Dive Brief:
- Ikea recently partnered with Toronto-based advertising agency Leo Burnett to create Cook This Page, a collection of recipes printed on parchment paper, according to The Huffington Post. Consumers simply place the required ingredients on corresponding images stenciled on to parchment paper, fold it up and place it in the oven to bake.
- The bakeable sheets, which feature spaces for Ikea ingredients like sliced lemons, salmon and herbs, help make cooking approachable for consumers who lack kitchen confidence. The parchment paper also ensures quick clean up and steams food inside of its packaging.
- Cook This Page was a promotional item for Ikea's recent Ikea Kitchen Event in Canada, and is not yet available in stores.
Dive Insight:
Cooking with parchment paper to steam meat and vegetables and avoid a mess is by no means a new concept, but Ikea's stenciled recipe sheets seem like a savvy way to capture consumers who are on the fence about cooking at home. The "fill-in-the-blank" cooking instructions are drawn to-size, printed with food-safe ink and come in several varieties. It's a concept that has clear benefits for the retailer — each recipe features an Ikea ingredient like Swedish meatballs or frozen salmon from its grocery section.
Food manufacturers and grocers are well-positioned to leverage this kind of product. Consumer demand for premium, approachable eating occasions is at an all-time high, driving growing demand for grocery meal kits and meal kit delivery services. Including an item like this inside a meal kit, or incorporating the stencil onto the kit's packaging, makes the preparation process that much more clear for consumers who are new to home cooking. The concept only speeds up the cooking process, however, if the recipe calls for all items to be baked in the oven — otherwise, it's just an extra step.
Still, the product communicates a level of intentionality and direction that consumers are hungry for. Today's shoppers are searching for ways to incorporate healthy eating into their increasingly busy schedules, and an item that makes cooking convenient — and fun — will no doubt be well received.
"When it comes to cooking, most people are hesitant to break from routine," an Ikea video featuring Cook This Page states. "They find new recipes and foods to be intimidating. Ikea wanted to show people that getting creative can be deliciously simple."
It will be interesting to see how Ikea markets its recipe sheets once they make it to stores, and if grocers and food brands will create similar parchment posters to accompany their products.