“Visit a popular store, like an Apple reseller, Nike, Levi’s, H&M or Ikea. The brand should be well-known and you must visit a shop where their products are being displayed or distributed. In smaller towns you may not have access to these stores, in this case you will need to find a section showcasing these items and view how they are displayed or laid out. Before going to the shop, determine the following about their brand identity and, once at the shop, evaluate how they remain true to their brand identity or how they do not. How is the brand identity enhanced (or perhaps, not expressed) at the point of customer interaction? Hand in a write-up with photos of the following:
* What brand identity element are they using in their logo (e.g. abstract mark or word mark)?
* What do you think their brand ideal is?
* How do they remain true to their brand ideal within their shops?
Evaluate the customer experience according to the brand ideal. (For example, if the brand ideal is “innovation”, do you get a sense of that ideal when you visit the outlet?)
Evaluate the visual display of the products according to the brand ideal. (For example, if the brand ideal is “value”, is this expressed in the way they display the products?)”
I chose to focus on IKEA. Their logo is a wordmark and the colors, blue and yellow, are highlighted throughout their store. I visited IKEA in Åsane, Bergen on a weekday.
The colors blue and yellow, and clear and simplistic signs make IKEA a very easy store to navigate. There are signs with symbols to indicate restrooms, and signs are easy to read with IKEA sans, a font made especially for them.
The information throughout the store as consistent and plentiful. Information about prices of each item is always easy to find. Good offers are often marked in bright yellow, one of their signature colors.
They market themselves towards a wide variety of customers, but their brand ideal is affordable home furnishing products for everyone. You can have IKEA help you design your new kitchen or wardrobe. They focus on sustainable materials, and assembling the furniture yourself makes for cost-effective and thus more environment friendly transportation. A cafe selling good quality food at a good price does’t hurt either. Many come to IKEA simply for their meatballs.
Visiting IKEA is an experience. You can expect the store to be easy to navigate, prices available at a glance and they display products in “home-like settings” so you can easily see the products in context. Every chair, every sofa, every table is there for you to test and feel. I feel they are very true to their brand ideal.
Resources:
http://www.ikea.com
Randis Reflective Journal 