Daniela Cordua, IKEA

Global Marketing and Media Specialist

Daniela Cordua is running a transformative agenda to make IKEA’s media more central to their marketing structure.  It’s a daunting task as the furniture giant continues to expand rapidly beyond its current 351 owned and operated stores in 46 countries.  However, it’s a role that’s critical to the future of the sprawling global retailer.

The facts about IKEA are staggering.  Its website contains about 12,000 products, and the company uses approximately 1% of that world’s wood designated for the production of commercial products.  A BILLY bookshelf, IKEA’s most popular item, is sold every 10 seconds.  One-tenth of all the furniture purchased in Britain comes from IKEA, while 690 million customers visited IKEA in 2012—a figure that’s double the population of the US.

With more than twenty years of both local and global marketing and media experience with retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands, Daniela is certainly up to the task.  After spending six years working with market intelligence and media strategy for IKEA, she now runs the retailer’s Global Media Working Group and also participates in understanding best practices as a member of the Brussels-based WFA (World Federation of Advertisers) Media Committee, which has since produced a Media Charter for advertisers.

Prior to her eight years with IKEA, she spent seven years with German-based Merz’s Consumer Care division as a Marketing Director for their Beauty products.  Earlier roles include a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble’s Beauty Care and Fragrance division and International Sales and Marketing for L’Oreal Germany’s Garnier division.