Last Wednesday Swedish television station SVT aired the first of two programmes where they revealed the truth about IKEA and Ingvar Kamprad (text in Swedish) – their own words. After the show the comments on IKEA Sverige’s Facebook page started pouring in and the love Swedes have for its yellow and blue company was obvious – bashing the TV show for being unfair and, simply put, crap.
Ingvar Kamprad have in interviews said that he has given the company away but the TV-show unravels a complex structure of foundations that own IKEA – with Ingvar Kamprad at the top. That IKEA has its HQ in Holland is no secret to most Swedes but the fact that it is a franchise enterprise probably came as a surprise to many. IKEA Sverige issued a statement after the TV show aired (text in Swedish).
Another point the journalists tried to make is that Ingvar Kamprad has created this complex structure of ownership in order to hide away as much tax money from the Swedish state as possible. Again, IKEA fans raged that so what – if the Swedish laws make it possible then why not and many fans simply wrote “Love you Kamprad”. Many fans expressed their admiration for the man who built one of Sweden’s top international companies – from the start in the shed in Älmhult to furnishing Sweden’s homes in the 50’s to an internationally known company.
IKEA has without doubt a strong reputation with Swedes, and people in many other countries as well. And to attack a national treasure will of course cause reaction, something that the journalists working with the TV-show were expecting. What is interesting in the times we live in is that fans have so many public places to say what they think – and they do. This case makes it very clear that there is no way companies can stay away from social media, you have to engage.
IKEA, like all companies, should be investigated by journalists to make sure that all dealings are ethical and although there are some voices among the comments that do not feel the same unreserved love for IKEA as most of the commentators – the true debate has been lost.
And although I would like to be able to keep an unbiased opinion about the TV show in order to have a healthy debate, I can’t help feeling hurt that IKEA has been attacked and dragged through the dirt. And yes, I do love IKEA.
The first of the two programmes have also aired in Germany. Does anyone have any reports on what the reactions were there?
Part 2 of the IKEA series airs Wednesday 2 February.
Svenska
English