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Simmons' dirty laundry leads to new, clean cover

David Perry, Executive Editor -- Furniture Today, November 7, 2004

Simmons executives did their dirty laundry in private for the past several months. Now they have gone public with a squeaky clean marketing message.

Yes, we are talking about the company's new HealthSmart bedding, a removable mattress top that can be easily cleaned in a washer and dryer. And if you don't believe that, just ask Kurt Ling, the vice president of product innovation (cool title!) at Simmons.

The former Maytag executive was a natural to head the HealthSmart project. He and his team members spent months pouring various liquids onto the tops of HealthSmart mattresses, unzipping the tops, then washing and drying them.

The covers are treated with Coolmax fibers and Nano-Tex technology and they trap the liquids before they can get into the upholstery layers below. Ling knows from months of personal experience that the HealthSmart mattress tops clean easily and come out looking as good as new.

Simmons says the product is perfect for the times. Consumers have a growing interest in cleanliness and its connection to a healthy lifestyle. And, just as cleaning products have changed dramatically over the years, bedding needs to change with the times, too, the company says.

So Ling and his team developed HealthSmart, which gives consumers a way to thoroughly clean their mattress tops, thereby getting rid of icky things like dead skin cells and grease stains and live dust mites, etc. Most mattresses, with fixed covers, just can't be deeply cleaned in this way.

Simmons makes a strong case that its HealthSmart bedding meets consumers' wants and needs. It notes that some consumers have even asked if bedding can be made with removable covers that can be cleaned. HealthSmart provides an affirmative answer.

We do think there is a fine line to walk in this area. Talking too graphically about the icky (Ha! Third time.), yucky, gross things that can happen to a mattress cover might be a turnoff to some consumers. Simmons retailers need to raise these issues in just the right way, so as not to offend some consumers.

But the company clearly has a product that offers some significant consumer benefits. We think Simmons has come clean with a winning product innovation.

HealthSmart got a rousing reception at the High Point market last month. It will be interesting to see how other producers respond to the new cleanliness marketing initiative launched by Simmons. Will the cleanest mattresses clean up in the marketplace? Or will this be a dirty fight? (Sorry, I just can't resist those puns.)

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Simmons’ dirty laundry leads to new, clean cover

Nov 8, 2004

Simmons comes clean with product innovation

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