When it comes to marketing, IKEA is no stranger to controversy. The Swedish furniture company has built a reputation for itself by pushing the boundaries and thinking outside the box to create truly innovative and memorable marketing campaigns.
IKEA’s latest marketing stunt is no different. The company has launched a new campaign called “Buy With Your Time” which encourages customers to trade in their time instead of money to purchase IKEA products.
Yes, you read that correctly. IKEA is now accepting time as currency.
The campaign is part of IKEA’s wider efforts to become more sustainable and move away from traditional methods of production and consumption. By encouraging customers to trade their time for IKEA products, the company hopes to change the way people think about ownership and consumption.
So how does it work? Customers can sign up to the “Buy With Your Time” program online and then select the product they want to purchase. They will then be given a list of tasks that need to be completed in order to earn the product. These tasks can range from something as simple as sharing a post about the campaign on social media, to more complex tasks like volunteering at an IKEA store or even helping out at one of the company’s warehouses.
Once the task is completed, the customer will receive a voucher which can be used to redeem the product they have selected. The time required to complete the task will be different for each person, but IKEA has said that it will range from 30 minutes to 60 minutes on average.
IKEA’s head of sustainability Steve Howard said in a statement: “We know that many people are time-poor and that’s why we’re asking people to trade their time – rather than their money – for our products.”
“It’s about changing our mindset from ownership to access,” he added. “Instead of buying products outright, we can access them for as long as we need them.”
The “Buy With Your Time” campaign is not without its critics though. Some have accused IKEA of exploiting low-wage workers and taking advantage of people who are struggling financially. Others have praised the initiative as a unique way to promote sustainable consumption habits.
What do you think? Is IKEA’s “Buy With Your Time” campaign genius or exploitative?
