Bemco's ad programs help retailers, licensees stand out
David Berry -- Furniture Today, October 4, 2010
CHICAGO - "B" stands for the basics at bedding producer Bemco.
The producer, based here, is headed by 30-year bedding veteran Daryl Tarbutton, who continues to stress the fundamentals as he seeks to give his five licensees the tools to grow. That means designing ad kits and building marketing programs that can help retailers stand out in a tough bedding marketplace, he says.
"We continue to provide our licensees and our retailers with advertising programs they can use to drive traffic and sales," Tarbutton said. "We are carrying through with programs that have been successful, and we are trying to stay successful. We keep doing the fundamentals, which is helping the dealers."
Retailers have plenty of details to tend to in their business, and Bemco aims to help them by giving them advertising kits, a staple in the Bemco promotional arsenal for years. The ad kits, a point of pride with Tarbutton, who designs them, provide camera- ready artwork and can be customized by retailers. "Hot buys for summer" was the theme of one recent ad campaign.
Another ad kit features a "Bemco coupon sale," a theme that Tarbutton says is resonating with consumers these days. "There is a lot of publicity on coupon sales," 0he said. "They are a powerful tool."
The coupon sale ad kit includes several different offers that retailers can tie to coupons: Free bed frame, free pillows, no money down, no payments for six months and free financing. Retailers decide which offers they want to utilize.
Bemco produces an annual ad kit, and also comes out with quarterly updates. And those programs are giving the bedding producer an edge in the market, according to Tarbutton.
"We are holding our own with our advertising and marketing programs for our retailers," he said. "We are set up to help make our retailers successful. Retailers need ideas and they need marketing support. The ads in our kits are done and can be turned over to the design department at newspapers. Retailers can put in their own products and their own prices. The elements are all there, and the retailers can make any changes they need."
Tarbutton has seen many changes in the bedding industry over the years, but says that the need for retailers to promote consistently remains paramount. Steady promotion remains the lifeblood of the business, he said.
Tarbutton has been president of Bemco since 1986, making him one of the longest- serving bedding presidents in the industry.
"The major change I've seen has been the increase in quality over the years," he said. "Most manufacturers are selling a broader range of quality products than they ever have before. The industry has had to hold price points because of the economy, and it has improved product quality. The consumer has been the winner."
Not all the changes have been so positive, however. Tarbutton is not a fan of "people touting long warranties. When the industry runs long, long warranties, it can lose credibility if the beds don't last that long. Consumers think a bed with a 20- year warranty will last for 20 years."
Tarbutton joined Bemco in 1985 as vice president and became president the following year. Before that, he was a marketing manager at Spring Air for five years, and he also worked as a sales representative for the local Serta factory.
He sees Bemco as giving retailers a line that doesn't necessarily compete with the big-name brands. "Our retailers may not want to compete with Sealy or Serta," he said.
"They may be better off to have a brand that isn't shown throughout the marketplace." And that brand, he says, is Bemco.
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