Interview: Why IKEA Focuses on Cultural Relevance Rather Than Advertising Pressure

IKEA is now also present at events like Fashion Weeks. How do you decide whether that really fits the brand?

Belén: For me, the question is never, „Does this attract attention?“ but rather, „Does this mean something to people?“ Being present at events like Fashion Weeks or in the heart of cities only works if you bring your own DNA to the table. Otherwise, you’re just using someone else’s stage.

There are three criteria I always apply. They are relevance, authenticity, and value creation. Relevance: Is this campaign connected to people’s lives today, or is it just a brand moment? Authenticity: Does it truly reflect what IKEA stands for—our values, our perspective on home life, accessibility, and design? And value creation: Does this experience leave a lasting impact—such as a stronger connection, a new audience, or genuine business insights?

The goal isn't to be everywhere. It's to be relevant in the right places, in a way that feels genuine and useful to people.

Many brands want to be culturally relevant. What is the most common mistake?

The most common mistake is to confuse visibility with relevance.

Cultural relevance doesn’t mean reacting to trends faster or louder. It’s about saying something meaningful. Too often, brands jump on trends without a clear connection to their purpose or to genuine customer needs. And people notice that. Cultural relevance isn’t created by individual campaigns. It’s earned over time—through consistent action, a deep understanding of people, and initiatives that offer real added value to their lives.

In my view, brands that get it right don’t ask, „What’s trending right now?“ but rather, „What matters to people, and what role do we play in that?“

How do you measure whether such initiatives are actually effective?

Attention is easy to measure. Impact is more complex—and far more interesting. Of course, we look at reach, engagement, traffic, and conversion. But what really matters is whether we’re making a difference in our relationship with the customer.

Are we reaching new target audiences? Are we strengthening the emotional connection? Are we increasing usage frequency, loyalty, or the share of the consumer budget in the long term?

Qualitative findings are often among the most valuable results: new insights, observed behaviors, or signals of what people expect next. Pop-ups or pre-opening activations, for example, are not just communication initiatives, but real-time learning labs.

For me, an engagement initiative is successful when it generates both short-term energy and long-term value for the company.

AI as a Team Member: Where Does It Help, and Where Is Human Judgment Still Indispensable?

AI is incredibly powerful when it comes to scalability and speed. It helps us listen more effectively across channels, markets, and conversations, and identify patterns or new signals that we might otherwise overlook. It also helps us personalize experiences more effectively and respond in a more relevant way.

However, when it comes to understanding culture, emotions, and meaning, human judgment remains indispensable. After all, cultural moments are not simply data points. They thrive on context, sensitivity, timing, and intuition. Knowing how and why to be present requires empathy and a clear stance.

That is why I do not see AI as a substitute for judgment, but rather as a way to sharpen it.

The real opportunity lies in combining these two worlds: technology to understand things on a large scale, and human insight to create what truly matters to people.

Belén Frau is a guest at the 2026 Swiss Brand Congress
On June 10, she will speak on the Strategy Stage on the topic «„Leave the Building“: How Brands Gain Cultural Acceptance.» The Swiss Brand Congress is the largest industry gathering for brand decision-makers, service providers, and media representatives. The industry will gather at The Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich. Discussions, presentations, and interviews on two main stages will feature a wide range of tangible and practical case studies. For more information, visit: https://www.marken-kongress.ch/