Consumers want safer products
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 25, 2004
RICHMOND, Va. — RICHMOND, Va.– DuPont is one of a handful of companies that has conducted research into consumer attitudes on fire safety. It has found that many consumers say they are willing to spend money to make their homes safer. That contradicts the often-espoused notion in the bedding industry that consumers won't pay more for fire-resistant mattresses.
DuPont also has gained insight into the differing attitudes that consumers have about safety. Its research determined that 78% of consumers are "safety aware," with only 22% of survey respondents saying they are "unconcerned" about safety.
The "safety aware" consumers fall into three categories. A total of 24% are "insecure" about their level of safety, while 22% consider themselves "self sufficient" when it comes to safety. Those consumers are aware of fire extinguishers and smoke alarms and see them as improving their safety situation.
The remaining 32% of consumers fall into the "unprotected" category. They don't feel they are adequately protected and haven't taken the steps to improve their safety situation.
An understanding of these differing viewpoints on safety has marketing implications for the bedding industry as it prepares to roll out beds with open flame mattress protection, according to Dawn Werry, DuPont's North America brand and marketing communications strategist.
Once consumers are educated about the possibility of sleep set fires, their purchase interest in an FR mattress increases significantly. Appropriate consumer messages at retail can help signal quality and trust as well as provide a source of differentiation for mattress manufacturers, Werry added.
She said that DuPont's consumer research shows that most consumers agree that "feeling safe and secure" is important to them. Their biggest home safety concerns are fire safety, crime safety, and water and air quality, Werry said.
A key finding is that 81% of the consumers who are concerned about fire safety in their homes say that they "are willing to spend money on fire-resistant products that may protect their families from a home fire," she said.
Werry also said DuPont has high consumer recognition, with 94% of consumers saying they have heard of the DuPont brand. And DuPont is strongly associated with product safety, she said.
DuPont's research also found that consumers believe the DuPont brand name would demonstrate added value for consumers looking for a fire-resistant mattress, Werry said.
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Safety drives DuPont
Jan 29, 2004
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