The IKEA catalog is a popular marketing tool, with over 200 million copies sent worldwide each year. It is tailored to specific regions based on research, and even Iceland residents have to opt-out of delivery. IKEA products are named after Swedish proper names and designed to match a specific price point.
The IKEA catalog is one of those books you just can’t put down – and maybe you shouldn’t, unless you have a very strong table.
The monstrous tome that arrives every August/September is crammed with nearly 400 pages of furniture and design ideas, making it a seriously challenging read. But apparently it’s worth it: more than 200 million copies are sent worldwide every year. To put that into perspective, an estimated 100 million Bibles are sold or given away each year.
Published since 1951, the catalog is IKEA’s main marketing tool, taking up 70% of its marketing budget. IKEA conducts extensive research on all 72 regions it delivers its book to, examining everything from family size to personal habits, in order to tailor specific sections of the catalogue. For example, since Chinese kitchens are usually smaller than Western ones, so are kitchens portrayed in catalogs sent to China.
The popularity of the IKEA catalog is so widespread that in Iceland residents have to specifically ask not to be included in nationwide delivery. The Icelandic Post Headquarters is regularly inundated with calls from people wanting to know when their copy will arrive.
IKEA information:
IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kamprad (the founder), Elmtaryd (the farm where he grew up) and Agunnaryd (his home village).
IKEA products are given the same name as other Swedish proper names; for example, all bathroom items are named after rivers, bays and lakes.
IKEA’s designers start with a price and then build a product to match.
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