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June 2018 saw IKEA partner with esports firm Area Academy and 3D-printing medical company Unyq to develop a prototype ultra-customized gaming chair. To make the chair a scan is taken of the user’s bottom, and then a cushion is 3D-printed to conform perfectly to the contours of the individual’s body. IKEA intends to commercialize the chair and the 3D scanning service by 2020.

Guys, seriously? IKEA are taking 3D scans of people’s butts now? In fact, there’s some serious strategic thinking behind (sorry) this innovation. Video gaming is now a 2.3 billion player, USD 137 billion dollar industry, and esports are shifting into the mainstream. In our new TrendWatching Quarterly The State of Play, we look at how everyone from banks to automakers are getting in on the action. You too?

But whether or not esports are a part of your future, there are key underlying lessons for any brand here. Take these challenges to your team:

- IKEA have looked at the rising phenomenon that is esports, and seen an opportunity to deploy its core expertize (making furniture) to a new set of customers (avid gamers). Which cultural shifts playing out right now offer you an opportunity to do the same?

- Ergonomic chairs for gamers are nothing new. But the use of new tech has allowed IKEA to crack (sorry) personalization on a new level. What new technologies could your company tap to offer customers an ultra-personalized experience?