Tangerine

First I was a happy ING Direct customer.  Then I was a proud ING Direct Bank board member. Soon I'll be a happy customer of Tangerine, the new name for ING Direct.  The new name is prompted by the terms of the purchase by Scotiabank and will take effect next spring.

I love the name, linking to ING Direct's orange past, as well as the inclusion of the upward arrow, part of its recent branding initiatives.  But how do you make the announcement of a new name exciting to customers.  Today ING Direct showed us.  I have always admired ING Direct's marketing and today I was, well, dazzled by how well they launched the new name.  What did they do right?

• Invited customers to tune in via live stream with their employees at the annual Orange Rally (guess that will soon be the Tangerine Rally).  This ensured there was enthusiastic applause for every announcement.  Maybe some viewers thought this was artificial, but that enthusiasm and engagement is typical of this company
• Peter Aceto front and centre: he's an absolutely great speaker. Peter reinforced what isn't  going to change.  ING Direct will continue to be a pioneer, to deliver great customer service and innovative products, and stay true to its mission of helping and encouraging customers to take care of their money.
• Frederick, famous spokesperson in the early days of ING Direct, led the crowd in a rousing rendition of his famous line "Save Your Money".  What a symbolic way to link the past with the future.
• Introduced new products.  After all, customers are more interested in products and service than in names and logos.  Peter reviewed the recently released Cheque-in feature (deposit a cheque by taking a photo of it), and announced the imminent introduction of a credit card, and the ability to use Scotiabank ABMs without a fee.
• Good clips from the people who worked on the project to give some background about the choices leading to Tangerine.
• Inclusion of the band Walk Off the Earth which became popular by cheap music videos which built its fan base independently from booking agents, music labels, or management before signing up with Columbia last year.  A maverick in music that joined up with a big name.  Nudge, nudge, get the parallel?

Bravo!  Congratulations to all my old friends at ING Direct.