The flexible office is going mainstream. Today, furnishings giant Ikea is releasing Mittzon, its newest system of furniture for the office. Designed specifically for all the ways the office has been contorted and reconfigured by the post-pandemic hybrid work schedule, the 85-piece collection is a flexible, movable kit of shape-shifting parts that is designed for an office environment that may never be static again.
Click here to read the story at fastcompany.com.
Discussion Questions:
- What is a target market?
- Why is it important for a business to identify a target market if they want their marketing to be successful?
- How do you think the pandemic changed the dynamics of the workplace?
- How do you think that influenced the way companies who sell furniture, office equipment, office supplies, and home goods approach their marketing?
- Describe the new Ikea furniture line using information from this news story.
- How long did it take for Ikea to develop the new furniture products?
- What is “flexible” furniture?
- How might “a “flexible” furniture line meet the changing needs of anyone purchasing office furniture?
- What is market research?
- Why do you think market research was important to Ikea as they developed this new line of office furniture?
- How might “a “flexible” furniture line meet the changing needs of anyone purchasing office furniture?
- Who might Ikea be targeting with this new line of furniture?
- What is differentiation?
- How might this new line of furniture provide a differentiation opportunity for Ikea?
- Why is that important?