Leveraging brand co-creation in a digital era: An IKEA case study

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose is to examine how IKEA works with customer brand co-creation and how it can be further leveraged in the digital era. Methodology: This paper adopts a qualitative case study method, where the primary data consists of an interview with a Social Media Specialist with pre-existing knowledge of brand co-creation at IKEA in Sweden. Furthermore, research about IKEA and the ways they work with customer brand co-creation has been collected from their webpage as well as articles on the topic. Findings: The paper finds that IKEA has identified the benefits of brand co-creation, but is yet to fully leverage this online on different social media platforms. A degree of control over IKEAs brand touchpoints could be lost when engaging in brand co-creation. However, handing over a degree of autonomy to consumers is necessary for valuable interactions and exchanges to take place. Furthermore, democracy is a core component in IKEA’s strategy for co-creation, but they should utilise two-way communication in order to build synergies that can further add to brand value and brand knowledge. Originality / value: Research within brand co-creation is available in this field of research, but does not fully investigate brand co-creation in the online space. The application of theory onto a case can add value to IKEA’s brand strategy through suggestions for improvement and enhancement of their customer brand co-creation strategy with practical suggestions. Keywords: Co-creation, IKEA, Brand Engagement, Brand Self-congruity, Category Involvement, Brand Interactivity, Brand Communities, Brand Value, Brand Knowledge, Web 2.0, User Generated Content Paper type: Research Paper