Restonic's BrandSpeed tie results in new programs
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 27, 2008
Palatine, Ill. — Restonic will make a "green" statement at the Las Vegas Market with its new Blue Bed. And it hopes to attract retailers with a new Magnetic Sleep program.
The producer was keeping key details of the products under wraps until market, but promises that both will mark bold new brand-building efforts by Restonic as the company reinvents itself to maintain an edge in a rapidly changing bedding marketplace.
The Blue Bed will tell an eco-friendly story, while the Magnetic Sleep offerings will take the company's magnet bedding program to a new level, according to Steve Russo, Restonic president.
Both products had their genesis in an intensive creative process that began in the fall in the think tank of a trendy New York brand-building boutique.
A delegation of top Restonic executives, including Russo and licensees Tom Comer, Laurie Tokarz, Brent Ford, Bob Quinn, Lee Quinn, Chris Sanders and David Walker, began the process with a two-day session that is part of Viverito & Associates' BrandSpeed program. The firm promotes the program annually with a full-page ad in The New York Times.
According to the latest version of the ad, which ran in September, "BrandSpeed is a no-nonsense, 10-day alternative to ponderous and overly expensive approaches to new products' creation. We have produced remarkable successes spanning 380 projects during the past 12 years."
BrandSpeed has "invented successful new products and brand positionings" for companies including Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, McDonalds and Capital One, the company said. At least one other top bedding producer also has used the program.
Restonic officials were impressed with what BrandSpeed had to offer. Russo thought the process of working with Joe Viverito and his partners would energize the Restonic licensees and give them a chance to develop products and brand positioning with a top-notch marketing firm. And that is exactly what happened, Russo said.
"I'm quite pleased with the content that was created," he said. "I'm also pleased that we have created a unifying process in our group."
Russo said Restonic is in the process of redefining its identity in a bedding marketplace that is in the midst of significant changes. "It is time for us to determine Restonic's brand identity," he said. "What does Restonic mean? What should it mean?"
The two-day creative process in the BrandSpeed program, which played out in Viverito & Associates' 15th floor offices on West 30th Street in Manhattan, produced hundreds of ideas for new bedding products, promotions and brand-building strategies. Two idea-generating sessions were held, one with Restonic licensees and the other with a diverse group of what Viverito & Associates calls "creative specialists." Restonic allowed a Furniture/Today reporter to sit in on the meetings.
Viverito met with the Restonic officials as the second day of meetings came to a close. The Restonic team identified 20 ideas that it wanted Viverito and his team to flesh out.
In November, the ideas were presented in storyboard form at a Restonic meeting in Rosemont, Ill. There Connie Post, a brand strategist who has been working with Restonic, added her thoughts.
The decision to launch the Blue Bed was made at that meeting.
"The Blue Bed was the winner," Russo said after that meeting ended. "Connie grabbed onto the idea and so did (Restonic licensee) Drew Robbins. As we started to discuss it, we saw it as an umbrella idea for us to develop an alternative theme for the eco-friendly category."
The Magnetic Sleep banner also got significant support at the Rosemont meeting. "That idea has traction," Russo said.
He said the fruits of Restonic's new brand and product directions will be unveiled at the company's Las Vegas showroom, World Market Center B-926.
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