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

Kuhlmann, Arkadi; Philp, Bruce

ISBN 10: 1423373529 ISBN 13: 9781423373520

Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2008

Synopsis

Since 1996, ING Direct has grown from a mere concept to a global enterprise, with over 20 million customers in nine countries. 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. Kuhlmann and Philp discuss their unconventional approach to business strategy, leadership, and management that built ING Direct. They 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.

About this title

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.

From the Back Cover

Praise for THE ORANGE CODE

"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."—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."—CHRIS MATTHEWS, CEO, The Hay Group

"An incredible story of determination, focus, and maybe a little luck!"—KEVIN O'LEARY, Chairman, Gencap Funds Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1423373529
• ISBN 13: 9781423373520
• Binding: Audio CD
• Language: English