Visit a popular store, like an Apple, Nike, Levi, H&M or an Ikea store. 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 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:
a) What brand identity element are they using in their logo (e.g. abstract mark or word mark)?
Ikea is using a letter mark (monogram) logo. A typography based logo that take the abbreviated initials of their company and spruce up their design a bit. They are using the Swedish flags colour in the logo to reflect their Swedish identity.
b) What do you think their brand ideal is?
Simple, modern, cheap, innovative.
c) How do they remain true to their brand ideal within their shops?
They remain true to their brand ideal within their shops by displaying modern, cheap and simple design furniture all over their store.
d) 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?)
The customer experience I get by walking through the store does reflect their brand ideal very clearly. The design of the furniture is minimal and simple. I do see cheap prices throughout the store. I get a feeling of their Swedish identity by being in the store. They reflect this in many places, the logo, the restaurant, having Swedish cookies etc. through the store. The is a lot of innovative products as well, for example smart lamps, and speakers integrated to furniture.
e) 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?)
The products are displayed in many different ways. Each product for its self and many products gathered together as a “room” so you get an idea of how products would fit together. They do express modern and simple design. I would say that “cheap” is not reflected everywhere as some few products are a bit expensive. The visual display is very innovative as they create a need by contextualising their products.
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