Magazine B Issue 63 (IKEA) is available now at LOREM (not Ipsum). IKEA began in 1943 as a mail-order business in the small town of Älmhult, Kronoberg in southern Sweden. Today, IKEA has grown to become a global home furnishing brand with an unequaled reputation in 49 countries around the world. In line with its vision “to create a better everyday life for the many people,” Ikea brings its philosophy of democratic design to bear on every aspect of its products, from form to function, quality, sustainability, and low price, and on every phase of its work from product development to production, supply, and sales.
As our readers know, we make all editions of Magazine B available as standalone volumes. That’s why, for us, putting out a special New Year’s issue has never been the grand fanfare event it can be at other monthly magazines. But that is not to say that the first editions of each year are not special. Every January and July, we publish a special two-month double issue. For our editorial staff, this means a mettle-testing race against deadlines. It means reviewing the usual amount of source material several times, spending significantly more time with more interviewees, and spending more time mining the depths of the brand at hand. Making a bound issue requires a longer, more time-consuming process, which is why we need to be extremely careful with our brand selection from the beginning. The final candidate must be compelling enough—in terms of overall brand narrative as well as wider social and cultural relevance—to merit all the extra pages.
IKEA, in Magazine B Issue 63 (IKEA) featured brand, undoubtedly satisfies such criteria. In size alone, IKEA is already a veritable empire in home furnishings. In influence, no other brand has permeated so deeply into the lifestyles of people of all genders, income levels, occupations, not to mention places of residence. In level of brand affinity, the company can be compared to Starbucks and Google. There’s no denying that IKEA has already become a familiar part of our daily lives. Some might ask: “How?” What enabled IKEA’s rise to fame from modest beginnings as a wholesale furniture operation in the small town of Älmhult in southern Sweden? Many would agree that the brand’s democratic ideals were key. After all, democracy is about giving power to the people. And what drives IKEA is not a focus on brand power but a belief in the power and potential of people—those who use IKEA products and come to share in its culture. From the giant warehouse-model stores and at pack packaging to the continuously updated assembly methods and practicality- first designs, all of the brand’s defining features reflect a wholly user-focused approach.
Discover Magazine B – Issue 63 (IKEA).
Magazine B is an ad-less monthly publication that introduces one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe in each issue. Between its covers, Magazine B not only shares untold stories behind the brand but also its sentiment and culture that any readers interested in brand marketing and management can leaf through with ease. Magazine B attempts to discover truly good brands from today’s market where countless brand-named products are overflowing. Magazine B pursues its quest for true value of a printed medium by becoming a magazine that would be worth possessing, not affected by advertisements since it receives no financial support from the brand, and maintains a unique and independent perspective which is increasingly disappearing due to overflowing information mingled among different media outlets.
Magazine B dedicates each issue to the story of one specific brand, which is one of the well-balanced brands that JOH. discovers from around the world based on four standards: beauty, practicality, price, and philosophy. And each issue is packed with B’s unique insights and in-depth analysis. Magazine B will continue to search brands that it pursues to introduce cover-to-cover, such as Swiss recycled bag manufacturer Freitag and Japanese camping gear maker Snow Peak.
Content: Magazine B – Issue 63 (IKEA)
EDITOR’S LETTER
OVERVIEW
The current trends and influences of IKEA over the last 10 years noted by the media
A WALK THROUGH THE TOWN
The meaning of residence observed through the daily life of Västra hamnen in southern Sweden
HOME VISIT
IKEA users in different cities talk about their homes
OPINION
Lydia Choi-Johansson Intelligence Specialist, Inter IKEA Systems
LIFE AT HOME REPORT
The Life at Home Report, inspired by everyday lives in homes across the world
PROTOTYPING
Visit the Prototype Shop, where IKEA designs are refined
OPINION
Sara Kristoffersson Professor at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts, and Design
LINEUP
Eight key concepts and product lines that highlight IKEA’s philosophy
VALUES
Four principles that make IKEA an unrivaled brand
DO IT YOURSELF
A beginner and a veteran tackle the DIY assembly process
INTO THE STUDIO
IKEA Communications, where all of IKEA’s images are made
CATALOG
The IKEA catalog, read by more than 200 million consumers in 35 languages
STORE VISIT
The strategies and characteristics of IKEA stores
TASTING THE MOMENT
IKEA’s food operations reflect the identity of its birthplace
SWEDISH TABLE
Recipes made with ingredients sold at IKEA
INTERIORS
Homes and commercial spaces decorated with IKEA products
INSIDE SPACE10
Space10, a research lab for innovation of life and home established by IKEA’s outside investment
OPINION
Carla Cammilla Hjort Co-founder and Director, Space10 Simon Caspersen Co-founder and Communication Director, Space10
LABS
The evolving concepts of furniture through the works of four young designers
THE DEMOCRATIC WAY
The Democratic Design Centre and the Hubhult office, designed for communication and interaction—the realization of both corporate and design philosophies
BRAND STORY
Smart brand strategy contributing to IKEA’s growth
INGVAR KAMPRAD
The words of IKEA’s founder that have become the guiding spirit of the brand
TEST LAB
The values of democratic design are put to the test in the IKEA Test Lab
STATEMENT
The Democratic Design Days where the IKEA communicates its visions
COLLABORATIONS
Four collaborations that reveal the brand’s openness and future-oriented perspective
MARKET STUDY
IKEA’s inroads into the Korean market as told by André Schmidtgall, Country Retail Manager, IKEA Korea, and Nicolas Johnsson, Country Marketing Manager, IKEA Korea
INTERVIEW
Marcus Engman Head of Design, IKEA of Sweden
FIGURESS
Numbers and figures that show the global currents and brand values
REFERENCES
Details
240 x 170 mm
