The furniture market has become commoditized. IKEA now competes with online marketplaces, where furniture is seen as a functional product. To maintain its leadership, the brand needed to strengthen the emotional value of its products. A gap has emerged between values and reality: the average American family spends just 37 minutes of quality time together each day, although 73% consider family time the most important thing in life.
Problem
The objective was to transform IKEA furniture into a tool for communication between families and the brand while creating a new everyday ritual.
Solution
Every day people leave home, but the desire to stay emotionally present remains. That's why we transformed IKEA furniture into a medium for human presence. TANGIBLES is a collection of reusable writable stickers that allow people to leave messages directly on furniture and household objects. Family members can erase and rewrite notes on wardrobes, mirrors, tables or refrigerators, turning everyday furniture into a place for encouragement, jokes and affection. The sticker set is available with the purchase of IKEA furniture designed for shared living spaces. Instead of being passive objects, IKEA products become active participants in family communication.
Results
Based on customer journey analysis, 3 key business outcomes were modeled: increased brand loyalty by simple embedding IKEA into everyday home routines, stronger emotional brand affinity through the creation of a new shared family ritual, and a 2× increase in product engagement driven by regular repeat interaction with the product.
