Ikea's Manipulative Success
Free advertising and huge public notice is always good news for any commercial enterprise. Although it hardly seems that this particular global commercial enterprise needs any assistance from the local independent media. Their own public relations and what they pay up front for advertising is more than capable of addressing the !exciting! issue of a huge new warehouse-market for Ikea products about to open locally - my goodness, what impeccable timing - before Christmas.
The Swedish mega-marketer that has established a giant marketing foothold on the global market and is such a favourite of householders and university students for their much-vaunted frugal, simply-designed, functional furniture and household accoutrements seems to appear on everyone's top list of shopping experiences. Oh well, that should be corrected: not everyone's.
Certainly not my family's. There isn't much about this vendor of Swedish-inspired goods that I find personally attractive. Their cute habit of naming each and every object may seem inspired to some, but it's gag-inducing to me. The conformity of their straight-design (some, inspired by turning a sow's ear into a silk purse, consider the design, 'sleek', and 'elegant', which says much for their aesthetic sense) is boring.
The new store will comprise 398,000-square feet in size; a temple to showcase the mediocre design and inexpensive construction of goods. Remember Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer being clever enough to entice other kids to believe his wily assertion that fence-painting is not as tedious as it looks, but is actually a lot of fun? This wry and absurd poke at the intelligence of some and the naivete of others is an instructive tool.
One that Ikea uses to their advantage. Manufacturing knock-down components which the purchaser must labour to assemble, even simple as the designs are, enables the manufacturer to save in the manufacture, assembly and in shipping and packaging costs. Which they are able to convince shoppers represents a huge bonus for them, in buying cheap and having a hand in the construction of their acquisitions.
The very worst excess of their ability to manipulate is the manner in which they teach people to react like sheep whom a working sheep dog channels into a specific routine to manage the flock. In this case, Ikea uses the huge labyrinthine warehouses (cheap construction there, too) in which their products are showcased and sold from (arrange your own delivery) to use directional corridors to herd people through the store before they are able to escape its confines.
Counting on people viewing other merchandise on their long and tortuous way out of the warehouse on their way to eventually reaching the cash and check-outs, to select from among other objects that are placed to entice shoppers' well-honed acquisition-instinct, and maximizing Ikea's profits.
The Swedish mega-marketer that has established a giant marketing foothold on the global market and is such a favourite of householders and university students for their much-vaunted frugal, simply-designed, functional furniture and household accoutrements seems to appear on everyone's top list of shopping experiences. Oh well, that should be corrected: not everyone's.
Certainly not my family's. There isn't much about this vendor of Swedish-inspired goods that I find personally attractive. Their cute habit of naming each and every object may seem inspired to some, but it's gag-inducing to me. The conformity of their straight-design (some, inspired by turning a sow's ear into a silk purse, consider the design, 'sleek', and 'elegant', which says much for their aesthetic sense) is boring.
The new store will comprise 398,000-square feet in size; a temple to showcase the mediocre design and inexpensive construction of goods. Remember Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer being clever enough to entice other kids to believe his wily assertion that fence-painting is not as tedious as it looks, but is actually a lot of fun? This wry and absurd poke at the intelligence of some and the naivete of others is an instructive tool.
One that Ikea uses to their advantage. Manufacturing knock-down components which the purchaser must labour to assemble, even simple as the designs are, enables the manufacturer to save in the manufacture, assembly and in shipping and packaging costs. Which they are able to convince shoppers represents a huge bonus for them, in buying cheap and having a hand in the construction of their acquisitions.
The very worst excess of their ability to manipulate is the manner in which they teach people to react like sheep whom a working sheep dog channels into a specific routine to manage the flock. In this case, Ikea uses the huge labyrinthine warehouses (cheap construction there, too) in which their products are showcased and sold from (arrange your own delivery) to use directional corridors to herd people through the store before they are able to escape its confines.
Counting on people viewing other merchandise on their long and tortuous way out of the warehouse on their way to eventually reaching the cash and check-outs, to select from among other objects that are placed to entice shoppers' well-honed acquisition-instinct, and maximizing Ikea's profits.
The racks inside the IKEA warehouse. Photograph by: Wayne Cuddington, Ottawa Citizen
Labels: Economy, Entertainment, Marketing
posted by Pieface @ 6:04 PM
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