Ulf Johansson

The aim of this study is to analyse the role of newspapers as an image formation agent for retailers. The role of the media has been emphasised in theories about image formation but there are few empirical studies of the role of newspapers. This is an explorative study of how IKEA is represented in British and Swedish newspapers. The study is based on a quantitative content analysis of 153 news articles. The analysis shows differences in reporting between Sweden and Britain and that the store, the unique feature of a retailer, does not feature in the strategic public relation work.