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

Kuhlmann, Arkadi; Philp, Bruce

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470287233 ISBN 13: 9780470287231

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2008

Synopsis

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. Discusses the unconventional approach to business strategy, leadership, and management that built ING Direct Written by the company′s CEO, Arkadi Kuhlmann, the driving force behind this unique company and its approach and Bruce Philp, the branding expert who has worked with some of the world′s most well–known and valuable brands Reveals how the cause of personal financial empowerment has made everyone a winner in the ING Direct story 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.

About this title

About the Author

Arkadi Kuhlmann is the founding CEO of ING Direct USA, which has become the country′s largest Internet–based bank. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of ING Direct Canada. Kuhlmann is active in a number of charitable organizations including the ING Direct Kids Foundation. Prior to starting ING Direct, he was president of North American Trust. Before that, he was president and CEO of Deak International in New York and professor of international finance and investment banking at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona. Bruce Philp is a writer and branding consultant with nearly thirty years′ experience in the field, working with some of the world′s most well–known, valuable, and loved consumer brands. Philp cofounded GWP Brand Engineering, ING Direct′s agency of record since its beginning, where he is today Chairman and a working consultant. He also teaches and writes for a variety of publications as well as his branding blog, www.brandcowboy.com. For more information or to contact the authors, please visit www.theorangecodebook.com.

From the Back Cover

Praise for The Orange Code "Imagine a business model for a bank in the twenty first century founded on principles like paying customers high interest rates on savings while charging them low interest rates on loans. Imagine a bank that has harnessed the power of the Internet and gone on to confound the skeptics while earning the admiration and loyalty of customers and shareholders alike. Imagine no more, because ING Direct—led by founding CEO Arkadi Kuhlmann—is here to stay and has begun to change the color of money from green to orange for a lot of Americans." —Tom Carper, U.S. Senator, former governor of Delaware "Kuhlmann and Philp show how innovation linked to a lived set of values and an uncompromising focus on the customer can power an organization to extraordinary success in a short period of time. Their story of the Orange journey offers genuine insights every step along the way." —Chad Holliday, Chairman and CEO, DuPont " The Orange Code is a refreshing look at how the intangibles of leadership, corporate culture, brand, and customer experience can blend together to form a new class of assets that can become more important than the tangible assets in ensuring the success of an enterprise." —Chris Matthews, CEO, The Hay Group "You would have to be insane to try and build a new brand in the brutally competitive market of retail banking, but that is what they did. An incredible story of determination, focus, and maybe a little luck! A must–read for anyone with the goal of building a brand or business." —Kevin O′Leary, Chairman, Gencap Funds Inc., and "investor at large" for BNN, CBC, and the Discovery Channel

From the Inside Flap

"From the democratization of the automobile to the idea that computers should serve people rather than the other way around, the most successful businesses not just the ones that made money, but the ones that made a difference each built themselves around a higher sense of purpose, and then elevated their brand to sit at the right hand of leadership as its spiritual guide." From the Introduction Since 1996, ING Direct has grown from a mere concept to a global enterprise, with over 20 million customers in nine countries. From the time this Internet–based direct bank first launched in Canada,it focused on serving ordinary people who felt abandoned by today′s money–hungry financial institutions. 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. In an entertaining and inspiring style, Kuhlmann and Philp discuss their unconventional approach to business strategy, leadership, and management that built ING Direct. From refusing to promote credit cards to college students to pointing out frivolous expenses, Kuhlmann and Philp not only address the practical principles that have propelled ING Direct to the top, but they also help you understand how the cause of personal financial empowerment has made everyone a winner in the ING Direct story. While the idea of a business as a cause with a brand as its constitution might seem idealistic and even naïve in theory, it′s not anymore. 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.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0470287233
• ISBN 13: 9780470287231
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272