- January 26, 2017
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IKEA’s Masterful New Ad Campaign Taps Deep Into Customer Needs
It’s no wonder IKEA is one of the biggest global brands: besides well-designed products, a unique in-store experience, and of course, the meatballs – they have a history of unforgettable ads. And the company just did it again.
IKEA just launched a campaign that’s so genius yet so simple, it will have a million integrated marketers smacking their own heads and lamenting, “I wish I’d thought of that!”
The campaign encompasses print, digital, signage, and search. IKEA took some of their most popular products and replaced their traditionally oddball names with matter-of-fact names like “My Partner Snores” (for a day bed), “My Son is Afraid of the Dark” (for a nightlight), and “My Teenage Daughter Throws Clothes on the Floor” (for a chair with a built-in towel rack).
The good news for integrated marketers is, you don’t have to rename your products to recreate IKEA’s retail magic.
It’s Benefits, Not Features, That Sell a Product
Features can be impressive, but it’s how they solve your customers’ problems (or don’t) that makes the sale. Think about your own copy, and how you can convert technical specifications or dry descriptions into engaging text. Even if you do make a technical product, jargony language risks alienating a large percentage of your audience who may just be starting their search.
It’s Funny Because It’s True
Humor can be great in advertising, but truth is unbeatable, especially when it’s a relatable, everyday truth. IKEA found the intersection of funny and true. Recent studies show the benefits of using real people telling real stories in ads, so this IKEA approach is on the money.
The Truth is Great for SEO
By mining these pressing relationship needs, IKEA is also giving their SEO a boost: over the last few years, SEO has shifted from keywords to more natural language that is closer to how people really talk. Or as Amit Singhall, Google senior vice president and software engineer, puts it, “Fundamentally, it’s the difference between ‘give me what I said’ and ‘give me what I want.’” You can get there by going deep into your customer’s POV and answering questions like “Why?” or “So what?
