Brand Marketing Promotion丨Why does IKEA sell products for free?

When it comes to marketing, IKEA has a lot to be praised for.

One particularly special thing is that most of IKEA’s marketing does not have any “brain-opening” eye-catching operations, but through careful planning, it can remain relatively low-key and make people smile knowingly.

Recently, IKEA launched a new product series, but the price is actually "0" yuan.

What is going on?

1. 0 Yuan Series, Selling a Lifestyle

The series launched by IKEA this time is called "0 Yuan Lagom". A special IKEA Live Lagom page has been set up on the official website to show how to make IKEA's old products look brand new.

For example, shopping bags can be made into picnic blankets, discarded cans can be used to store tableware, cupcake trays can be used for planting, etc.

In other words, IKEA’s new product promotion this time is not to sell products, but to sell a lifestyle.

The "Lagom" in the theme of the event is actually a Swedish word, which represents the concept of "not too much, not too little, just right". Extended to life, it means having a kind of self-restraint and moderation in dealing with all things.

In the coming months, IKEA UK will also hold related experience activities in stores across the country, inviting consumers to learn in stores how to live a sustainable home life.

"While most people are aware of the problem of climate change, many do not relate it to themselves, and we want to address this issue head-on," said IKEA UK's head of environmental protection.

2. Why does IKEA sell “0” yuan products?

As a consumer brand, from a business logic perspective, it should be about persuading people to consume more. This time, IKEA did the opposite and told people to be frugal and reuse existing items. What are the considerations behind this?

First, establish an environmentally friendly corporate image.

Nowadays, to become a popular company, it is not enough to just have good products and services, because there are so many companies with similar products and services on the market. In order to establish a good image in the minds of consumers, companies should also export their own positive values.

Environmental protection is a key point that can be written about.

This is especially true for IKEA. IKEA's main business is home furnishings, which requires the use of a lot of wood raw materials, and the damage to the environment is quite obvious. Therefore, IKEA plays the "environmental protection" card in order to create a positive image.

Second, promote the recyclability of products.

Although IKEA did not sell products in this marketing campaign, it did reveal the characteristics of its products.

By showcasing the recycling of IKEA products in various scenarios, IKEA adds color to home life and positions its products as recyclable.

In addition to surface reuse, the "interior" of IKEA products is also recyclable. Many people may not know that more than 60% of IKEA's furniture worldwide is made of recyclable materials, which is very rare.

Stores are also a base for promoting the recyclability of products. IKEA once opened a store in London that was known as "the most renewable store in the UK". Except for electricity, all items in the store are renewable. It even set up a "learning lab" to teach consumers how to recycle furniture.

Third, promote the brand concept of simple life.

The Lagom promoted by IKEA this time is a perfect lifestyle.

Simply put, it is not about living a luxurious or simple life, but about pursuing a reasonable balance in life so that it is more sustainable.

This approach is consistent with IKEA's long-standing philosophy. The characteristic of IKEA's product sales is that it allows consumers to help themselves, saving labor costs, thereby reducing product prices and returning the benefits to customers.

Lagom's approach goes a step further, allowing consumers to create and reuse IKEA products they have already purchased. This is equivalent to extending the service life of the product and helping consumers further reduce their living costs.

For consumers, not only do they get satisfaction from such small daily innovations, but they will also identify more with IKEA's philosophy.

After all, it's pretty sincere of a consumer brand to educate you to buy less.

3. IKEA is getting closer to consumers by improving its value output

This is not the first time that IKEA has promoted the Lagom lifestyle.

IKEA once collaborated with the Center for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey to hold a "LiveLagom" marketing campaign. IKEA gives coupons to consumers to encourage them to buy its products, which can help consumers save energy, water and reduce emissions.

In fact, this kind of marketing activities with similar public welfare nature have always been IKEA's common practice. Under the packaging of public welfare propaganda, IKEA's marketing promotion is no longer so "hard", but "soft" and integrated into the psychology of consumers.

For example, IKEA has previously launched a "Wildlife Home" project, collaborating with artists and architects to transform old furniture into nests for wild animals. The wood of the table top was made into a beehive, the lamp base was made into a nest for tits, and the side table of the sofa was transformed into a bat nest.

In addition to raising people's attention to the living environment of wild animals, the event also emphasized the recyclability of IKEA furniture.

These marketing projects essentially reflect that IKEA has taken a further step in conveying its values.

Many companies actually know that they need to export their values ​​and have made a lot of efforts in environmental protection. However, the practices of most companies have not been spread to the grassroots, but only take action at the corporate level, such as donating to environmental protection activities and saving energy and reducing emissions in their own production processes.

IKEA's approach is to shift from the corporate level to the human level, getting closer to consumers. By allowing consumers to make sustainable uses to the best of their ability in their daily lives, they will no longer feel that those concepts are "high-sounding", but will be able to truly "be down to earth" in their lives.

As the creative director of Proximity London, who works with IKEA, said: “If you want consumers to participate in sustainable living, then as a brand you must first change your own behavior and let them see it in the process.”

As consumers participate, they will naturally come to agree with IKEA's philosophy and become fans of the brand.

Because of this, IKEA’s series of marketing to promote its philosophy is better than selling products even if it does not sell products.

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Author: Xu Li

Source: Marketing Front Page (ID: mkt2000)