At ING, giving people the confidence, freedom and support to shape everyday life in their own way sits at the heart of everything we do. In short, it’s captured in our tagline: do your thing.
But that confidence and freedom isn’t necessarily the same everywhere.
In Romania, decades of communism shaped everyday life. Stability and conformity were often valued, while self-expression and individual choice were more limited. Decisions were often shaped by expectations rather than personal choice. And even today, that legacy influences how people think, act and dream.
In 2024, ING in Romania set itself a clear challenge: to make the bank's global ‘do your thing’ promise feel truly relevant and memorable for Romanians. Not as a slogan, but as something people could recognise in their own lives.
Sharing stories, frustrations, hopes and dreams
To get there, the team started by listening. It carried out in-depth research into Romanians’ attitudes to freedom, ambition and personal choice. People shared their stories, frustrations, hopes and dreams. One pattern emerged consistently. Romania was in the middle of a mentality shift. People wanted more openness, more self-expression and more positivity.
Yet, wanting change was not the same as acting on it.
“When we started localising ‘do your thing’, we saw a clear gap between wanting to try new things and actually taking action,” said Romania's Diana Mihai, director of Marketing, Communications and Brand Experience at ING.
“So, we looked at what was holding people back.”
The research pointed to powerful barriers: fear of being judged, pressure to meet expectations and a deep desire to please others. Over time, these external voices often became louder than people’s own – shaping both personal and financial decisions.
That tension could be captured in one simple question heard again and again: “What will people say?”
ING’s research revealed that 95 percent of Romanians were afraid of what others might think. Among young adults aged 25 to 29, that fear was universal. People were not only struggling with self-doubt. They were carrying the imagined opinions of everyone around them.
This insight helped ING in Romania define where the brand could genuinely make a difference. The role was not to lecture or instruct, but rather to cheer people on. To help break the fear of judgement and support both emotional and financial freedom.
Cultural space
Before moving into creative work, the team defined the ‘cultural space’ where the brand should play. A space that encourages individuality, challenges social pressure and feels consistent and recognisable over time. This became the foundation for the new communications approach.
The direction launched through a fully integrated campaign, started with a manifesto that introduced ING’s new voice in Romania. Product campaigns followed under the same umbrella, all reinforcing the same message.
“At ING, we believe that freedom is more than a principle. It is a way of being,” said Corina Rusu, Romania’s head of Brand and Marketing Communication.
“Through Liber să tot fii (free to be yourself) we give customers both the inspiration and the practical financial tools to turn their ambitions into reality.”
“It’s an invitation for everyone to shake off prejudices and the fear of ‘what others might say,’ and to live as they truly feel: bold, ambitious, spontaneous, sometimes stubborn, but above all, free,” she said.
By making ‘do your thing’ unmistakably Romanian, ING did more than localise a global tagline. It built a long-term communications approach that helped turn a quiet desire for freedom into something people could act upon.