Ikea Attempts to Win Savvy Shoppers Over by Marketing to the Thrifty Customer

The Swedish flat-pack pioneer, Ikea, have recently launched a campaign aimed at courting the penny-wise customer. Called “Show Off Your Savvy”, the campaign illustrates how you don’t need to break the bank in order to kit out and fill your home.

Their tag line “smart is the new rich” is all about giving customers the confidence to brag about their bargains, giving the real kudos to those who are thinking outside the box, using their space as “savvily” as possible, and working with what they’ve got. The cost-focused campaign follows a UAE print push illustrating how a range of Ikea products have not seen a price increase, despite inflation.

The campaign comes at a moment in our lives when many people are adapting to more austere times, giving the brand a place in the market as a safe harbor in the cost-of-living crisis. Jumping on the “thrifty” bandwagon is something plenty of us are finding ourselves doing, when it is hard to justify certain purchases, especially if they are not essential. In order to stayalive during this weak economy, many businesses and industries are coming up with ways to market to this thrifty customer.

You have the more obvious concepts, like second hand market places for clothes, shoes, furniture, electronics and pretty much any goods. Then you have the more subtle ways of incentivizing people to buy your goods or use your services, like the gambling world using no depositcasino bonuses to draw in those who wish to splash some cash, or software companies giving free access to their products for a limited period of time.

For Ikea, by using an ad campaign that prioritizes affordability, they hope to appeal to human nature’s innate love of a bargain. Snagging a bargain over extravagance often brings people great joy, and this is exactly what their latest campaign is attempting to celebrate.

Created by London agency Mother, the latest ad shows a home from the perspective of a father. It follows the proud dad as he flaunts his blinged-up home, one which looks to be kitted out in a rather extravagant way, but goes on to reveal that it has, instead, been kitted out in cost-effective and practical Ikea products, from sofas and beds to storage solutions. The ad places Ikea’s product range front and center, showcasing the products in an appealing and almost “designer” like way, but with a much lower price tag.

As well as ads, the “Show Off Your Savvy” campaign features “savvy money saving tips”, including saving energy, water, and reducing food waste in the kitchen, as well as “savvy services” which incorporates ideas like buyback and sell, where Ikea offer to buy back your old furniture, and a circular hub, where products are ready for a brand new life.

Sarah Green, the country marketing manager at Ikea UK and Ireland, believes that the campaign is rooted in the love for savvy shopping, where stealing a bargain can bring as much joy as being lavish. Through their campaigns, they hope to be able to support people through these uncertain times with their affordable solutions, home furnishing expertise and services, helping them make smart choices and embrace thriftiness.

Ikea have got eleven campaigns, called “savvy checks”, launching across the UK and Ireland in April, showcasing a range of their products from an air purifier and a table lamp to electronics and social products.