Which? Endorsement for IKEA Appliances

Overview

Following IKEA UK being recognised by Which? as a recommended provider for household appliances, a six-month communication campaign was developed to increase awareness of the endorsement, strengthen customer confidence in the appliance offer, and support kitchen planning appointments.

The project required the creation of a dedicated in-store communication framework capable of operating across 26 stores and multiple customer touchpoints while adhering to strict co-branding requirements.

The scope extended beyond asset creation to include communication strategy, implementation planning, stakeholder alignment, sales steering, and omnichannel consistency across physical and digital environments.

Challenge

Unlike a promotional campaign driven by price or urgency, the value of the Which? endorsement depended on trust, credibility, and customer perception.

The challenge was to translate a respected third-party recommendation into a retail communication system that felt visible and impactful without compromising authenticity.

Key considerations included:

• awareness building across the customer journey

• appliance sales steering

• support for kitchen planning appointments

• integration with existing commercial priorities

• compliance with co-branding requirements

• consistency across physical and digital channels

Success relied on carefully balancing prominence with credibility while ensuring the endorsement remained clearly connected to the appliance offer.

Communication System

A dedicated communication framework was developed to position the endorsement throughout the kitchen and appliance journey.

The system combined:

• entrance awareness messaging

• appliance area communication

• kitchen planning studio support

• product-level reinforcement

• digital screen content

• directional and sales-steering touchpoints

Rather than applying the same message uniformly, communication was distributed according to customer intent and decision-making moments.

This created a structured progression from awareness through to appliance consideration and planning engagement.

Design Governance & Co-Branding

The partnership introduced strict requirements around logo usage, message hierarchy, and visual presentation.

Implementation guidance was developed to ensure consistent application across all stores while protecting the integrity of the endorsement.

The framework defined:

• carrier hierarchy

• logo positioning

• image selection principles

• colour usage

• placement strategy

• implementation phasing

To maintain compliance, local modifications were restricted and clear rules were established for artwork usage, scaling, and reproduction.

Strategic Placement & Sales Steering

Communication was designed to support both endorsement awareness and commercial objectives.

Different carrier types were assigned specific roles within the customer journey:

Awareness

• posters

• pelmet signage (ceiling signage)

• digital communication

• high-visibility transition areas

Reinforcement

• appliance areas

• room settings

• kitchen department

Decision Support

• planning studios

• product-level tags

• price headers

Three appliance-focused creative variants were developed, allowing communication to align with the most relevant product categories within each location. This ensured the endorsement remained contextual rather than generic throughout the store experience.

Omnichannel Alignment

Close collaboration between retail communication, selling teams, web content specialists, online visual merchandisers, and Which? stakeholders ensured consistency across customer touchpoints.

The result was a unified endorsement experience that connected online discovery, in-store exploration, and kitchen planning services.

Evaluation

The campaign remains active, with final performance results still being measured. Early success indicators focus on rollout quality and implementation consistency across the UK market.

Key achievements include:

• Nationwide deployment across 26 stores

• Consistent adherence to co-branding requirements

• Clear integration within existing commercial communication hierarchies

• Strong stakeholder alignment across internal and external partners

• A scalable communication framework supporting both awareness and sales steering objectives

The project demonstrates how endorsement-led communication can be translated into a structured retail experience that balances trust-building, commercial priorities, and operational consistency.