Brand Marketing | IKEA
Solving consumer perception and brand loyalty challenges with value-based, targeted brand communications…
Background:
Since IKEA’s founding in in 1943, their approach to messaging and brand marketing centered on how their operational model provided low prices to consumers. But the IKEA brand perception was declining in some markets as of 2017, with competition getting stronger across a few key value propositions. The Inter IKEA group, which oversees IKEA franchises worldwide, came to us to develop a new way to communicate across all brand touch points in all markets.
They asked us to explore what aspects of their communication may no longer be relevant or compelling to consumers, to know how to answer: “What’s in it for them?”
Challenge:
Develop a brand and product marketing communication platform designed to positively shift consumer perception and loyalty
Include a path for communicating the sustainable design and operational practices that IKEA uses, which consumers were often unaware of
Define a visual and messaging strategy, in line with the IKEA brand
Deliver an activation framework that can enable the whole org to effectively bring the platform to life in every digital and physical touchpoint and region around the world
My role: Project lead, client lead, strategist, copywriter
Solution:
Our team spent some time digging into the data, studying extensive reports on IKEA brand health metrics from every global market. We also dug into IKEA material that outlines the operating model, sourcing practices and CSR initiatives to understand more about what the organization has to offer besides the things that many consumers typically associate with the retail brand (such as warehouses and flat packs).
2. We prototyped ideas for a new approach, which included defining four key areas that IKEA should communicate around, which elevated the conversation from a focus on price to a focus on value and everyday emotional and functional impact.
3. Our creative team then defined how this communication platform should be brought to life through every touchpoint, focused on a digital mobile-first approach, which was new for IKEA. The creative guidelines gave IKEA the ability to show, not tell, about the impact that their product and brand has on consumer’s every day lives.
4. We delivered an activation framework that mapped:
Pairing of copy and visuals based on touchpoint
Focus of messaging based on market maturity (how established IKEA was in a region)
Focus on messaging based on socioeconomic level of a region
How and when to use this communication concept at different points of the customer journey
How to engage consumers in micro-moments on their mobile phones
Outcome:
The Inter-IKEA team felt this was the most compelling and effective model of brand communication that they had yet encountered, and developed a stronger long-term partnership with Seventy, my agency, moving forward as they continued to develop their brand. Following this, Seventy owned the updated design of IKEA’s logo and visual identity.
