IKEA & The Socializers: Case Study Review

How is a global brand like IKEA going to utilise social media?

Swedish manufacturing giant Ikea, is the worlds largest retailer of furniture and has held that title since 2008. With 365 IKEA superstores reaching 45 countries, IKEA have been recently aiming to increase their efficiency when it comes to listening and monitoring to their customers and also to easily liaise with their partner stores overseas.

The business had an understanding of the use of social media, but it seemed this use didn’t always translate from different regions. Due to this, they wanted to establish a social media presence in which can connect their stores, so they could work more cooperatively and collaboratively with them, as they understood that they would be able to collect and share useful data and insights, which they could utilise to benefit the business as a whole.

With the aim of developing a socially intelligent system to link the business’ together, along with the customers, IKEA worked with The Socializers to establish a ‘broader cultural shift around sharing and governance’ (Brandwatch, 2017). In order to spot and analyse data from around the organisation, they built and developed a platform, named ‘The Listening Hub’, in which they could digitally filter data which is useful to them. In essence they built a social media platform, so they can understand more about how the brand is perceived globally. by using this platform, they were able to gain insights into customer perceptions of the brand.

Cohn (2015) implies that the use and understanding of social media in the present day can be critical for growth and development, and this translates to IKEA’s case as Brandwatch Vizia found how the customer service platform differs depending on region. For a global business such as IKEA, this is critical to know as its key for them to get a clear understanding of where their customers are relaying their customer service feedback, so they can act upon it and look to develop more social relations with their customers.

In conclusion, it is encouraging to see global corporations such as IKEA understanding the importance and impact that social/digital marketing can have on their business operations. It highlights the presence which a social profile can have in relation to their development/growth.

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