JULY 2018CIOAPPLICATIONSEUROPE.COM8orking alongside Google, Uber, eBay, and Adidas, 72andSunny Amsterdam is at pace with the shifts in consumer behavior and brand communication strategies accompanying the accelerating merger of technology and culture. Last summer, IKEA approached 72andSunny to help launch their first stand-alone, augmented reality app. At the time, the project was still in the design and development phase and 72andSunny began formulating a launch plan that would balance the app's features with IKEA's brand story and the evolving AR landscape forecast for the pending release of Apple's ARKit and Android's ARCore technologies. Early on, it became evident that the "How" of the launch was intrinsically tied to the "Why." IKEA has a clear mission--To create a better everyday life for the many people. This pursuit, guides concepts and processes around function, quality, value, design, and sustainability. However, IKEA currently faces transformational growth that could pose a larger challenge than ever before in the company's 75-year history.For IKEA to reach more of "the many people," they'll have to look beyond developed markets such as North America and Western Europe. For emerging middle classes in places like China, India, and Latin America, the traditional IKEA retail concept--a big, blue box outside of a city center--is not a reality. Only 20 percent of the largest 1000 cities in the world have an IKEA store. Equally, urbanization will continue to draw populations to city centers where affordable housing needs, changing living situations and car-free trends will also challenge IKEA's retail concept. AR is now catching up to the company's ambitions. While their showrooms and website give customers a view into IKEA's world, AR allows customers to imagine IKEA products in their world, eliminating the `imagination-reality gap.' This means less risk and more confidence when making furniture decisions. With augmented reality, IKEA customers can virtually place products, explore possibilities, and confidently make decisions. TOBIN NAGEOTTE, TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR, 72ANDSUNNY AMSTERDAM Digital Transformation for the Many People: Launching IKEA PlaceWIN MYOPINION
< Page 7 | Page 9 >