Yesterday's Wall Street Journal reported Ikea To Pluck Heartstrings: Ads Focus on Love of House to Combat Market Downturn. Smart move by Ikea.


The home-furnishings giant is hoping its "Home is the most important place in the world" campaign will help homeowners fret less about the effects of the housing slump and think more about buying home furnishings.
We're learning more and more about the importance of "customer happiness" and how branding can help drive it. But corporations have plenty of work to do. Many consumers, across many industries, still fervently disagree with the statement "brands make life more meaningful."
Hopefully, the good folks at Ikea are thinking deeply about how to build more warm feelings about home into the consumer shopping experience across all its channels....store, web site, call center, etc. Hey, Ikea, remind me of the fun of entertaining friends around my dining room table, or cuddling on the sofa with my college-football-addicted husband, or tucking in my kiddo (if I had one) in bed at night.
Those are gems of life that make me happy... and could sell a table or two.