IKEA

COMPANY PROFILE:
History of the Brand through to Current

l      IKEA was first established in Sweden during the year 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, who at a young age of seventeen years old started his business.

l      At first, Ingvar Kamprad sold match sticks, to ball points as simple as that, his business started as small as that yet with affordable prices, which gave him that concept.

l      The idea of IKEA's concept came from the well-being of Sweden, known for there hardworking, rich and poor, yet quality worth, with low prices.

l      Colours of IKEA are known to be blue and yellow which symbolise the Swedish flag, where it first began.


What does IKEA stand for?

COMPANY STRUCTURE:
(Management hierarchy, employees, company mission & goals)



MISSION


“To create a better everyday life for the many people”



GOALS


l      To offer a wide range of well designed home furniture products that are functional and at a reasonably low price. Basically, affordable for all.


l      To build the IKEA brand and be an inspiration to people to convince customers to come to the stores.



Management Hierarchy 








Target Market

l     Families

l      First time buyers

l      Interior Designers & Decorators


l      Design Exteriors

l      Hospitality Businesses

l      Those who are looking for modern design furniture

l      Urbanites



Customer Demographic

Age: 20 and up









Product Categories
(Look and feel of branding collateral in relation to typography, signage, website, advertising layout and so on)

IKEAs product range is low to mid pricing. As it is affordable to all.

l      Product Range varies from home furnishings, to plants and living rooms, to toys and kitchens. 

l      The product range is wide and therefore will suit any consumers sense of style and meet their standards. 

l      The product range is also ergonomic friendly so that it is suitable for all ages of the family, young and old. 

l      The product range focuses on the Swedish lifestyle of nature and home, which is shown through the use of light warm colours on the products, and its natural materials of wood without gloss or painted finishes. 

l      As the idea of modernism is airy, very spacious, bright, vibrant, calm and relaxing.



IKEA has become a well known brand that once looked upon or just seen by the colours, customers are able to have a memory of the brand, this has been successful due to the Brands set guidelines, or its values. This can also be shown by its use of the brand on the products itself as well as there signage and webpage.

Brand Guidelines/Values

l      Functional not Fancy


l      Clear not Complicated


l      Honest not False


l      Fun not Dull


l      Inexpensive not Expensive


l      Swedish



Its well known colours are primary colours, use of yellow and blue which significantly represent the Swedish flag where it originated.


Also the name of each product of IKEA consists of a Swedish term, name which enhances the Swedish culture where IKEA was first founded. This is also why each furniture has its own way of incorporating where it was originated Sweden.



Current Interior Plans and Spaces
(Brief description of the current floor/shop/selling/showroom set-up, photos, floor plans)

l      Ikea Tempe is about 39,000 square metres


Plan outside - Top view




l      One Entrance and One Exit – so basically the way the store was planned is like a maze where customers will have to go through all categories of products until final destination, the exit with the cashiers. I believe this has been done so that customers become more opened and aware to other products as they past each section in store, rather than knowing what desired item they want and know where it is located and straight to the end. This is a great way to get customers engaged with the brand IKEA itself, and a great marketing strategy which follows the businesses idea and brand promise of offering a wide range of furnishing products at low prices, customers are able to see this themselves.

l      Front entrance, there is a sign beside the escalator allocating where certain categories, of products are located at.

l      Once customers have reached the middle of the store, IKEA offers comfort, a break, this has been done by a lounge and cafeteria area, introducing the Swedish food.

l      Colour: Use of white flooring, walls and ceiling give the store a clean consistent appearance, which is not distracting and becomes a highlight to the selling the products. Also simple bold primary colours are used as an easy way for customers to navigate where a certain necessity is, for instance the bathroom sign is shown by the use of Red and an arrow sign. As well as each level is represented through numbers using the IKEA colours of yellow and blue. Which follows the IKEA language of modernism, the use of basic shapes, square, circle, triangles and colours red, blue, yellow.

l      Each section of the store and category serves an important aspect to the brand of modernism, yet creates a mood to give an visual aspect to the customers giving them ideas, or simply creating a desire. For instance, there have been interior setups throughout the store for kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms. This introduces the style and type of furniture IKEA sells letting customers know that IKEA sells modern living as well as a bit of country.