L&P touts benefits of steel bed foundations
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, February 9, 2009
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Wood isn't everything it is cracked up to be, especially when consumers are comparing wood and steel foundations, according to Leggett & Platt.
That's the message that L&P, a steel foundation producer, is taking to the bedding industry with a new marketing campaign. The message: Bedding producers are running a serious risk if they switch from steel foundations to wood foundations to save money.
L&P doesn't identify any bedding companies that have made that switch, but it does identify a top bedding producer that it says remains committed to steel foundations: “Our friends at Serta are committed to producing all of their beds with a steel foundation. Think of it as one more reason they were ranked the No. 1 major brand for consumer confidence by an independent survey.”
In a letter to bedding producers, suppliers and retailers, L&P's Mark Quinn, group executive vice president of marketing, makes the case for steel.
“Saving a few bucks up front is not worth the money you'll lose when your customer paints you with a reputation for selling low-value products,” he writes. “Perception is reality and research shows that consumers and retailers nationwide perceive higher value in steel than in wood. There is a difference between de-specing and value engineering.”
He cites the Cadillac Cimarron, an economy car GM introduced in 1980s that was plagued by problems. Auto enthusiasts and Cadillac customers felt that car “soiled the company's prestigious brand,” Quinn said.
The moral of that story, he said: “Don't make a Cimarron out of a Cadillac. The consistent strength and quality-assured production of a steel-based foundation will win out over cheaper wood buildups every time.”
In an ad, L&P shows a broken wood slat, and says that a cracked wood foundation “can squeak and keep anyone up at night.”
The company has launched a Web site, www.steel-strong.com, to tout what it says are the advantages of steel.
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