LADDER OF ENGAGEMENT
Chaffey and Smith (2023) introduced the ladder of engagement in which the lower half involves how the brand persuades consumers to engage in rating and reviewing their experience and the upper half is more of the crowdsourcing process when customers become brand advocates.
Lower Half of Engagement
(Ratings/ Reviews/ Discussions)
Ratings, at the bottom of the ladder, reflect the level of customer satisfaction with the product performance using simple system such as star rating, scale rating, etc. (Engler et al., 2015).
Customers feel compelled to share their experiences in text rather than star ratings if they want to brag about their positive feelings or make a complaint to the brand (Han and Anderson, 2020). As these reviews are primarily written by non-expert consumers, readers may perceive them as trustworthy and authentic (Burton and Khammash, 2010).
The highest step of the lower half is discussions or sharing which consumers are encouraged to exchange brand-related opinions with others. Berger (2014) figures that self-expression is a key driver of online discussion. Customers often associate themselves with particular brands to express their self-identities to their social communities.
Upper Half of Engagement
Collaborative Co-creation
The upper half represents the value co-creation between consumers and brands. At this stage, customers become working consumers, and engaging in the brand-building process (Cova and Dalli, 2009). Consumers can contribute by providing input on desired features and attributes of new products such as product concept, and packaging (Banović et al., 2016).
Besides, consumer-generated advertising (CGA), in which brands utilise user-generated content for their advertisements, is on the rise. This form of advertising is believed to create more resonance, enhancing consumers’ attitudes and brand community engagement (Shulga et al., 2023).
The upper step involves consumers’ contribution to brand identity and the brand-building process. Consumers can co-create brand meaning by spreading the brand message to others through their evaluations and perceptions (Black and Veloutsou, 2017).
Finally, consumers can help brands turn ideas into actual products. For instance, the rise of digital fabrications such as 3D printers is empowering customers to design their favourite products and present them to brands for actual manufacturing (Pera and Viglia, 2015).
IKEA's Ratings and Reviews System
The product page of IKEA is well-designed with a clear star rating feature that make it easy for buyers to notice. The number of reviews is clearly indicated, which can encourage buyers to click and read the reviews. The rating criteria take into account 5 primary factors constituting product performance (ease of use, quality, value, design, and functionality) (IKEA, 2024a).
Figure 2: IKEA's Review System (IKEA, 2024a)
Figure 1: IKEA's Product Rating Interface (IKEA, 2024a)
The Customer Review section of IKEA’s website showcases several key strengths:
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User-Friendly Layout: The straightforward design ensures ease of navigation and readability.
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Detailed Feedback: Reviews include comprehensive feedback, offering insights into customer experiences.
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Clear Rating System: The 5-star rating system allows for quick product quality assessment.
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Relevant criteria: Specific criteria ratings provide a detailed view of the product’s various aspects.
IKEA's Ladder of Engagement
IKEA's Collaborative Co-Creation
IKEA Effect: the company builds a 'Do It Yourself' culture by letting customers craft their furniture themselves since research shows that people value things they have to assemble themselves more than pre-built things (Clifford, 2019).
Assembling furniture can be a hands-on sensory experience that strengthens the connection between the customer and the product and fosters positive word-of-mouth (Rodrigues and Brandão, 2020).
Figure 3: Customers assemble their own IKEA furniture (Mulla, 2022)
"LIFE AT HOME" PROJECT
In 2014, the company introduced the ‘Life at Home’ project in which IKEA designers visit customers’ homes to discover new solutions to their problems and identify creative ideas for new products (IKEA, 2024b).
The firm facilitates collaborative co-creation by allowing consumers to submit captures of their slices of life with IKEA products. It then utilises these beautiful scenes to craft a consumer-generated advert summarising the project report for each year (Figure 5, The Guardian, 2024).
Figure 4: IKEA x Photographer Annie Leibovitz showing life in Berlin (The Guardian, 2024)
Figure 5: Captures of Life At Home by IKEA customers