These days, when I do brand consulting, the most frequent question I hear is “How can we increase sales quickly?” Every time, I bring up the story of IKEA’s founder. There’s an answer at the starting line of how a small furniture company built by a rural Swedish youth in 1943 became the world’s largest brand.
The Core of the IKEA Founder’s Story: The Goal Was Not Money
When Ingvar Kamprad started IKEA, the proposition he put forward was just one line: “Furniture that many people can enjoy.” He wanted to break the conventional wisdom that expensive furniture was only for the wealthy. So he removed decorations, kept only functionality, and redesigned it into a transportable form.
What’s important to note here is the order. He did not set the price first. He looked at people’s gaps first. Only after digging into what furniture was needed and why it was out of reach did he design the pricing structure. This is the textbook definition of STP in marketing fundamentals.
Why It Wasn’t Shaken Even When Location Changed
Even after moving to Switzerland in 1976, the brand’s essence remained the same. This is not a coincidence. When philosophy is rooted deeply, the axis of decision-making doesn’t waver even if the environment changes. Reaching #1 in the world in 2008 was simply the result of repeating the same principle for 35 years.
The anecdote of him returning to his hometown, Småland, after his wife passed away is also in the same context. Although his assets were already astronomical, what mattered more to him was the question “Where do I stand?”
Soulpapa’s Perspective: What Korean Commerce Is Missing
Most brands in the Korean market today move in the opposite order. They first set a sales target, then allocate ad spend accordingly, and hastily put together copy and products to recoup that ad spend. When ROAS looks good for a moment, it appears like success, but the moment the ads are turned off, the sales disappear with it.
This is the essence of what the IKEA founder’s story tells us. Brand DNA is not built with ad spend. Only when the answer to “Why do we do this?” is established first does performance marketing gain meaning. Increasing ad spend without that answer is no different from addiction.
What Needs to Be Checked Now
- Starting Point Check: What gap does our brand exist to solve?
- Pricing Logic: Did we set the price first, or did the price derive from customer value?
- Sustainability Verification: Do we have the self-sustaining power to survive even if we stop advertising?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important marketing lesson from the IKEA founder’s story?
That it started from customers’ gaps, not from sales. Kamprad first established a clear reason for existence: “Furniture that many people can enjoy,” and this belief became the standard for all decision-making. As a result, sales were a consequence, not a pursuit.
What is the most practical aspect that Korean brands should learn from IKEA’s case?
It’s about establishing brand philosophy and USP before investing in advertising. If you rely on performance marketing and only chase short-term ROAS, sales will disappear the moment you turn off the ads. Like IKEA, which upheld the same principles for 35 years, creating a steady axis first is the priority.
Insights from Soulpapa Marketing — Korea’s digital marketing agency.
Original Korean article: https://soulpapa.co.kr/2026/05/23/ikea-founder-philosophy-first/
