Spend or save? Your choice

It is the point of message most markets and online banks want consumers to hear, especially in ongoing recession time. And the ING Direct, online-banking company, a subsidiary of Netherlands - based ING Group has the absolute solidarity with it. Moreover, it launched and started "We the savers" campaign in October but relaunched its site for the holiday. While e-commerce shoppers search for holiday gifts they may observe the unusual offer showed in the google results: "Don't spend, save with ING Direct. Help lead America back to savings". This message is intended to entice consumers to dig deep into their credit accounts. 

The campaign is supported by several online companies. For example, WP Brand Engineering, Toronto, was involved in the creative design of the campaign and the site redesign; Traffic Buyer, New York handled online planning and buying; and PosterScope, New York, did the out-of-home buys. 

ING Direct Chief marketing Officer John Owens calls the message a balanced one and comments that the campaign doesn't appeal consumers to spend nothing. It just recommends being wise and being smart about it. 

According to John A. Quelch, Harvard Business School professor and author of "Greater Good: How Good marketing Makes for Better Democracy" it seems a bit unrealistic to believe that people with an express interest in spending money on gifts would convert into savers, but the more interesting question about this campaign is not so much the economy's effect on spending but its effect on saving.

Even though it's too early to tell what kind of effect the campaign has had, about 11,500 people have signed the "We the savers" declaration online in less than three weeks.