The media has been blanketed with articles and research about how consumers are worrying more about the quality of their sleep. Mattress vendors have responded with advertising directing shoppers toward their mattresses as ways to improve their sleep.
So why aren’t we also hearing from vendors of bed pillows and mattress pads?
I’m asking because, first of all, no one sleeps only on a mattress. They also have a pillow under their heads, and in some cases, there’s a pad covering said mattress.
Second, I am a card-carrying member of the baby boomers, and the latest research shows that it’s boomers in particular who are fretting over the quality of their sleep.
This is not just a matter of the pleasures of dreamland. Sleep disorders have been linked to illnesses such as high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease—and a growing number of boomers are in the age bracket where these are big worries.
The ads from vendors such as Sealy, Serta and Tempur-Pedic promoting the idea that their products help you sleep better—and live a better, healthier life—show that the mattress industry gets this. It’s time now for the basic-bedding vendors to chime in with some better-sleep messages, too.
Sure, ad campaigns cost a lot of money, but the returns can be tremendous.
Last year, Tempur-Pedic plowed in close to $194 million in selling and marketing expenses, up 13 percent from 2006. And something else increased for Tempur-Pedic last year—its bottom line, which totaled $141.5 million, 26 percent more than the prior year. Take a look at Tempur-Pedic’s ads and surf its Web site. You’ll see a huge focus on how its mattresses help you sleep better.
If shoppers have shown anything, it’s that they want good products with benefits, not just cheap ones. They’ll pay more for a pillow or pad that improves their Zs, especially if the vendor can prove this point in targeted and well-focused advertising.
It’s time for the pillow and pad folks to start advertising the sleep-enhancing benefits of their products, and giving some added dream power to consumers … and to their sales and profits.
David Gill is the senior editor, textiles. He can be reached at dgill@hfnmag.com [1].
