If you haven’t seen the news online yet, then you read it here first. IKEA is going all out with the launch of their latest movement, Extraordinary at the Ordinary. Launched live online and in front of Kuwait’s press and members of media last month, IKEA is celebrating living at its essence, those little moments at home that, when elevated, turn into extraordinary, unforgettable memories.
Marino Maganto, CEO of IKEA Al Homaizi for Kuwait, Jordan and Morocco, considers this movement as an organic progression from the collective experience of the past two years. “This shocking experience was a universal starting point,” he begins, “times have changed, people are changing and I think the last couple of years have actually taught us a lot about homes. Despite being a place that we owned, or we’ve rented for many years. We still did not know as much as we thought we knew about ‘living’ at home, and it’s been a real eye opener on how important our homes actually are.”
Maganto recounted to us how he personally had to transform certain spaces in his home to work remotely, and efficiently. He laughingly shared how children didn’t know the difference between a parent being at work, especially when the parent would be home. In his case, it was all about injecting humor into the more challenging situations. “We needed to do something every now and then to create that touch of light. Something as simple as moving that plant, or how the candle that was in the bathroom is suddenly now on the dining table. So, with our ‘Extraordinary at the ordinary’ movement we wanted to build on those moments that we’ve all experienced, simple acts of closeness like having breakfast as a family unit. We spent more time talking to each other than we did before. We became much closer to the people we love. And we created extraordinary moments out of ordinary moments.”
Maganto continued, “This year, more than ever, we want to bring joy and happiness to people. We want to share positive energy around us, we want to make this year extraordinary for everyone with The Extraordinary at the Ordinary movement! This movement is born to help everyone have a better life. It starts here and now. Whether you work with us, or not, whether you visit us or not, whether you ever shopped with us or not, there will always be something for you in this movement. We believe that ‘Home’ is the most important place in the world. By creating a better life at home, we contribute to a better life for everyone. You are the one that defines what better means, and we are here to help you make it a reality.”
IKEA didn’t just come up with this strong claim out of nowhere, as qualitative as it sounds, the new Extraordinary at the Ordinary movement is born out of deep research. The global IKEA team regularly visits thousands of homes every year to better understand the evolving needs, frustrations, and challenges of everyday life. Maganto explained that “All of these insights are gathered and incorporated in everything we do; from designing our range, to creating the beautiful value for money solutions that you know and love. This competence in life at home makes us unique. We want to share all this knowledge with everyone.”
Maganto was also keen to express to us how truly humbling the entire experience of conceiving this movement has been. “The idea of getting closer to the people who have helped us become the brand that is truly loved globally is a notion that we are taking seriously. I want to have that cup of coffee with people and just exchange different points of view so we can learn because it’s really important to stay humble and to continue to grow. IKEA was always about giving people the best solutions for whatever space they have, big or small, at the best value. It is now more important than ever to make that front and center.”
Some of IKEA’s key findings resulted in understanding that the everyday person is constantly seeking to create a “Better Home”, one that not only looks good but makes the home dweller feel good. Hence the concept of ‘The Functional Home’ concept is part of the ‘Extraordinary at the ordinary’ movement. Maganto assures us that IKEA is only getting started with this narrative, as IKEA is planning a roster of concepts that will help the everyday customer reimagine how to interact with their living space to enhance their home experiences with more extraordinary moments. He said, “The Functional Home is the first one of a series of Solutions that we will launch this year to help you have the home that you always dreamed of.” If you are curious about what IKEA means by the “The Functional Home”, we’ve got you covered. We were given a wonderful and exciting tour to see firsthand for ourselves what it means for us. As we saw different room setups and spaces we learned that the Functional Home is one that is designed to serve the needs and activities that we and our family have at home.
It is a welcoming, family-friendly, comfortable, practical, and personal space. It is also a home that can evolve and adapt to our changing needs while making room for memories.
IKEA showed us how kitchens, bedrooms, and living rooms could be designed to serve our lifestyles and make us enjoy even the most ordinary days while making memories and cherishing the things we care about the most.
To help us transform our homes into functional ones, IKEA created the IKEA Extraordinary at the Ordinary Magazine to help you make your ordinary every day not only better but extraordinary!
The IKEA magazine is full of inspo and recommendations that the experts at IKEA know will help you live better. From the easy steps needed to set up any space, to many tips and ideas to make it really functional. Or help you choose what are the best colors to give it the right mood for work, relaxation or just having fun. How to live a healthier and more sustainable life has become a top priority for everyone. It even includes healthy recipes and small routine tweaks that will make a big difference to your day. The IKEA magazine will be released on a biweekly basis and will be accessible to customers online, with the special privilege of accessing a printed copy for IKEA Family members.
IKEA’s continuous efforts at making knowledge accessible to everyone to help them live out their extraordinary at the ordinary moments at home do not stop with the special magazine, for in-store, there is a wealth of activities planned for the entire family. “I really want to see customers happily engaging in our stores. I want our customers to consider us as part of their extended family. I want them to like us not because only of our products, but also because we understand their language and their needs, independent of any age group, and independent of which channel the customers interact with us through.”
For instance, for a healthier, functional day spent within your home office space (or even your workplace), IKEA is bringing on ergonomic experts to share their tips and best practices to avoid straining your body while working.
We ask Maganto if this would be considered IKEA’s take on the concept of sustainability, and he explained further, “It goes without saying that the sustainability of our planet plays a massive role in how we are rolling out the ‘Extraordinary at the ordinary’ movement. We want our customers to live a healthier life, and a more sustainable one, and this includes the products we create and the materials we source, and even how we source our raw materials to create a more sustainable production ecosystem. But it is also about the choices we make in life, even when it comes to our food. With the launch of our most recent plant-based food festival, for instance, it is very important to us to be able to provide people with not only more plant-based choices, but also to express the benefits of having a healthier diet. We need to take care not only of the planet to live a healthier life but also of ourselves. How do we sustain our sense of well-being? This could include many factors, from adjusting the noise levels within different parts of our homes, to light levels, it is about wellness.”
To conclude, Maganto emphasized the key role that the IKEA stores play in this movement: “The key for all these beautiful inspirations and ideas to become a reality is our customer meeting points. Here is where everything comes to life. We want to turn our stores into places that everyone talks about with experiences that everyone wants to be part of in the IKEA stores, we will do workshops, talks, presentations, competitions, and games, all to inspire people and also, why not, to have fun”.
To learn more about the Extraordinary at the Ordinary Movement visit IKEA 360, IKEA The Avenues, IKEA Assima Mall or shop online at www.IKEA.com.kw. For more information, please call 184 0408 or follow @IKEAKuwait on Instagram.
