A real winner from IKEA
IKEA has decided to go down the community road and enable their customers to share videos and tips on interior decorating with each other. Some say it’s a bold move, but I don’t think so in itself. Plenty of major brands have tried something along the same lines - and quite a few have failed.
However, I do think the real interesting question is being asked by Kristine Lowe: Who’s going to use this? Friends or foes of IKEA? I think both will. And I think IKEA should be thrilled regardless.
Everybody who has ever tried to assemple something bought in IKEA knows that it can be a real pain. Either a tiny part is missing, or you are left with spare parts wondering, where you have missed a vital component. For all intends and purposes it should reflect badly on IKEA, but somehow it doesn’t. We continue to shop there.
To me that’s because IKEA has value on more levels than one. Yes, its a bargain compared to so much else, but it’s also a strong brand in the sense that many of us feel a connection to it. It’s kind of family. After all a lot of us grew up in IKEA decorated rooms at home, got IKEA furniture when we moved on our own and stayed with IKEA when we got around to decoring our childrens rooms. In that way it goes in circles.
Our feelings for IKEA is strong and thus it can take a lot of flak without us turning our backs on it. Hey, we might even develop a fondness for putting the brand down a bit - all good humoured. And this is why an IKEA community is great. Because it has the potential to enforce that perception and develop even stronger connections to the brand - no matter how we choose to interact with it through our contributions to the community.
The most stupid thing IKEA can now do is to sit back and try to control this thing by blocking criticism or taking down videos that make a mockery of their products. It’s all part of the game anyway. And true IKEA customers can spot the difference - and couldn’t care less when they make their decision to go shopping there the next time.
For all intends and purposes, this could turn out to be a real winner for IKEA.
Vad NU! is a consultancy company owned by Mads Kristensen and specialized in helping clients take advantage of the business opportunities created by new media. Click to learn how I can help you and your company.
2 comments
Ha, ha, ha..: ‘fondness for putting the brand down a bit’, but I think you’re onto something: it could work to Ikea’s advantage if they’d welcome both praise and criticism in such a community and dare to let the customers talk about an Ikea that’s far from perfect, even better: admit it themselves. But it would take an extraordinary brave marketing department to do that. As someone’s who’s worked in PR in the travel industry in a previous life, admittedly for an organisation that used to be part of the British civil service, I think this is asking a lot: I can’t think of anyone in the travel industry who’s got the balls to do that, not even Ryanair with their hillbilly approach to marketing, but perhaps Ikea do, perhaps….
I agree that many mind find it hard to do. But if we assume that people talk anyway, wouldn’t it just be so much better if that happened on a company owned and operated site? It would drive community and it would enable the company to be part of the conversation. I really think this could be a loyalty driver - especially to mega brands like IKEA.
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