Tempur-Pedic makes strong case for new line
David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, November 2, 2009
To get an idea of the very different way that Tempur-Pedic introduces products you need look no further than the catchy brochure that accompanied the launch of the company's new Tempur-Cloud Supreme sleep set.
It looks like a business school case study, laying out the rationale for the new sleep set with an impressive array of charts, research and market analysis.
In simplified form, the memory foam leader says that it identified an unmet consumer need for a soft-feeling mattress. It determined that consumers seeking comfort would like a new type of Tempur-Pedic mattress. So it spent more than a year researching and developing a softer but still supportive Tempur material (the company's name for its memory foam) and testing various prototypes. The result is a bed that will be favored by future premium bedding purchasers who prefer soft, pillow-like feels, the company said. A chart tells the story.
It is a strong body of research and analysis, and it is convincingly presented. And the “spectacular” reaction to the new sleep set in Las Vegas a few weeks ago proved that the company is on target, according to Rick Anderson, president of Tempur-Pedic North America.
Tempur-Pedic also uses the brochure to assert that it leads its larger competitors in delivering sleep satisfaction. It says it scores 78% in sleep satisfaction, followed by 62% for Simmons, 61% for Serta and 54% for Sealy. (It is interesting that those four brands rank in the same relative order in the overall satisfaction scores in the recent Consumer Reports rating, although other brands also are rated. Consumer Reports lists Tempur-Pedic No. 1 in overall satisfaction, followed by Original Mattress Factory, Select Comfort, Denver Mattress, Simmons, Kingsdown, Serta, Sealy, Stearns & Foster and Spring Air.)
Tempur-Pedic says ownership experiences as strong as it enjoys directly translate into better business for its retailers in the form of fewer returns, more consumer recommendations and more repeat buyers. On average, the company says, a Tempur-Pedic owner recommends their mattress to 14 people.
All of that does not mean that Tempur-Pedic beds are for everyone. They remain premium products, and that segment has been hard hit in the current recession. And memory foam can be a polarizing product, with some consumers loving it and others hating it.
Still, Tempur-Pedic has a strong marketing story, and it communicates that story in a powerful way, as its newest brochure demonstrates.
Contact David Perry at dperry@reedbusiness.com
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