• by Tanya Gazdik , December 15, 2009

SunTrust Banks has launched "Swap a Solid," a Facebook application that provides users with a forum for exchanging goods and services. The app is intended to help people stop spending money when they can trade instead.

"Swap a Solid" is the latest online component of the "Live Solid" initiative, which SunTrust launched in September in recognition of the cultural movement underway, wherein consumers are shifting their priorities and getting their finances in order, says Allison Bennett, senior vice president, director of marketing program activation at Atlanta-base SunTrust Bank.

At facebook.com/LiveSolid, users are invited to either submit a "Swap a Solid" request or view Solid requests to see the swaps their Facebook friends have posted. To request a Solid, users write a quick description of what they need and what they are willing to swap in return. For example, they might ask for a children's bike and in return offer a gently used tricycle.

After choosing which Facebook friends to send the Swap to, they will receive a Facebook message regarding the Swap request.

The "Live Solid" fan page provides consumers with a platform to join the Live Solid conversation and connect with others by sharing advice and inspiration. The bank also has adopted the "Live Solid" campaign for Twitter.

"We've included mentions of "Live Solid" in many client-facing materials, including statement mailers and handouts in our branches," Bennett tells Marketing Daily. The Facebook page currently has about 3,100 fans.

"We hope that consumers will see SunTrust as a supporter of their efforts to live a solid lifestyle," Bennett adds. "Our clients have told us this means having their priorities in order, having a sense of control, feeling that they are on solid ground. Our company mission is to help people prosper; we believe that providing them the tools and resources to do that is at the heart of what we do."

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