RAPP set about creating a bespoke data dashboard, informed by the online search and purchasing behaviour of IKEA customers. Its real-time visual interface provides transparency and allows for proactive communications to be tailored for changing trends in unprecedented times. Insights from the dashboard inform highly relevant, targeted emails based on consumer behaviour.
In the first weeks of the pandemic, the dashboard highlighted a 432% year-on-year increase in home desk sales. Emails were quickly dispatched sharing ideas for creating a stylish workstation. A 1,045% year-on-year increase in artificial plant and decorative item sales prompted emails with tips on creating a positive work environment.
The dashboard went from strength to strength when stores reopened. The staycation boom led to a 166% increase in outdoor product sales, leading to tailored communications inspiring people to make the most of their outdoor areas. By adapting emails to become more relevant, engagement rates soared. Open and click through rate targets were smashed by 5% and 20% respectively. This has translated into sales, which climbed by 5.6% across the IKEA family despite store closures. Online sales soared by 53.7%.
Creative thinking and data visualisation were key to navigating IKEA through lockdown. By allowing data to inform the story, customers were engaged in a timely manner with relevant communications guiding them toward the right products. The suite of learnings informed RAPP’s approach in navigating IKEA through subsequent lockdown periods, demonstrating that a business traditionally built on an iconic in-person shopping experience can be powered by data to survive and thrive in the digital space.
