

At Actual Agency, for example, we have fully integrated media monitoring, coverage mapping, and narrative development tools that align with our clients’ CRM, social, and sales ecosystems. That means we do not just track mentions. We measure impact across the full buyer journey.

Takeaway: If your PR program cannot deliver visibility, it will not deliver value.

‍

PR As Strategic Infrastructure

Fintech companies that view public relations as a one-off launch tool or a vanity exercise will lose ground. The ones that win treat PR as a long-term, always-on advantage. They understand that reputation builds over time and that narrative clarity supports everything from hiring and retention to investor confidence and customer acquisition.

The future of fintech communications is multi-channel, regulator-conscious, AI-augmented, and trust-first. It demands strategy, creativity, and a partner who understands both the media and the market.

If that is the kind of PR support you are looking for, let’s talk.

Looking for a PR strategy that’s built for the real fintech landscape? Schedule a consultation with Actual Agency and find out how we help category-defining companies own the narrative. Say hello@actual.agency.

‍