6 Proven Ad Tactics From Ikea’s Pet Campaign To Boost Your Business
As a studio that works within the pet industry and ends up surrounded by a common thread of ideas and more or less the same strategic outcomes, we often look to everyday companies for inspiration and to explain to clients what else can be done.
Nine times out of ten, the human brain prefers to stay within its comfort zone instead of risking failure with a new approach, even with examples of what can be achieved. However, ever so often, we get a little spark and the joy to embark on something a little different.
We are working on a three-month ad strategy to sell out older stock and increase brand awareness. It doesn’t look like the sort of project that would get a designer excited, right?
Creating product ads to appeal to people online is fairly straightforward and doesn’t require much creativity. Or does it?
Today, I want to use a recent Ikea campaign as an example of how ads can impact consumers and how inspiring it can be for pet businesses looking to put a paw forward on ad territories.
When did ads enter society?
It might seem strange, but since the creation of civilizations, advertisement has been there. Egyptians used it, Ancient Greece and Rome used it, and so did the Song Dynasty.
During the Middle Ages, a large percentage of the European population couldn’t read, so advertising used visual cues to convey messages instead of words. Posters were glued on the walls of the cities advertising various tradesmen and products.
Later, the creation of newspapers and magazines in the 16th and 17th centuries shaped modern advertising, contributing to supporting the cost of printing and publishing — a common practice in the digital age.
Fast forward to the 20th and 21st centuries, when huge corporations rely heavily on ads as a marketing and sales strategy.
One such company is Ikea, which has partnered with agencies to create ads since its expansion outside of Sweden in the 80s.
Whether you are an Ikea buyer or not, you have probably been impacted by their ads on and offline. Local culture and society’s contemporary topics put the company on top — for better or worse.
Ikea’s latest UAE campaign
As an Ikea buyer and someone who keeps a close eye on their advertising campaigns, I find this one in particular stood out to me, even though it wasn’t created for the Portuguese market.
According to Carla Klumpenaar, GM of marketing, communication, and interior design for IKEA in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and Oman, Ikea wanted to introduce pet ownership as a topic after noticing growth in the region.
They also wanted to time it with the launch of a collection of household products for pets, using the campaign as a triple winner: they market to a new audience, ensure to stay top of mind when they need products for their four-legged friends, and also provide the solution for when an apparent disaster occurs.
This strategy is genius on multiple levels: 1) there are an estimated one and a half million pet owners in the UAE that can relate to this message; 2) images of cute pets cause the human brain happiness and subconscious willingness to spend money on them and 3) it’s new way of showcasing Ikea products durability and usage.
Key strategies to use on your online ads from this example
Besides the previously mentioned reasons for believing this is a greatly produced ad campaign, there are six other tactics that I’ve identified and are a must when communicating products for any market, including the pet industry.
1- Using storytelling
Instead of showcasing a product on a solid background, use photography or graphic assets to tell a story that appeals to more consumers.
We are sick and tired of being bombarded with information, sales, and spam all day. A good story creates a human connection.
2- Communicating the product benefit clearly
Don’t fluff around. If the greatest benefit of your products is price, say it! Finding a different angle or clever way to communicate it is great, but wasting time with twists and turns will cause frustration.
3- Taking advantage of customers’ pain points
Listening and understanding customers is the greatest asset all businesses can have. Take what you’ve learned from their personal experiences, find common ground, and incorporate that into your ads. They will relate to them so much more.
4- Using humor instead of a corporate approach
When you think of running ads, you’re considering serious goals like brand awareness and sales increase. It’s your business and, ultimately, your life on the line.
However, these goals CAN be compatible with having fun and having a lighter approach. Think of humour as another tool to help you connect and convince people.
5- Employing disruptive techniques
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to create something unique. At the same time, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of doing what you know and what was done before (hello, TikTok trends).
Consider the middle spot and take calculated risks if you feel more comfortable doing so.
6- Showcasing products in real-life scenarios
As product owners and product sellers, we do not want to think about spoiling, breaking, or somehow messing with what we own. But it’s inevitable, especially with pets.
They break, chew, puke, pee, and test our patience and products to the limit. Why hide it? Here’s another one of Ikea’s examples:
Was it great for Ikea to have their bed peed on? I’m sure not.
But once the product is out of our hands, we can’t control what happens. We need to get comfortable with that idea. Bonus points if we can predict some of the casualties and provide solutions.
Conclusion
Rooted in strategy and used for centuries, ads are not for the weak of heart or empty pockets.
There aren’t closed or absolute formulas to make your company instantly successful through ad usage.
However, what we can take away from companies like Ikea is that having a deep understanding of our products and consumer behavior is the basis to experiment, explore new ideas, and have fun with something that, at first glance, looks very uncreative.
