白领商务英语－经典案例15：IKEA

ON THE'JOB: FACING BUSINESS CHALLENGES AT IKEA

Opening the Door to Sales on Two Coasts
What's yellow and blue, as large as seven football fields, and filled from floor to ceiling with furniture? The an­swer, as millions of shoppers from Budapest to Burbank have learned, is an Ikea store. Based in Denmark, Ikea operates more than 139 warehouse-sized furniture stores in 28 countries. The retailer¹ opens between five and ten out­lets every year, and no two grand-opening advertising² campaigns are exactly alike, because no two audiences are exactly alike. For instance, when Ikea opened stores in Elizabeth, New Jersey³; Burbank; California; and Manhattan, New York; Ikea president Anders Moberg knew that the markets for each of these stores were as different as Coney Island hot dogs and avocado salad.

Ikea's international success has been anything but an overnight phenomenon. Founder⁴ Ingvar Kamprad came up with the company name in 1943 by combining his own initials with the first letter of his farm, Elmtaryd,  and the first letter of his native parish, Agunnaryd (similar to a county in the United States). His first furniture showroom was in southern Sweden and featured bargain prices for simple but stylishly⁵ functional⁶ designs. How­ever, it wasn't until he opened his Stockholm store, in 1965, that Kamprad put into practice the marketing⁷ con­cepts that now distinguish Ikea from its competitors: moderate prices, quality products, and a pleasant shop­ping environment.  .

Going to an Ikea store is "like entering a home­furnishings paradise. Customers are invited to wander through each model room and measure, touch, even sit or lie down on any of the hundreds of furniture samples inside each 200,000-square-foot outlet⁸. What's more, hungry shoppers can snack at the in-store cafe, and har­ried parents can leave their children at the in-store play area while shopping. Prices are low because customers se­lect their own items and carry them home in flat-pack cartons, where they assemble the pieces using simple tools included with every purchase.

To enter these separate markets, Moberg knew that each store would need completely different ad cam­paigns. Plus, with real estate prices sky-high in Man­hattan, Ikea would have to scale down the traditional su­perstore format⁹ to a more affordable¹⁰ size. If you were in Moberg's shoes, how would you use promotion¹¹ to in­troduce Ikea to the target audiences in these separate markets? What advertising strategies would you use to develop ads to attract customers? How would you af­fordably merchandise 12,000 items at a pricey Manhat­tan location?

 

On the Job: Meeting Business Challenges at Ikea

 

Introducing Ikea to entirely¹² different markets-some 3,000 miles apart-was the promotional challenge facing Anders Moberg. Despite the success of the chain's first four V.S. out­lets, Moberg knew that the grand openings in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Burbank, California, were important stepping-stones to the heavily populated New York and Los Angeles metropol­itan areas. The advertising had to build awareness¹³ of the store name and the retailing¹⁴ concept as well as attract store traffic. The Ikea president also realized that these grand-opening cam­paigns could not be clones; each had to be carefully tailored to its local audience.

The first store opening, in Elizabeth, was scheduled for May 23, 1990. To reach a target audience of young adults and families, the retailer launched an integrated marketing communications campaign of print, television, billboard¹⁵, transit¹⁶, and direct-mail advertising before the store opened. For in­stance, billboards¹⁷ on the New Jersey Turnpike teased mo­torists with cryptic¹⁸ messages. One billboard read, "On May 23, find a place to crash on the Jersey Turnpike." Print ads used lots of copy to explain the headline, "Why thousands will sper1d their Memorial Day vacation on the Jersey Turnpike." Topping off the ad blitz, Ikea mailed more than 1 million copies of its 200-page catalog to households within 40 miles of the new store.

While the preopening hoopla was going on, Ikea also kicked off a television campaign to support the chain's overall image. The commercials poked¹⁹ fun at the irritations²⁰ of shop­ping at traditional furniture stores, such as high prices and de­livery hassles. However, the campaign didn't take itself too seri­ously; its tag line was "It's a big country. Someone's got to furnish it." The two campaigns started people talking about Ikea, and they helped bring people-by the thousands-to the store on opening day. During the first hour the Elizabeth store was open, 3,000 people surged through the doors; by the end of the first day, 25,000 had visited the store.

Once the Elizabeth store was open, Moberg concentrated on the Burbank store opening. Sticking with a tongue-in-cheek creative approach, the retailer adjusted the media to the local market by relying more heavily on outdoor media, because southern California is car country. So for 6 weeks before the store opening, slightly irreverent teaser ads appeared on 1,600 billboards, buses, and transit shelters around Los Angeles. These intriguing²¹ outdoor ads were designed to start people talking about the campaign. Passersby²² might look at one poster, for ex­ample, and wonder what could possibly have "more mass ap­peal" than the Pope.

The suspense²³ ended two weeks before the Burbank store opened, when Ikea added its store name and opening date to the posters. In addition to mailing catalogs to homes within an hour's drive, the retailer also used radio, television, newspaper, and magazine advertising to give more details about the outlet's products, services, and location. Once again a brief but intense preopening campaign brought results: Burbank's first day was another blockbuster.

But the challenge Moberg faced in Manhattan years later was by and large his biggest. In order to successfully convert the big box concept to a much smaller 7,500-square-foot urban footprint, Ikea adopted a unique promotional format--a marketing outpost. The Manhattan store was designed as a stage­--with a grid²⁴ system that suspended lights and wooden panels that were easy to reconfigure. Like a theatrical²⁵ production, every 6 to 12 weeks the store closes for about one week while the theme changes; product mix, walls, displays, figures, signage, video dis­plays, lighting²⁶, and just about every other element is reconfig­ured. When the overhaul²⁷ is complete, a "new" store emerges like Ikea Entertains, or Ikea Plays, or Ikea Dines, or Ikea Sleeps--to name a few.

And by all indicators²⁸, the new marketing concept has been a smashing success. Still, Moberg isn't about to take the U.S. market for granted. He plans to boost advertising spend­ing to fight competition from Ethan Alien and Pier²⁹ 1. And Ikea is launching a new line of children's furniture--something few competitors specialize in. After all, it's a big country. Somebody's got to furnish it, and Anders Moberg is determined³⁰ to see that Ikea gets the job.

1 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 stylishly   

adv.时髦地，新式地

参考例句：

• Her stylishly short auburn hair was streaked naturally with gray. 她时髦的金棕色短发里自然地夹着几丝灰发。 来自辞典例句
• She was dressed very stylishly. 她穿着很时髦。 来自互联网

6 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

7 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

8 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

9 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

10 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

11 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

13 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

14 retailing   

n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词)

参考例句：

• career opportunities in retailing 零售业的职业机会
• He is fond of retailing the news. 他喜欢传播消息。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

16 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

17 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

18 cryptic   

adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的

参考例句：

• She made a cryptic comment about how the film mirrored her life.她隐晦地表示说这部电影是她人生的写照。
• The new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms.新的保险单在编写时没有隐秘条款或秘密条款。

19 poked   

v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
• His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 irritations   

n.激怒( irritation的名词复数 )；恼怒；生气；令人恼火的事

参考例句：

• For a time I have forgotten the worries and irritations I was nurturing before. 我暂时忘掉了过去积聚的忧愁和烦躁。 来自辞典例句
• Understanding God's big picture can turn irritations into inspirations. 明了神的蓝图，将使你的烦躁转为灵感。 来自互联网

21 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 passersby   

n. 过路人(行人,经过者)

参考例句：

• He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛，因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印，看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。

23 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

24 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

25 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

26 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

27 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

28 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

29 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

30 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。