The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause

by Arkadi Kuhlmann, Bruce Philp

How championing consumers led to ING Direct's revolutionary rise in the banking industry In an industry dominated by big banks with little patience for their customers, ING Direct has always strived to be different-a rebel with a cause, if you will-and in doing so, they've become the most successful online banking venture in history. The Orange Code recounts ING Direct's intriguing story, explaining the philosophy of its founder Arkadi Kuhlmann-who believes in the power of individuals to control their financial destiny-and his long-running partnership with Bruce Philp, the branding consultant who helped him make ING Direct a cause to its own people and a household name across North America. The level of success achieved by ING Direct holds some important lessons and offers some much-needed inspiration to a business world that could use a little of both right now.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Biography

275 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2008

Reviews

[E]

Insider report on ING Direct

To say that ING Direct is not a traditional bank is a gross understatement. Most banks offer a bewildering multitude of financial products accompanied by add-on fees. Not ING Direct. It focuses on one thing: saving money in simple, high-interest savings accounts. Traditional banks operate from formal offices with tellers behind bullet-resistant glass and managers seated in cubicles, but ING Direct conducts much of its banking business from sleek cafés that offer coffee and luxury brands of tea. In each of its branches in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia, it offers customers light snacks, free computer stations, conversation-zone seating and kitschy ING Direct merchandise. In this book, two imaginative business geniuses, Arkadi Kuhlmann, ING Direct’s iconoclastic “CEO of Savings,” and Bruce Philp, co-founder of GWP Brand Engineering, the firm’s marketing agency, explain how they started this innovative “un-bank,” how it operates and what its guiding principles are. Perhaps no institution could be quite as rosy as this insider-written corporate bio suggests, but if you want to shake things up in your corner of the professional world, getAbstract suggests this idiosyncratic book about a bright, bold business.

[Mary]

This book was primarily focused around strategic execution, branding and marketing. It was particularly interesting in highlighting a company that sticks with it's core purpose of "leading Americans to save" especially having launched this in a time when most Americans were spending more than they were saving.

A very enjoyable read.

[Guy]

Great overview of how ING Direct came out of nowhere to dominate internet banking in North America after only 10 short years in existence. Great insights on leadership and branding.

[Mike Graber]

Wasn't expecting it to discuss branding as much as it did but still a real interesting read on the building of ING.

[Teamlibrary]

interessanter Ansatz von dem Markführer im Direktbanken Geschäft

[Susan Roach]

Excellent! and in first and second person. Very funny at times, and down to earth. Any wonder ING has done so well.

[February Four]

Interesting format, but about the only thing I learned was that personalities count.

[Radu]

on kindle, of course ... :)