JPMC's Michael Marinello: Storytelling, Brand Trust, and the Future of Communications
At Money20/20 in Las Vegas, Financial Narrative’s Ashley Jones caught up with Michael Marinello, Global Head of Communications for JP Morgan Payments and a founding board member of Financial Narrative. Standing beside JP Morgan’s interactive booth, Marinello described how the team built a live biometric-payment experience that lets attendees pay for fresh juice with a smile, quite literally. The installation, he said, was designed to show, not tell, how JP Morgan’s technology works.
The principle of demonstration over declaration defines how the firm communicates innovation. “When you’re JP Morgan, you have to think twice about what you put out there,” Marinello said. “We don’t tell a story unless there’s a real solution tied to it and a real use case being deployed.” For a brand known for financial strength rather than cutting-edge tech, tangible proof is the key to credibility.
He calls it “show, not tell.” The biometric juicery, along with projects like blockchain payments, illustrates that the 200-year-old firm can innovate without relying on buzzwords. “That’s the hurdle to climb,” he said. “People need to see it to believe it.”
Marinello has led communications across technology, media, and finance, and said the biggest shift he’s seeing is a renewed premium on authentic storytelling. “There’s a lot of hype out there,” he said. “True and clear storytelling matters more than ever.” Even as media channels consolidate, he noted, traditional reporter relationships remain vital. “Good old block-and-tackle media relations is alive and well—being a trusted resource now has even greater value.”
And like every communicator in 2025, he’s thinking about AI. “AI isn’t going to take your job, but the person using it might,” he said. For Marinello, that means applying AI to make his team smarter and more efficient, without losing the human judgment that builds trust.