IKEA stands for Ingvar Kamprad (its founder), Elmtaryd (the farm he grew up on), and Agunnaryd (a nearby village).
Before researching IKEA, my knowledge was the extent of a few buzz words: KALLAX…MALM…Swedish meatballs? How silly I was to be sleeping on such a rich history!
For a company less than 100-years-old, IKEA is the largest furniture retailer in the world. Unsurprising, right? Everybody knows IKEA. But how did they do it?
History of IKEA
Picture the scenes, you’re in Älmhult, Sweden, at the heart of summer in 1943. Your name is Ingvar Kamprad, and you’ve just registered as a trading company at the age of 17 (great job, that’s certainly not even close to what I was doing at 17).
Timeline of IKEA Evolution:
1943: Initially, Kamprad could only afford to focus his efforts on mail orders of small items (think pens, think matches).
1948: IKEA graduates to furniture sales.
1953: Showroom opens in Kamprad’s hometown, Älmhult, Sweden.
1965: Stockholm IKEA store opens. Flatpack furniture makes transportation and building easier.
1973: First store outside of Scandinavia opens in Spreitenbach, Switzerland.
1985: IKEA makes it to the United States.
1987: Two years later, United Kingdom welcomes its first IKEA in Warrington.
2008: Becomes the world’s largest furniture retailer—and still holds the title to this day.
IKEA (pronounced ick-ee-uh) is Everywhere
Wherever you are right now, look around. There will be something from IKEA—maybe you have a whole IKEA kitchen, perhaps a wardrobe, heck, even a pencil holder. I’m currently writing this sitting on my IKEA chair, at my IKEA desk, illuminated by my IKEA lamp, facing my IKEA bed. How about you?
Kamprad is not the first (nor the last) to take on the challenge of design revolution. So, what was his secret?
What the Founder has to Say:
In an interview with Mark C. Thompson, Ingvar Kamprad claims the main barriers innovators face are self-inflicted: ‘People don’t like to take risks’, he says, ‘Because if something goes wrong people are eager to tell, nobody wants to be blamed. You’ve got to make it safe for people to innovate’.
You’ve got to make it safe for people to innovate”
Crazy powerful. As creators we’re told to push past the boundaries in place and forge our own long and treacherous path. But perhaps we’re so caught up in the daily grind that we forget to look up and smell the flowers occasionally.
You know how the saying goes: it’s hard to know your business when you’re in it. You might have a holistic understanding of your business and also be familiar with the nitty-gritties too. But what about the in-between? Despite your valiant efforts to stay on top of trends, posting schedules, and online movements, ultimately, you can’t control how other people react or respond to your content.
While Kamprad’s advice on innovation still rings true today, we now face a different challenge. The internet—an ever-judgmental arena—makes it harder to take risks without fear of public scrutiny. The internet is not a safe place to innovate. You’re on trial to the world waiting for praise or scrutiny. It’s like (or at least it feels like), Naked Attraction if they skipped straight to full nudity. And that’s because:
The internet is written in ink, not pencil.”
It’s not always worth trying to be unique or controversial, for the sake of your digital footprint. Sometimes it’s easier to appeal to the masses.
And what is most widely appreciated by the masses? Dogs.
IKEA Poland’s 2024 Christmas Advert
IKEA Poland’s recent Christmas advertising campaign goes against the production grain in terms of aesthetic values; the lighting—and therefore mood—is dark, and humans are minimally present. When they are their expressions are sad. What happened to “smiles sell”?
Perhaps with the introduction of AI, humans just aren’t cutting it anymore.
The world is oversaturated with exciting trends and bold movements; it’s harder than ever to stand out. Opting for emotional resonance is a clever way to be remembered, especially at Christmas—a time for family and reminiscing.
Karolina Szablowska, IKEA Poland’s Marketing Communication Manager, shares the message, ‘IKEA wants to foster homes that support both functional and emotional needs, making it easier for people to feel the holiday spirit year-round’. As well as comfort in the home, I can’t help but think the sombre tone hints at a similar message: puppies aren’t just for Christmas.
How Can Your Brand Leave Its Fingerprint?
9/10 innovations are rubbish (real fact, by a real source), so how on earth can we stand out?
The main tip is to know your buyer persona, your buyer personas cousin, their neighbour’s, sister’s friend, their courier, and so on. We all have a good idea on how to target our buyer personas—or at least the box we’ve put them in. Realistically, our customers are influenced by many different demographics and environments. They do not all want the same things. They do not all respond to the same things.
You want to create market materials with sacred information that can be shared. No one can predict what the next micro-trend (and that really is all they are!) will be, or what exactly will go viral—not even AI. Micro-trends are fleeting and they don’t define your brand. Do you want your content to be anchored to a topic or movement that will be dust in the wind by the following week?
No. You want to build your brand slowly. Evolve with your customers. I have enjoyed YouTube for most of my teenage and adult life, and there are certain influencers I follow that I have been subscribed to before they hit ‘the big numbers’. Those personalities have changed over the years, and I’ve grown with them. There is a reason companies pay the influencers to hold their products—because an element of trust is formed. #notspon is music to my ears as a consumer.
Your Fingerprint is Yours
Nobody else’s! And it can’t be cloned either. You get good at what you do by doing what others can’t or won’t—not by copying what went well for them.
IKEA has a unique identity, and their Scandinavian design has and will continue to make history. Their branding is consistent, and their already modern aesthetic has evolved with the changing times.
Sometimes I get shy about the words I say or how I say them. Especially when a piece of content I thought would do really well, flops. Remember—just like the use of AI in a job application—your customers can sniff out authenticity. If you pretend, the only person you’re lying to is yourself.
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