Plante Moran

The Tension

Wealth management sits at the intersection of money, identity, and the life someone wants to build. Yet, the category remains a sea of sameness, built on inherited symbols of success and one-size-fits-all narratives that strip the category of all humanity.

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For Plante Moran Wealth Management, this sameness presented both a challenge and an opportunity. Acquiring new clients and growing assets under management couldn’t be solved by repeating category conventions that no longer resonated or reflected how people actually live their lives.

The Belief

Through deep category interrogation, Rival uncovered a fundamental truth the industry had been ignoring. Despite being one of the most personal decisions someone can make, wealth management is marketed impersonally, as if everyone wants the same future. People are forced to translate their lives into generic goals, settling for firms that feel interchangeable rather than truly aligned with their personal goals.

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So we decided: if wealth is personal, then wealth management should be too. When the category chose to lean on traditional trappings of success paired with abstract promises, we grounded the strategy in an emotional truth. There’s no single definition of a “wealthy” life — only personal ones; security, success, and fulfilment look wildly different from person to person.

How We Challenged It

Rather than defaulting to the familiar financial-services playbook, Rival embedded itself as an extension of Plante Moran’s internal team, bringing senior, integrated thinking across strategy, creative, and media from day one.

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We challenged the organization to commit to a long-term position they could grow into, rather than a short-term campaign designed to blend in. This meant prioritizing depth over volume, clarity over complexity, and human insight over abstract financial promises, helping a traditionally conservative category move with confidence.

Making It Real

The belief came to life through the Personal Definitions of Wealthy platform, designed to move beyond generic markers of success and reflect the lives people are actually working toward.

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By spotlighting unexpected, deeply human aspirations, such as opening a rescue animal farm or opening an ice cream shop with your significant other, the work positioned Plante Moran as a partner in building the life that matters most, rather than just another firm selling financial outcomes. The campaign launched across broadcast, radio, TV, streaming, and digital channels, supported by a robust media buy. Strategic placements, including moments like Ryder Cup weekend, ensured the message showed up where trust, aspiration, and long-term thinking mattered most

What Changed

-Clear positioning: Established making wealth management personal as a distinct, ownable stance

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-Category disruption: Rejected impersonal, one-size-fits-all wealth narratives in favor of human meaning

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-Internal adoption: Achieved rare, full buy-in across a traditionally risk-averse financial services organization

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-Momentum: Sparked ongoing partnership expansion, including future culture and paid media initiatives