IKEA India’s new brand positioning puts home at the heart of its story

IKEA India has announced a new brand position titled ‘It All Starts at Home,’ outlining a shift in how the brand plans to engage with consumers as it expands its presence in the country.

The new positioning reflects changing uses of homes in India, where living spaces increasingly serve multiple functions such as work, study and leisure. The brand entered the Indian market in 2018.

Patrik Antoni, CEO, IKEA India, said, “When we arrived in 2018, our focus was on welcoming people into IKEA and helping them experience our stores, our range, our prices, and life at home philosophy. Since then, the relationship has deepened. We have spent time in Indian homes, listened to how people live, and seen how expectations from home have expanded. This new brand position reflects our belief in India’s potential and sets the blueprint for our next chapter, where we aim to reach twice as many consumers.”

 He added, “We see this as an emotional contract to be a humble life companion who removes physical, financial, and psychological barriers between people and their dream homes. This commitment will shape everything- from our products and solutions to the experiences in our stores, website, and app. Our goal is to grow accessibility, so we are present wherever life is taking shape, no matter the size of homes, wallets, or dreams.”

Its brand awareness in India has increased since its market entry, with top-of-mind recall rising from 4% in 2018 to 43% currently, the brand said.

The brand plans to continue expanding through a mix of store formats, online channels and service-led touchpoints in additional cities. It will focus on solutions for small spaces, multi-functional living and everyday household needs.

The new brand position will be reflected across advertising, digital platforms, stores, the IKEA website and mobile application, as well as through cultural initiatives.

IKEA India has also released a brand manifesto and plans to roll out a series of films as part of the new positioning, beginning with one featuring YouTube creator Kabita Singh of Kabita’s Kitchen.