To cope with the needs of diverse customers around the world, IKEA relies on standardization,
with global production and distribution. Customers in Russia, Malaysia, and the United States buy
the same linens and cupboards. Customers walk through the identical warehouses along the same
predetermined pathway. IKEA encourages ongoing consumption of “throw-away” furniture, long
considered a durable good. Christian Mathieu, the firm’s North American marketing manager,
says of the traditional attitude, “Americans change their spouse as often as their dinning-room
table, about 1.5 times in a lifetime.” To change that mindset, IKEA launched a new ad campaign
calls Unboring, featuring a discarded lamp sitting out in the rain. The spokesman says, “Many of you feel bad for this lamp. That is because you are crazy.” Rydberg-Dumont concurs,saying, “You value things that don’t bog you down, that are easy to take care of.” The message is, you can and should update your home as often as you update your wardrobe.