Let’s Experience “IKEA”－ Analysis of the interaction of symbolic marketing and consumer experiences
Date Issued
2010
Date
2010
Author(s)
Lin, I-Chen
Abstract
In modern consumptive society, business creates symbolic images and meaning for products and brands. But after products entering markets and interacting with consumers, their intra-meanings will be reorganized and re-interpreted by consumers’ self-experiences. In this thesis, the furniture brand from Sweden－IKEA is the research subject, and author uses experience economy theory, experience marketing theory and many discourses about experience consumption to construct the analysis framework. One of the researching goals is to explore what kinds of marketing strategies that business managers of IKEA use to create the symbolic images. The other of the researching goals is to understand what kinds of feelings and experiences did Taiwan consumers have in consumptive experience in IKEA, and how did the symbolic images of IKEA flow and transfer in the processes of consumers.
This thesis found that the IKEA marketing strategies focus on advocating the lifestyle of North Europe and want to change Taiwan consumers’ mind; but in consumers’ viewpoint, Taiwan consumer think that IKEA only gave them only simple sense, feeling and leisure experiences. So far IKEA business cannot only make Taiwan consumers to identify the IKEA brand more deeply but also cannot change their lifestyle and habits.
After comparing the experience interactions of producer and consumer, author founds that the original reason to explain for the differences of symbolic images is “the differences of East and West cultures”, especially the symbolic meanings of “home.” Besides, traditional “chang-huang” culture still plays an important role in Taiwan consumers’ minds.
At last, this research comes back to the definition of symbol, experience and economy. That because even if the importance of symbolic meaning is more and more in consumption processes, but the substantial consumptive power is the most important key point. Because of that, if IKEA wants to shape the symbolic images in the future, marketing strategies of IKEA should go back to the culture value of North Europe about equality and try to touch people’s heart. And maybe these activities not only can attract more people to be IKEA honest fans, but also make them identify the symbolic images of IKEA brand more deeply.
Subjects
symbol
symbolic marketing
experience
IKEA
interaction
Type
thesis
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