Once upon a time, when I was still in university (yep, it was that long ago), I learned in a marketing class the concept that when you buy a product, you don't really buy the product per se, but the function that it serves. D'oh, of course, but until I actually read that in the book, I never really realized it. One of the most popular examples that illustrates this concept is a a cosmetic product. Us women might be enticed by the cute coloured lipgloss offered by the smart people behind Stila, but essentially, that's not what we're buying. Charles Revson, founder of Revlon, puts it down simply as this, "In the factory, we make cosmetics; in the store we sell hope."
Personally, I don't use much cosmetic products, so this example doesn't really sink in with me. But today I went to IKEA and it hit me immediately why people flock to that place anywhere in the world. IKEA is the adult version of Disneyland. You see, it may not be the happiest place on earth, but it sure makes you think that it will make your home the happiest place on earth.
Even flicking through the catalogue is a rewarding experience. Guys might identify the feeling while flicking through the Penthouse magazine. (Which is a rather funny analogy, if I could call myself funny, because the latest IKEA catalogue is now sitting right next to my toilet bowl...)
Of course, the previous two paragraphs are probably just my unconscious efforts to justify the number of things I want to buy from IKEA, hihihi. Eventually, I only came out with the things I really needed (good girl, me!), but now I can't get my mind off that cool bar table and that orange lamp shade. Geez.
I'm sure my IKEA dreams will come true one day, but for now, I guess I'd still come home to a half-furnished apartment :)
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