Oct 09 2012
The IKEA Maze – a literal spin on brand positioning
Browsing through blog posts from fellow classmates, one that I can relate to is Gianluca Camerin’s post “IKEA’s One Problem”. IKEA in late August is a haven for university students and, in accordance with Gianluca, it is the place to go if you’re looking for sleek and modern furniture and would rather spend some time on assembly than forfeit your bank account. We differ, however, on our opinion of the floor plan. IKEA has devised a way in which to use the layout of the store as a marketing scheme – funneling customers through segmented sections, each designed to adhere to a specific area within the house, in a particular order. Where he sees “problem”, I see convenience. While some may argue that this process is confusing and tiresome, I believe it’s simple and efficient (especially for two 20-year-old college kids like my roommate and I). Others complain that IKEA tricks you into buying more than you bargained for, however, I have a quick and easy solution for these people: make a list of needs before you go in. It will save you some extra cash and might even make your IKEA experience a little less chaotic than you expected.
The result of my roommate and I playing a crafty game of furniture Tetris with our new purchases at IKEA.