Simmons giving away mattresses in contest via Twitter
Consumers can enter sweepstakes through April 30
David Perry -- Furniture Today, February 9, 2010
ATLANTA — Consumers who mention Simmons in tweets about better sleep can win a new Simmons Beautyrest sleep set in a contest sponsored by the bedding major.
The Simmons Beautyrest "Tweet for Sleep" sweepstakes, running through April 30, is an online promotion that lets sleepy consumers send a Twitter message that automatically enters them in a sweepstakes to win a new Beautyrest Anniversary queen-size mattress valued at up to $2,000.
To enter, contestants must post a tweet about sleep that includes #simmonsbeautyrest and the URL http://bit.ly/beautyrest. The message must state what the consumer would do to obtain a good night's sleep, and must be posted either from their personal Twitter account or via the entry form on the sweepstakes Web site, http://contest.simmons.com.
A weekly winner will be randomly selected during the 12-week contest. Any winners who buy a Simmons mattress during the sweepstakes will be reimbursed for the cost of their purchase up to $2,000.
To enter the Tweet for Sleep" contest, consumers must tweet a message stating what they would do to obtain a good night's sleep
"Tweet for Sleep is part of our ongoing series of unique social networking promotions that is enabling Simmons to communicate directly with consumers so they are more engaged with the
Simmons and Beautyrest brands," said Tim Oakhill, Simmons' executive vice president of marketing.
"By using Twitter as our sweepstakes method, we're leveraging an already popular online communications venue to expand Simmons' influence within the social media world while gathering intelligence regarding the true value people place on sleep. Given our increasingly online culture, we believe Web-based contests are a key way to reach new audiences and foster stronger relationships with existing customers, and we're committed to being a leader in this influential arena," he said.
In addition to posting tweets, visitors to the contest Web site can read a list of recent sweepstakes tweets, become a fan of Simmons on Facebook and register for the company's e-mail newsletter, Better Sleep News.
Simmons says it will host several online sweepstakes this year and is encouraging consumers to visit www.simmons.com on a regular basis to check for news of future contests.
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Gil and Lisa both make excellent points that I agree with on all counts. The Simmons promotion is a fantastic idea, but it really comes down understanding the rules of engagement.
Twitter is not a broadcast stream - it's the watercooler where sometimes business is done. If you look at the companies doing it best,(@jetblue for example) there's a lot of noise. Jet Blue understands the need for the chatter - and fosters it. They also understand the importance of transparency and being real.
Understanding how Twitter can build brand awareness is only the first step. Building a community takes dedication and hard work - and a lot of chatter.
Julia Rosien - 2010-11-2 07:30:16 EST -
First, many thanks to Lisa Stansbury. I have known her for some time, and love the work that she does at Fred's Beds - had the pleasure of working with her on a children's mattress campaign recently. What myself, and my team believes in, is a "reality check" of social media and its benefits in the retail and business to business environment. We will honestly counsel against it if all you want to do is "do it because the Joneses are doing it" and we don't like to trend it out. Yes, you have to be where your customers are, but you also have to be relevant to the customers. Bombarding them with crap or unimportant fluff will get you unfollowed in a hurry as a retailer. And then there are time commitment issues internally, etc. I believe in a real, no-bull mix that means hearing cha-ching at the cash register. Myself and the folks I surround myself with don't care if your retail store has 2,000 followers on Twitter so much as getting that 2,000 to spend that cash when they walk in the door. Otherwise, give me the 200 that will spend the cash out of that bunch, and let's get them in that door. This effort by Simmons on giving away the mattress is a fantastic idea, and a little more effort of their campaign on all active electronic fronts would have gone a long way to increasing exposure. What matters is not the free mattress so much as getting folks to retailers of Simmons so they can ask about the promotion, then let the salespersons at the retailer have the shot at closing some kind of sale from a walk-in inquiry. *stepping off my soap box now*
Gil - 2010-10-2 15:40:46 EST -
They should have given away the bedding to the teachers in Canada! Thats the only benefit they may get from the retirement plan.
Lets Get Real - 2010-10-2 12:41:22 EST -
I think it is great that Simmons is giving social media a try, but one look at their Twitter profile, they don't interact with anyone. They just broadcast (randomly at that, they're missing a weeks worth of tweets). That isn't what Twitter is about. It can't be a job for someone to do once in a while. You should liken it to having your instant messenger open all day. They aren't creating any kind of relationship. Look to Gil (@gilv) or Julia (@juliarosien) for people in this industry who do social media well. It is sad that I found out about a Simmons Twitter contest from FT, and not Twitter. Give us some decent content Simmons, interact, or it won't work. *steps off soap box* @flipfloplisa
Lisa Stansbury - 2010-10-2 12:32:58 EST
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