I was reminded of this the other day – We were not involved in this campaign and its now 6 years old and its still a great Case Study.
Ikea – Case study summary
- The campaign was based on a creative and disruptive search strategy
- The Retail Therapy campaign was covered in multiple international news media
- IKEA successfully improved their SERP ranking
The challenge
In most industries the first organic search results are highly coveted and it’s getting harder and harder for marketers to get – and maintain – content shown at the top of search results. Search engine optimization (SEO) is changing fast and increased competition for keywords can quickly cause your content to slip down the SERP page. Therefore, today’s marketers must constantly look for new ways to improve their SEO and beat competition. There are a few general SEO tips available but with their recent “Retail Therapy” campaign, IKEA decided not to follow general rules but instead think out of the box by focusing on a broader (and unexpected) content territory.
The solution
As a part of their ‘Where life happens’ campaign; the furniture giant launched a new website called Retail Therapy featuring some of their typical products, but with a bit of a twist. Developed by Åkestam Holst, a Swedish advertising agency, the website takes a creative SEO-focused approach to promoting some of IKEA’s products.
A trip to IKEA can be a great test of any relationship and according to Allan Dickner, IKEA’s deputy manager of packaging, the company even has a special name for products that are difficult to assemble; ‘the husband killer’ (Fortune 2015). With the “Retail Therapy” advertising campaign, IKEA now wants to use its products to help solve its customer’s relationship problems – or at least put a smile on their faces.
The Swedish advertising agency looked at common Google search queries related to relationship problems in Sweden and IKEA then changed the names of their products to match frequently googled relationship problems. The Retail Therapy website then beautifully paired each relationship problem with the product that hopefully provides the solution.
For instance:
- A google search on “My Partner Snores” would show a daybed for one.
- A frying pan was named “How to Stay Married”
- The “Ate too many Swedish meatballs” bike.
IKEA gave catchy, SEO-friendly names to more than 100 products on the Retail Therapy website, which looked similar to the IKEA website. The Retail Therapy website then linked through to the IKEA website allowing consumers to purchase the product through an easy, seamless purchase consumer journey.
The results
The campaign generated a lot of buzz online and was mentioned in multiple international news media as well as being shared on several social media platforms. Towards the end of the video it concludes that, “Whether it’s a snoring husband, a never-ending gaming son or any other relationship problem you have, IKEA can come to the rescue … or at least put a smile on your face while you keep Googling for an answer.” Many consumers found the campaign amusing and shared links to the “Retail Therapy” products on their social media platforms.
Watch their video at: Ikea
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