Reviewing Barclays' New Paper ‘A New Message to Tell Sid‘ and My Reply to This
I say, cool, but don’t Just Tell Sid - invite his kids and grandkids too! Plus: I compare the paper to Aberdeen’s ‘Tell Sid and Tell Him Again’ and my own paper addressed to Rachel Reeves.
Introduction: Sid Returns—But Who’s Listening?
Barclays’ A New Message to Tell Sid revives a familiar name to spark a fresh conversation: how do we bring everyday people back into the world of investing?Drawing lessons from the 1980s campaign, the paper outlines how digital-first messaging, policy reform, and inclusive strategies can help rebuild a more engaged investing public.
Last week, after Barclays ‘dusted off’ Sid, I shared a reimagining: Sid today, at 74. A proud Boomer, with a Gen Xennial son, Steve, in his mid-40s, and a sharp, digital-native Gen Z granddaughter, Sienna. It got me thinking: a lot has changed since Sid first became a household name. Britain has evolved, and so have our attitudes toward personal finance and investing. If Sid’s story is being rebooted, it’s the perfect moment to rethink how we engage the next generations too.
As a bonus, this review also compares Barclays’ proposals with two other recent contributions: abrdn’s global snapshot, Tell Sid and Tell Him Again, and my own letter to Rachel Reeves - an urgent call for modern investor rights, digital enfranchisement, and retail voices in policymaking.
What’s Barclays’ Paper About?
Barclays' April 2025 paper, A New Message to Tell Sid, is a timely and thoughtful reflection on how to build a more engaged investing public. Inspired by the iconic ‘Tell Sid’ campaign of the 1980s, the report asks what it would take to recapture that energy and sense of public ownership in a modern market shaped by digital disruption, economic uncertainty, and fractured trust.
It’s not about nostalgia - it’s about possibility.
One of the original ‘Tell Sid’ British Gas adverts. A walk down memory lane!
Who’s This For?
Barclays makes clear this paper is for policymakers and those shaping capital markets:
‘Our work draws on the bank’s expertise, data and insights, and is intended to inform the design and application of public policy solutions in response to pressing economic and societal challenges.’
This framing is welcome - but it must come with a reminder: if the future of investing is being discussed, the public must be present. Retail investors - the people whose confidence, capital, and curiosity we need - deserve a meaningful seat at the table, not just a mention in the margins.
The Three Campaign Directions
To re-energise public interest in investing, Barclays proposes three potential campaign strategies:
Investing is Easy: Remove friction and make the process of becoming a shareholder feel intuitive and manageable. This is about tackling perceptions of complexity that act as a barrier to first-time investors.
Investing is for People Like You: Help people see themselves in the investing world - regardless of background, income, or prior experience. Representation matters, and personalised messaging can make investing feel more relatable and relevant.
Invest for Your Future: Position investing as a tool for long-term stability and prosperity - tying financial growth to life milestones, aspirations, and security.
Each direction is supported by behavioural insights and has the potential to reach different cohorts. But they share a common theme: making investing feel personal, possible, and empowering.
Five Key Recommendations
To support these campaign directions, Barclays outlines five key enablers:
Simplify Financial Communication
The industry must speak human. Investment products and shareholder rights need to be explained in plain, accessible language that builds confidence rather than gatekeeps.Leverage Digital Platforms
Digital is not optional. Campaigns should be designed to meet people where they are - on social media, mobile devices, and platforms they use every day.Enhance Financial Literacy
Educational efforts should move from sporadic initiatives to embedded, continuous learning - delivered through schools, employers, community organisations, and digital creators.Address Trust Issues
Rebuilding trust with the public means recognising where systems have failed people in the past. Transparency, better governance, and accountability are critical.Promote Inclusive Investment Opportunities
Make investing accessible across age, ethnicity, income level, and gender. This includes removing unnecessary minimums, designing for different levels of risk tolerance, and improving cultural relevance.
Barclays is absolutely right to ground the campaign in structural reform - not just creative messaging. But we must now move from why and what to how - with urgency.
Where We Can Go Further - Together
Here are five urgent areas where we must push further—if we want a market that genuinely includes and reflects its public.
Imagining Sid today, at 74. A proud Boomer, with a Gen Xennial son, Steve, in his mid-40s, and a sharp, digital-native Gen Z granddaughter, Sienna.
Inclusion by Design
Engagement isn’t just about message - it’s about medium and mindset. To reach Gen Z and younger Millennials, we need to embrace the tech they use (blockchain, tokenisation, AI, even crypto) and meet them on platforms and through voices they already trust. This is about fluency, not fashion.
Rights for Nominee Shareholders
Barclays rightly notes most retail investors hold shares through nominee accounts. But access to rights - voting, communications, engagement - remains patchy at best. We need a digital-first, intuitive system that makes those rights standard, not special. Ownership must come with power.
Representation in Policy
Retail investors remain underrepresented in decision-making forums like the Capital Markets Industry Taskforce. If policymakers are designing for the public, the public must be in the room. Not just surveyed - but shaping the agenda.
Clarity of Data
Registrars and private brokers hold rich datasets that could help us understand, engage, and empower the modern investing public. If analysed compliantly, this data could improve comms, highlight demographic gaps, reunite 'lost' capital, and reduce waste (think: mailings to gone-aways or the deceased). There’s untapped value in the information already on hand—let’s use it wisely.
Modernising Investor Relations
IR today is built for institutions—not people. It needs to evolve. We need mobile-first, real-time, human-toned communication that makes retail investors feel seen and heard. As I argued in my open letter to Rachel Reeves, we must also collaborate with alternative media, fintech, and trusted finfluencers who are already shaping investor behaviour.
Here’s why it matters: in the last crypto bull cycle, over 172,300 new crypto millionaires were created - many of them under 35, sitting on significant capital, and disconnected from traditional equity channels. If companies want access to this next generation, modern IR isn’t optional - it’s a growth strategy.
Let’s Not Just Tell Sid
If we’re serious about building an investor nation, we can’t just ‘Tell Sid.’ We need to invite Sienna, Steve, and Simran - investors of every age, background, and experience - into a system designed for them. One that recognises their voice, respects their rights, and rewards their participation.
Barclays has helped start the conversation. Let’s keep it going - and let’s build the future of investing with the people it’s meant to serve.
Bonus: Sid’s a Popular Guy!
He’s a pop-culture icon - appearing in these three papers:
Barclays' ‘A New Message to Tell Sid’ - What we have been discussing A policy-focused paper aimed at reigniting retail investment through updated messaging and systemic reforms.
abrdn's ‘Tell Sid and Tell Him Again’ - An international comparative study highlighting cultural and structural factors influencing investment behaviours across G7 countries.
My ‘Letter to Rachel Reeves’ - An advocacy piece calling for concrete policy changes to empower retail investors and modernise investor relations.
Analysis
Barclays' Approach: Barclays' paper serves as a strategic blueprint for policymakers, suggesting that modernising the narrative around investing can re-engage the public. By proposing clear campaign directions and systemic changes, it aims to make investing more accessible and relatable.
Aberdeen's Perspective: abrdn provides a comprehensive analysis of how cultural and structural factors influence investment behaviours. By comparing the UK's investment patterns with those of other G7 countries, it highlights the potential for growth in retail investment and the importance of financial education.
My Advocacy: My letter is an urgent call to action, emphasising the need for immediate policy changes to empower retail investors. She focuses on practical steps like modernising investor relations, ensuring nominee shareholders have voting rights, and incorporating retail investors into policymaking processes.
Key Takeaways
All three papers converge on the necessity of enhancing retail investor participation in the UK capital markets. Barclays provides a strategic framework, abrdn offers comparative insights, and my paper delivers a grassroots advocacy perspective. Together, they underscore the multifaceted approach required to foster a more inclusive and engaged investing public.
For a sustainable and inclusive investment culture, it's imperative to combine policy reforms, cultural shifts, and technological advancements. Engaging retail investors not only strengthens the capital markets but also empowers individuals to take charge of their financial futures.