My favorite food, hands down: meatballs. Particularly spaghetti and meatballs but really I’m in with any kind of meatball. My husband and I have had a years-long tradition of always having spaghetti and meatballs on Sunday night as a way to ease out of the weekend and into the week. Now that the kids are grown we mix it up a bit but Sunday night always includes meatballs.

One of my favorite clients of all time, hands down: IKEA. Love the values, the essence, and the spirit of the brand. And the folks were lovely to work with. So of course you know I’m going to love those IKEA meatballs just like millions of other people around the world.

The IKEA meatball recipe has long been a secret sauce of the brand … an elusive component that is part of the brand experience but remains a bit of a mystery.

Not anymore.

During the height of the pandemic and lockdown when many a retail outlet was forced closed, IKEA in the UK released its iconic meatball recipe so that we could all make them at home. A small little gesture that brought a sigh of welcomed relief to many.

Why is this so relevant? It’s just a meatball you might say? No no no no it’s so much more than that!

This is the IKEA brand letting people in. This is showing its fans that the brand understands the situation and understands that life is tough right now. Understands that the normal little treats of life have gone missing.

The brand is trying to give back in a slight little way with a key ingredient of its brand itself. Great accolades came with the move. As well they should have.

So my question to you as a marketer is … how can you let your fans into your brand? What’s your experience? JIM

IKEA Shares Its Meatball Recipe