IKEA is introducing a new campaign via Facebook that encourages fans to bring themselves and their Facebook friends to store locations for a “freebies-and-discounts event” on January 14, as reported by ClickZ. The “Bring Your Own Friend” event offers fans the chance to enjoy in-store complimentary meals, reduced prices and the chance to win a shopping spree.
Consumers can read about the campaign through a tab (listed on the left) on IKEA USA’s Facebook page, but then have to ‘like’ the page in order to get further information about the event. Then fans are asked to RSVP for “a full day of gift card giveaways, free food, great tips and even better savings.” Fans can also:
- select and invite friends to the “BYOF” event via Facebook
- see the specific events, offers and giveaways for their local IKEA store
- get directions
- plan a schedule for the day
When choosing friends to invite to the event, IKEA offers different categories of friends, including “The Sweetest Ride” (the pal with a big car), “The Accountant,” “The Interior Designer,” “The Muscle” and “My Personal Shoppers.” The invites appear as wall posts on Facebook.
The campaign also has a significant charity element: for every Facebook friend invited to the event, IKEA will donate $1 to the Save The Children foundation, up to $50,000.
ClickZ speculates that IKEA will probably buy Facebook ads to support the campaign, based on the brands’ ad purchasing activity in the last few months.
Will the lure of free food combined with discounts be enough to get consumers to click the “like” button, RSVP and then go even further to invite multiple friends to the event?
