1. The Manland experiment lasted only one weekend in one store. What are the marketing
advantages and disadvantages of expanding it to other stores? Do you think IKEA should do
more with this idea? Why or why not?
– Experiment of Manland: They offered free gaming and sports programming to men not
interest in shopping
– Advantages:
➢ They can attract more customers come to visit their store
➢ Men can take care of children easier because they have the place to play with their kids
➢ Company can create customer loyalty. Because women must choose their place as
shopping place when all family go to shopping with them
– Disadvantages
➢ The cost to maintain the experiment is quite high
➢ They can spend time developing products that are interested by men to increase their
market share
➢ It’s not attractive to gay and single parents group
– It depend on reality. If the result of experiment is good, they can continue to invest in the
experiment. On the other hand, the result of experiment is pessimistic so the company should
consider other options
2. Would you classify IKEA’s products as suitable for conspicuous consumption, voluntary
simplicity, and/or compensatory consumption? Explain your answer.
– Conspicuous consumption: Sofa, customize lamps. Sofa and customized lamps have
professional style when placing in the house -> when guest come to visit customers home,
they can feel the luxurious environment
– Voluntary simplicity: plastic table or plastic chairs. They have very cheap prices so it’s
suitable with people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on furniture
3. IKEA’s ads targeting gay couples have drawn criticism as well as acclaim. What effect do you
think such controversy has on the retailer’s image and appeal?
– Because the target customers of IKEA not only gays couple, they also the others
segmentation such as single parents, couples, nuclear family,… There is a gap in the
demographic of normal people with gays so some of normal people have prejudices with gays