Just when I was starting to worry about bedding's prospects this year, along comes an incredible, irresistible force to knock down those hurdles of a weak housing market and a lackluster sales climate. Two magical words change everything.

And those two words are ... The Donald. Yes, Donald Trump is riding to our rescue. We can all breathe a big sigh of relief.

I probably shouldn't be joking around like that. Donald, please don't fire me. I'm just giddy with excitement to learn that you are bringing your considerable star power to the mattress industry. Hey, we can use your help.

I am serious when I say that The Donald's partnership with Vera Wang by Serta is good news for the industry. It is great news for Serta, of course. When a Vera Wang by Serta sleep set takes center stage on Feb. 7...Read More

Here’s a real-life marketing question: If you were developing a new bedding line, would you rely on the instincts and insights of seasoned bedding professionals, or would you base your decisions on ideas from a group of bedding outsiders? 

Restonic listened to both groups. That’s part of the genius of a program Restonic used to develop new products and brand positioning for the upcoming Las Vegas Market. It combines the savvy of insiders’ assessments with the fresh thinking of outsiders to come up with some intriguing new ideas. 

The program, called BrandSpeed, was created by Viverito & Associates, a New York-based marketing firm that has worked with such blue-chip clients as Microsoft, Sara Lee, Colgate, Pepsi-...Read More

T his week we tackle an issue that has been nagging at us for a while. It involves the “c” word — commodity. I hear it said the bedding industry produces and sells a “commodity,” white or off-white rectangles that are indistinguishable and thus command no more than rock-bottom prices. 

The New York Times Magazine story on sleep we wrote about a few weeks ago invoked the commodity charge, characterizing U.S. mattress marketers as “traditionally a band of fast-talking, price-busting commodities brokers.” It also quoted Rick Anderson, president of Tempur-Pedic North America, as asserting the industry has turned the mattress “into a low-priced commodity.” 

There’s no...Read More