Ikea Catalogue - Are There Any Cultural Differences?

• IKEA Catalogue: Are there any cultural differences?

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having the same product range shown in all IKEA catalogues around the world?

Marketing a same type of a product range around the world can bring many disadvantages and advantages for the sales. Especially the giving simply a catalogue including the products that they are having might bring many disadvantages. Different countries have different cultural practices of using home furniture. The purpose of using furniture could be differed by different countries cultures to cultures. Also how people spent on furniture and the income level has to be deeply analyzed by the company before putting in a general catalogue across countries with the pricing. The barriers of language is a another challenge. Though English is a universal language population around the world speaks and understand there own languages and styles. If a company put a general catalogue mentioning the products with prices that might work well and might fail in other countries. Especially in the Asian countries there is less population which speaks & understands English. Also the income level per capita is very low compared to other European countries. Even still for furniture having substitutes is the biggest threat for them when it comes to globalizing the IKEA products. Same product range shown in the catalogue distributed around the world might not be effective where home interior furniture depends on the plans of the houses in different countries. For an example people spend money on a sofa for the actual use of sitting purpose or else as an interior decoration. So two different use of a same type of furniture, so customer will pay the same amount if that doesn’t serve actual customer need? Most probably that might not work.

2. The catalogue is the most important element in IKEA’s global marketing planning. Discuss if there could be some cultural differences in the effectiveness of the catalogue as a marketing tool.

IKEA as a world leading furniture manufacturer using its marketing tool especially a very cost effective way for the budget