I talked to Elissa Wardrop, Global Social Media Specialist at IKEA, about the brand’s Responsive Project Team and the infrastructure it takes to move fast.
This was super interesting, thanks for sharing this chat! I find it super helpful to hear about others process in case it helps optimize my own or sometimes, just for validation that yes, we're all still getting scrappy when needed 🤭
This was extremely interesting. And I’ve experienced how the brand reacts in real time with the World Cup 2026. IKEA arguably had the best campaign around it without even being the actually sponsor of the event. I’m also part of a huge community in the UK called One Minute Brief and the event held a competition within that group with prizes for the winners to sell their instore products.
I have a friend at IKEA. Another secret sauce is hiring fun, young people who genuinely speak the language of social, while giving the markets the freedom to pitch their own ideas 🌟
I love how this speaks to the tiers in ways brands now can be approaching social media; sure you have your grand ad campaigns contrasted by your "person in the twitter replies" low lift efforts, but this Ikea version of having something polished and funny but instantly culturally relevant and fast is super smart
The checklist is the part most teams skip. Fast only works when the sizes are decided before the moment: 4:5 at 1440x1800 for feed, 9:16 at 1440x2560 for stories, top 14% and bottom 35% kept clear. Then the team argues about the joke, not the crop.
The permission to sit a trend out is a useful part of the process. One field I would add to a reactive brief is “latest useful approval time.” If approval arrives after that, the team can reassess the context instead of treating an approved draft as permanently ready to publish. It gives the checklist a practical stopping point as well as a green light.
No, this isn’t news. This is an interview with someone on IKEA’s social team breaking down exactly how their team operates. I think lots of people might find that helpful!
This was super interesting, thanks for sharing this chat! I find it super helpful to hear about others process in case it helps optimize my own or sometimes, just for validation that yes, we're all still getting scrappy when needed 🤭
i loved the bts pics so much
Honestly, there might be some of the low-key best in the game right now at this
they really are
Loved this chat! I am always impressed by their speed in commenting on the cultural moment
This was extremely interesting. And I’ve experienced how the brand reacts in real time with the World Cup 2026. IKEA arguably had the best campaign around it without even being the actually sponsor of the event. I’m also part of a huge community in the UK called One Minute Brief and the event held a competition within that group with prizes for the winners to sell their instore products.
hehe, the One Minute Brief campaign was also my team, glad it was memorable :)
So many good insights as always!
right? really loved this one!
I have a friend at IKEA. Another secret sauce is hiring fun, young people who genuinely speak the language of social, while giving the markets the freedom to pitch their own ideas 🌟
I love how this speaks to the tiers in ways brands now can be approaching social media; sure you have your grand ad campaigns contrasted by your "person in the twitter replies" low lift efforts, but this Ikea version of having something polished and funny but instantly culturally relevant and fast is super smart
Loved this so much! I am pretty sure that is the Malmö IKEA where punch was photographed, but not 100% certain.
it sure is! they were propped up against a muddy patch left behind by a truck that had gotten stuck during winter 😅
Love it
The checklist is the part most teams skip. Fast only works when the sizes are decided before the moment: 4:5 at 1440x1800 for feed, 9:16 at 1440x2560 for stories, top 14% and bottom 35% kept clear. Then the team argues about the joke, not the crop.
The permission to sit a trend out is a useful part of the process. One field I would add to a reactive brief is “latest useful approval time.” If approval arrives after that, the team can reassess the context instead of treating an approved draft as permanently ready to publish. It gives the checklist a practical stopping point as well as a green light.
Reactive marketing is apparently just pre-approved improvisation
So do all big brands. Is this news?
No, this isn’t news. This is an interview with someone on IKEA’s social team breaking down exactly how their team operates. I think lots of people might find that helpful!