Why a Target State Vision Unlocks More Than Just a Plan

A lot of financial marketers work from a place of constraint. They start with what the brand has done before, what compliance will allow, what last year’s budget looked like. It makes sense. But it also caps the ambition of the work before it even begins.

We would advocate for the opposite. Remove all the constraints. The technology needed. The resources needed. The legacy systems. The budget. 

That’s what a target state vision does. A target state vision is a shared picture of what success could look like—before you start solving. It’s not a tactic. It’s a directional North Star that says, “If this worked exactly how it should, here’s what would that could be. And most importantly, here’s how that changes the view—for the business, and for the customer.”

It shifts the focus from “what we can do” to “what it would take to make a real impact.”

Here’s what that unlocks:

You stop letting the past shape the future.
Just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be. A clear target state vision forces teams to imagine success without starting from a list of limitations.

You create alignment on outcomes, not just deliverables.
When everyone can see what good looks like—a better onboarding flow, a simpler product portfolio, a stronger retention rate—you get buy-in faster. Not on the tactic. On the outcome.

You spot hidden opportunities.
According to a PwC survey (should we link to it?), 72% of financial services executives cite internal barriers as the biggest hurdle to innovation. Creating a shared future vision lets teams see beyond silos, and start solving for the customer, not just what’s in their lane.

This kind of thinking doesn’t ignore reality. It just makes sure your strategy isn’t defined by what feels familiar.

Because in a market full of lookalike products, how you move is just as important as what you offer.

Want help shaping a vision that gets your team unstuck? Remove constraints on the thinking to get to what’s needed, not just what’s feasible.