Let's talk about sleep

Raising awareness, marketing wellness and technology’s growing role in the way manufacturers promote the value of a good night’s sleep

sleeping positionsWhen it comes to informing and motivating consumers, messages about the value of a good night’s sleep often take a backseat to the more familiar themes of pricing and product features, as manufacturers and retailers alike fight hard for every shopping dollar in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

But that picture may be changing. Take Tempur-Pedic’s “You are how you sleep” ad campaign launched last year. One TV spot in the campaign shows a mother who is so grumpy from poor sleep that she becomes a bear—grumbling and growling at her twin daughters until she gets the rest she’s been craving. By showing how a stressed-out mom looks through the eyes of her daughters, the ad demonstrates how a good night’s sleep can make all the difference in how a person feels during the day.

Tempur-Pedic reinforces the TV campaign with light-hearted online videos shot inside the company’s Innovation Lab that talk about the importance of quality sleep.

“For 2014, our ads will continue to demonstrate why getting a good night’s sleep is enriching and rewarding, while making a stronger link with the unique benefits of our Tempur material,” says Rick Anderson, executive vice president of Tempur Sealy International in Lexington, Ky. The new “Ask Me” campaign, set to begin airing this spring, will encourage prospective customers to seek out current Tempur-Pedic owners for their perspective on how to obtain “the best sleep ever,” he says.

Corporate America also is paying more attention to the value of sleep. In October, the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine held its first ReCharge America summit of sleep experts and select corporate partners.

A key aspect of the movement is to provide companies with the knowledge, strategic assistance and communications support they need to be sleep leaders, according to the organizers. The event provided a crash course on sleep health problems, their solutions and ways to help companies and people take action to improve their sleep health.

“The goal of this group is to create a movement in America to make sleep the clear ‘third leg of the stool’ when it comes to health—right next to nutrition and exercise,” says Mark Quinn, segment vice president of marketing at Leggett & Platt in Carthage, Mo., who was among the participants. “Millions of Americans are walking around as partial zombies trying to fit everything in, sleep-deprived and in a poor mood because they haven’t slept well. The problem is real.”

Sleep Number IQ journal

Sleep Number x12 bed

The Sleep Number x12, new from Minneapolis-based Select Comfort, features Sleep IQ technology that enables users to track how caffeine and alcohol consumption and other factors impact sleep quality. The x12 is priced to retail at $7,999 and up.

Most Americans these days can talk quite intelligently about the benefits of exercise or eating right, Quinn points out. But very few have an understanding of the various stages of sleep, or the impact that caffeine or alcohol consumption can have on sleep quality.

“There’s so much evidence out there about why sleep is important, but most people aren’t aware of it,” says Quinn, former chairman of the Better Sleep Council. “As an industry, we’re making progress in getting the word out, but more work remains to be done at every level. We need to include more of these messages in our advertising and also do a better job of training so that consumers have more access to this information.”

Raising awareness

By focusing more attention on features and benefits, RSAs often can move the discussion away from price and toward which sleep system is best for a particular customer’s needs, says Dr. Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist, author and sleep expert. Known as “The Sleep Doctor,” Breus helped develop the Dr. Breus bedding line for King Koil.

Breus advocates “four tenets to a better night’s sleep” that consumers should look for when shopping for a new bed set: temperature neutrality, so the body isn’t too hot or too cold; support, so that muscles can more easily relax; balanced pressure for hips and shoulders that allows the body to turn throughout the night for proper blood circulation; and reduced movement, so the sleeping environment is tranquil.

“Buying a new mattress is one of the largest purchases a household makes, but we train consumers to think they can just pop in a store, spend $699 and be on their way,” says Breus. “We need to spend more energy on educating the consumer so that they view their new mattress as an investment in good health that’s going to pay dividends in every area of their lives.”

To enhance their credibility with consumers, RSAs need to make sure they are getting enough quality sleep themselves, Breus says.

Comforpedic iQ from Beautyrest Simmons mattress

Atlanta-based Simmons’ new ComforPedic iQ from Beautyrest model features self-calibrating Smart Response Technology that responds and adapts to the body.

“Managers need to encourage their salespeople to ‘walk the walk,’” he explains. “If they are healthy and rested, and see how a good night’s sleep plays out in their own lives, that’s going to be apparent when they talk to their customers.”

Combine that with the knowledge that comes from a solid training program, and the result is “a team of enthusiastic ‘sleep evangelists’ who are better able to educate consumers about why a quality sleep set is important,” Breus says.

Marketing wellness

Wellness plays a big role in Paramount Sleep’s product development and marketing strategy, says Richard Fleck, president of the Norfolk, Va., producer.

“Our guiding philosophy is that a good mattress plus good environmental surroundings equals a quality night’s sleep which, in turn, creates a better waking life,” he says.

To promote that message, the company employs Dr. James Maas, a Cornell University professor and internally recognized authority on sleep and performance. Maas helps in all aspects of Paramount’s selling program—including product design, colorations and training materials—and also conducts sleep seminars for leading retailers throughout the country. Maas is featured prominently on Paramount’s website, where it offers a free brochure with tips entitled “Sure-Fire Strategies to Sleep for Success!”

“His expertise and ability to connect with consumers is one of the reasons we have been so successful,” Fleck says. Selling mattresses today can be “extremely challenging,” Fleck adds. “Mattress closing ratios tend to be lower because consumers do not trust or like the process.”

To break through this barrier, Paramount Sleep focuses on producing “beds the consumer wants—not what we want,” Fleck says. “We develop ‘consumer-facing brands’ by reverse-engineering our products to serve a specific customer need.”

The process starts with connecting the image of the brand to the consumer.

“If there is a disconnect, the brand will not be successful,” Fleck says. “The image consists of logos, fabric covers, appointments, quilting designs, tufting and other outward appearances. The cover is the brand’s packaging. We invest a lot of time and energy into that area.”

The next core component is brand experience.

“The brand has to perform night after night in the consumer’s home,” Fleck explains. “If the performance and quality do not meet consumer expectations, then you have broken brand trust and will not have a repeat customer.”

Finally, Paramount works hard to deliver “real-world” training that supports its message with RSAs.

“The majority of our sales representatives and management have worked in retail,” says Fleck, who started his career as an RSA and bedding buyer. “If you have never sold retail, you don’t understand retail. It is impossible to translate that kind of experience. We have a lot of faith in RSAs.”

Therapedic sleep tip banners for retail stores

Princeton, N.J.-based mattress licensing group Therapedic has developed a series of banners for in-store use featuring tips from insomnia expert Dr. Gregg Jacobs.

Paramount’s sales representatives provide stores with product and sales training, demonstrations, video content and other support. The company also includes component suppliers in its training sessions from time to time so that RSAs can get an even deeper understanding of product features.

“Nearly 100 million Americans are chronically sleep-deprived,” says Maas. “And good sleep has profound effects on your life in terms of good health, alertness, energy, mood, memory, thinking, productivity and performance. Yet the number one factor in getting a good night’s sleep is often overlooked: the mattress.”

In developing the Dr. Maas Collection, which launched in 2011, Maas says the executives at Paramount Sleep asked him what he would want to see in ‘the perfect mattress.’

“I discussed with them the importance of proper body support, low motion transfer, moisture wicking, comfort, fabric feel and several other variables known to affect the quality of sleep,” says Maas. “Most critical was recognition that the mattress and pillows must take into account the physiology and anatomy of the

sleeper. Attention must be paid to individual differences and whether people prefer to sleep on their side, back or stomach.”

Described as a “sleep evangelist,” Maas takes an active role in Paramount Sleep’s marketing campaigns. In December, he participated in a Nature’s Spa event at Bloomingdale’s in New York City, where he signed copies of his latest book, Sleep To Win!

Growing role of technology

Atlanta-based Simmons will roll out an aggressive multimedia ad campaign for its new ComforPedic iQ model May 12 featuring Dr. Andrew Weil, a leader in the field of integrative medicine, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and a long-time proponent of the importance of quality sleep.

The campaign—which also will promote the new Beautyrest Black model—will include ads on network TV and cable networks such as HGTV, Bravo, AMC and ESPN, as well as a broad-reaching digital buy. The company also is initiating a big social media push and leveraging partnerships with influential bloggers. The ads will run throughout the peak summer selling period.

Introduced at the January Las Vegas Market, the ComforPedic iQ features patented, clinically tested Smart Response Technology that enables the mattress to naturally respond and continually adapt to the body, according to the company. It uses no motors, buttons, plugs or electronics.

“We knew that dealers were looking for innovative products and marketing to drive growth in the category,” says Tony Smith, president, about the strategy behind the new models. “We believe we can safely say our new ComforPedic iQ and Beautyrest Black lines were the buzz of market—and more importantly, will be the buzz with consumers to reignite category growth.”

With five consecutive New York Times No. 1 best-sellers, more than 10 million books in print and two Time Magazine covers, Weil is globally recognized for his advice on leading a healthy lifestyle that takes into account mind, body and spirit. His website contains more than 700 pieces of original content on sleep, and a number of his books and publications offer his perspective on optimum health, with one of the main components being quality sleep.

“For those who have struggled with sleep issues, choosing the right mattress is an important step toward getting quality rest,” says Weil. “The ComforPedic iQ is the first and only mattress I have ever endorsed, because I believe the Smart Response technology provides a practical and effective sleep solution.”

Tracking sleep quality

Billed as “the most technologically advanced bed in the world,” Select Comfort’s new Sleep Number x12 model with SleepIQ provides consumers with simple and intuitive knowledge of how they slept and what changes they can make to achieve their very best sleep, according to the company.

Tempur-Pedic POP for mattress retailers

To support the rollout of new models at retail this spring, Lexington, Ky.-based Tempur-Pedic has updated all of its in-store display materials to make it easier for consumers to find the bed that’s right for their individual needs. New point-of-purchase tools include eye-catching lifestyle posters that highlight the importance of a good night’s sleep.

“We’ve given consumers the ability to better understand their sleep combined with increased comfort and adjustability,” says Annie Bloomquist, senior vice president and chief product officer of Sleep Number, based in Minneapolis. Bloomquist describes the x12 as “the ultimate integrated sleep experience that takes the mystery out of sleep and empowers consumers with the information they need to improve their sleep and, therefore, their lives.”

Introduced at the January Consumer Electronics Show, the x12 bed is the first Sleep Number bed to offer SleepIQ—a proprietary, touch-free, non-intrusive technology developed with partner BAM Labs in Campbell, Calif. Integrated with the Sleep Number bed’s DualAir technology, the SleepIQ system comprehensively monitors a sleeper’s average breathing rate, movement and average heart rate. A proprietary, full-body algorithm assesses quality of sleep and provides a

SleepIQ score for each sleep partner on a daily basis.

By reviewing SleepIQ scores over time, a person can easily determine what level of comfort and support ensures their best sleep, the company says. Using the journal feature and SleepIQ data, individuals also can track and identify routines that affect their sleep, such as exercise, caffeine and TV.

“If you don’t really know how well you are sleeping, you can’t make informed changes to your lifestyle or sleeping environment to improve it,” says Pete Bils, vice president of sleep innovation and clinical research at Sleep Number. “Since SleepIQ monitors how much restful or restless sleep they experienced, consumers will learn the effects of late-day caffeine, exercise, alcohol or other lifestyle factors as they journal and track those effects. SleepIQ will dispense valuable sleep tips to educate each sleeper, and help that sleeper find the Sleep Number setting that will deliver the best sleep.”

According to Bils, clinical sleep research and consumer feedback are the two key factors driving Sleep Number’s product innovation.

“At Sleep Number, we draw key insights from the latest studies from reputable organizations, conduct in-depth research to understand consumers’ biggest issues and desires related to a better sleep experience, and also take our products through rigorous consumer testing,” he says. “We absolutely feel it is important to emphasize the connection between research and product benefits. Consumers understand the value of credible research and want quality products that have been shown to address their individual needs.”

Also making a splash with high-tech beds is Mebane, N.C.-based Kingsdown, which introduced its enhanced Sleep Smart system at last summer’s Las Vegas Market. Engineered using more than 15 years of sleep research from the company’s Sleep to Live Institute, the two-model collection uses Scientific Measurement and Response Technology (SMART) sensors to “read” a sleeper’s body and create an individualized sleep surface by automatically triggering air cylinders that slowly expand or contract. The beds feature a hybrid design of encased coils and specialty foams paired with an adjustable base incorporating Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies.

“Because Sleep Smart is so unique, it has been very well-received in the marketplace,” says Frank Hood, Kingsdown president and CEO. “One of the huge selling points is that Sleep Smart’s interactive sleep

experience uses active technology that not only quantifies how well you slept, it continuously adjusts to your comfort level to maintain optimal sleep. It monitors how well you slept—and more importantly—how well you felt when you woke up, all without the need of a sleep aid or prescription.”

kingsdown sleep smart bed

Mebane, N.C.-based Kingsdown’s Sleep Smart system uses technology to “read” a sleeper’s body, tracking sleep patterns and movement to create an individualized sleep surface.

To help educate consumers about the benefits of its new line, Kingsdown created a dedicated website at sleepsmartbeds.com. The site includes detailed information about Sleep Smart models, as well as a blog about sleep and links to social media resources. In addition, the company unveiled a new point-of-purchase display for the Sleep Smart system at the January Las Vegas Market incorporating bold graphics, interactive media and built-in tablet holder for RSA use.

“Sleep Smart provides an entirely new way to think about sleep,” Hood says. “That’s why we need to be assertive in re-educating retailers and the general public that a bed can and should play an active role in helping them achieve the best night’s sleep possible.”

Starting conversations

To help retailers better communicate the connection between quality sleep and health, Therapedic International introduced a new retail marketing and merchandising program at January’s Las Vegas Market in conjunction with Dr. Gregg Jacobs, an insomnia specialist at the Sleep Disorders Center of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

The Princeton, N.J.-based Therapedic is providing select retail partners with the opportunity to offer

consumers a copy of Jacobs’ popular Natural Cure for Insomnia CD with the purchase of any Therapedic mattress set. The CD, which normally retails for $34.95, includes Jacobs’ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Insomnia program, which he developed while performing research at Harvard Medical School. Therapedic is highlighting the availability of the CD in stores with posters that feature sleep tips.

CBT is an approved method for treating insomnia without the use of sleeping pills. While CBT sessions typically include visits to a clinician, Jacobs’ CD provides listeners with the chance to combat insomnia and change sleep habits in the comfort of their own bedrooms.

Unlike some competitors’ programs involving sleep experts, Jacobs won’t be endorsing any specific products, says Therapedic International President and CEO Gerry Borreggine.

“He won’t be pitching a single bed or pillow,” says Borreggine. “Our goal is simply to provide retailers with a proven approach they can share with consumers that will help them fall asleep more easily without medication. This new marketing program is an ideal way for retail sales associates to start a conversation that promotes better sleep and a healthier lifestyle.”

On its Facebook and Twitter sites, Therapedic will share tips and facts about sleep, including information on insomnia from Jacobs, under the hashtag #TwilightTalk.

“When consumers can’t sleep, they’re no longer just turning on the TV—they’re going online and browsing social media sites like Facebook and Twitter,” Borreggine says. “Consumers are staying connected, so we are seizing the opportunity to share information with them, on their terms, whenever they may be searching for it.”


Report: Apple hires sleep expert 

Consumer products giant Apple may be preparing to help Americans with their quest to obtain a better night’s sleep. According to the tech news site 9to5Mac, Apple has hired a leading sleep expert to develop a feature set for its long-rumored iWatch. Those capabilities could include apps that would help users more effectively monitor their sleep activity and improve sleep habits.

The reported new hire is Roy J.E.M. Raymann, formerly a senior scientist with Philips Research. The founder of the Philips Sleep Experience Laboratory, a non-clinical research facility, Raymann has extensive experience in researching wearable sensors and miniaturization of sensors relating to tracking sleep and alertness activity.

In recent months, Apple has been assembling a team of sensor and fitness experts to work on its wearables project. They have experience in everything from medical monitoring devices to biomedical technologies, glucose sensors and general fitness devices.

If Apple incorporates sleep-monitoring tools into an iWatch-type product, it wouldn’t be the first to offer a sleep-related app. Several such programs are already available, including SleepCycle, a mobile app; FitBit, a fitness wearable; and Beddit, a bed sensor. But the fact that such capabilities might be incorporated into an all-encompassing health and fitness monitor that easily fits on a wrist—and is made by Apple—makes this wearable particularly compelling.

In addition to tracking the hours spent sleeping, an Apple sleep app might be able to suggest optimal wakeup times based on sleep cycles or provide recommendations for sleeping while traveling.


What research says about sleep deficiency

  • It undermines learning, performance and productivity by reducing memory and attention capacity.
  • It causes irritability, impulsivity and poor decision-making. 
  • It’s one of the most common causes of serious accidents, both on the road and at work. 
  • There is a strong association between chronic sleep deficiency and obesity, diabetes and depression. And there are alarming links between untreated sleep disorders and high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and cancer.

Source: Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine


 
BSC Better Sleep Council logo

Better Sleep Council focuses on website, social media

Recognizing that more and more consumers are seeking information and insights about mattresses and other sleep products online, the Better Sleep Council is placing a growing emphasis on driving traffic to the bettersleep.org website and engaging consumers through social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

According to Mary Helen Uusimaki, vice president of membership and communications for the International Sleep Products Association, this year’s BSC campaigns have four key goals:

• Prove the difference a mattress can make by helping consumers select the best new mattress for their needs and preferences.

• Take the stigma, frustration and pain out of the purchase process, thus improving customer satisfaction with both the process and their choice.

• Keep the message focused on adding value to decision-making around the purchase.

• Reinforce consumers’ decisions to buy mattresses and help them know what questions to ask and why they need a mattress.

“At any given moment, 10% of the population is entering the consideration stage for buying a new mattress,” Uusimaki says. “By expanding our presence online, we increase our ability to reach these consumers at the point where they’re gathering information. We can point consumers toward resources that will help them understand why a good night’s sleep is critical to health and happiness, and explain the important role a quality sleep system plays in that process.”

Five events typically trigger a need for a new mattress, Uusimaki says: Consumers see an ad for a product that sparks their interest; they sleep on a different mattress that they like better; a friend raves about her new mattress; issues arise that interfere with sleep, such as joint pain or snoring; or they enter a new life stage, such as pregnancy or buying a new house.

In this year’s campaigns, the BSC is centering more of its communications around when these triggers occur in people’s lives “so that we can reach consumers during the point where they are beginning their hunt for a sleep solution,” says Uusimaki. “Consumers are hungry for information about mattress types and sizes, and how to choose the right mattress for their body type and sleep patterns. Our tools on the BSC site help them ask the right questions when they visit a store.”

Going forward, the Better Sleep Council is “determined to become the preeminent source for consumers to get current, relevant, unbiased information on all bedding technologies so they completely understand what’s available,” says Pete Bils, vice president of sleep innovation and clinical research at Sleep Number and chairman of the BSC. “Then it will be up to the manufacturers and retailers to market and educate the consumer as to why their specific product offerings are beneficial.”

In May, promoted by the BSC as “Better Sleep Month,” the BSC will conduct the third of four marketing campaigns planned for 2014. Details on the theme for this year’s promotions will be announced soon.


 UNC hosts ‘Day of Sleep’ symposium

The University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill hosted its first annual “Day of Sleep Symposium” in December. Sponsored by Tempur Sealy International, the event featured presentations by UNC’s Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Science (NDSS) faculty and students sharing the latest developments in sleep science.

Presentation topics included sleep quality, the three hours before sleep, environmental sleep enhancers and demographic impacts on sleep quality. Students and sleep technologists from throughout the region were invited to attend the symposium for free. Several Tempur Sealy International employees also attended.

The symposium was part of an ongoing partnership between Tempur Sealy and UNC, whose Charlotte, N.C., campus offers the country’s first bachelor’s degree program for sleep clinicians.

“Tempur Sealy International is proud to have been a Platinum Partner of the NDSS program for the past two years as we work together to sponsor the education and training of clinicians, administrators and educators in the treatment of sleep disorders and funding for sleep research,” says Dan Query, senior vice president of global product development at Tempur Sealy in Lexington, Ky. “The UNC NDSS faculty and students share our never-ending passion for investment in research and development and treatments for better sleep.”

In addition to the symposium, Tempur Sealy also supports a variety of initiatives such as webinars by sleep medicine experts, as well as annual scholarships for NDSS students.

“This collaborative program provides us with another valuable lens on sleep science and on our consumers,” says Rick Anderson, executive vice president for Tempur Sealy. “The input we get from this partnership will help us continue to develop new technologies and advances that enhance the quality of sleep.”


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