SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
Marshmallow has partnered with Adclear to add artificial intelligence to its marketing compliance process. The insurer will use the system across marketing, product and compliance work.
The arrangement covers website, social media, marketing and advertising content linked to Marshmallow’s motor insurance, motor finance and home insurance products. Adclear’s software will be built into the insurer’s existing approvals workflow to review material against Financial Conduct Authority Consumer Duty requirements before compliance teams give final sign-off.
Marshmallow is a UK car insurer focused on customers who are new to the country, a group that can face added complexity when buying cover for the first time. That focus has shaped its decision to strengthen checks on how products are described and promoted.
The move reflects a wider push across financial services to tighten oversight of financial promotions, often called finproms. Firms have faced closer scrutiny over whether marketing is fair, clear and not misleading, particularly when products are aimed at consumers who may be less familiar with the market.
Under the set-up, Adclear’s technology analyses marketing output and flags changes that may be needed to bring it into line with relevant rules. Human review remains in place, with Marshmallow’s compliance team retaining final approval over content.
The software is being used across several teams rather than as a standalone compliance tool. That matters because product, marketing and compliance functions often all contribute to drafting and approving consumer-facing material, and regulatory changes can create delays if checks rely entirely on manual review.
Adclear already works with a range of financial firms, including Lloyds Banking Group, PensionBee, IG Group, Freetrade, Yonder, Trade Nation, ActivTrades, Ocean Finance and Flagstone. Its platform also serves one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges and the UK’s largest neobank.
Consumer Duty
Consumer Duty has raised the bar for how firms present products and communicate with customers. The rules require firms to focus on customer understanding and outcomes, prompting many regulated companies to revisit language, disclosures and sign-off processes across digital and traditional channels.
For insurers, those questions can be particularly sensitive because products often involve exclusions, conditions and pricing factors that must be explained without ambiguity. Firms also need to consider whether communications are suitable for vulnerable customers and whether messages could create unrealistic expectations about cover or cost.
Marshmallow said the technology is intended to support, not replace, human oversight in those assessments. It added that manual judgment remains important for identifying vulnerable customers and for the fair assessment of its financial products under internal conduct risk and Consumer Duty frameworks.
A spokesperson for Marshmallow said: “Marshmallow specialises in car insurance designed for newcomers to the UK. That means it’s critical that our marketing content, aimed at customers who may be navigating UK insurance for the first time, is clear. We wanted a way to continue working at pace without ever cutting corners on clarity, accuracy or compliance. Adclear gives our team the confidence to publish efficiently, knowing every piece of content has been checked against the latest regulatory standards before it reaches a customer.”
Broader adoption
The deal also points to growing use of AI in control functions within regulated industries, where the technology is increasingly being deployed to review documents, monitor communications and create audit trails. In financial services, that trend has been driven less by consumer-facing automation than by the need to standardise internal processes and reduce the risk of inconsistent reviews.
Adclear positions its product around that use case, with a focus on promotional material and communications. Its system provides an audit trail for compliance teams alongside checks on whether content falls within regulatory expectations.
Joe Jordan, co-founder at Adclear, said: “Trust is everything in insurance, and that starts with how clearly and fairly brands communicate with customers. Financial promotions are evolving rapidly, and our AI gives Marshmallow a way to move quickly, whilst being certain that they’re complying with the latest rules and regulations. With the FCA starting to scrutinise breaches of Consumer Duty, it’s never been more critical that brands adhere to the rules.”
