Mattress and sleep products manufacturer Therapedic International has been in business since 1957, beginning as a factory producing mattresses and foundations. Now, the company has 42 licensees worldwide, including — but not limited to — China, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Taiwan and Trinidad. Thanks to the unique cultures in each country, products and respective campaigns are tailored to local demographics, accounting for specific market challenges and cultural differences.
“Our international licensees represent a critical part of our overall group and brand,” says Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO of Therapedic. “We admire and value the way these international licensees enhance the brand through different approaches and creativity given the individual challenges unique to their respective markets.”
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness economy — just in the United States — is valued at $1.8 trillion and is expected to keep growing. To support quality sleep, essential to people’s well-being, Therapedic’s core messaging revolves around health. Although Therapedic’s licensees approach marketing campaigns and product development differently — wellness is the central theme that unites them all.
Below, we spotlight the Princeton, New Jersey-based company’s licensees in Guatemala, Indonesia and Mexico and the distinct ways they market Therapedic while staying authentic to its fitness-focused brand.
Indonesia Asks Consumers to ‘Wake Up Ready!’
Since 2011, Jakarta, Indonesia-based mattress producer and retailer Massindo Group has been Therapedic’s licensee for Indonesia and Singapore. In February 2023, Massindo Group launched its new collection of Therapedic products in Indonesia and Singapore with the theme, “Wake Up Ready!” The campaign took Massindo Group’s marketing department six months from concept to execution and encompasses all of Massindo Group’s Therapedic collections: Agility, Backsense, Buoyancy, Immunity and Therawrap.
“We wanted Therapedic to continue to be known as a mattress with strong health benefits,” says Jeffri Massie, president director of Massindo Group. “But we want the target audience to be bigger, and not only for people with health problems. ‘Wake Up Ready!’ is a sharp health message but also attractive to a wider target market.”
The campaign rollout took three months and spanned photography, videos, catalog, brand activations, billboards, a new website, social media posts, and a glamorous launch event. Massindo Group also hired Alit Jiwandana, a golfer and golf influencer, and Agustin Ramli, a TV host and beauty influencer, as brand ambassadors.
Throughout the campaign’s development, Massie and his team communicated with Gerry Borreggine, CEO of Therapedic International, and Susan Mathes, Therapedic’s vice president of brand relations. “Gerry and Susan supported the idea; thus we had a stronger confidence to launch and execute it,” adds Massie.
To dovetail with the new campaign, Massindo Group opened a 2,400-square-foot Therapedic boutique in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the Indonesia Design District PIK2 in May 2024. Silvia Kho, Massindo Group’s head of research and development, created the concept for the retail store, which embodies “Wake Up Ready!” with its interior design. Inside, shoppers will see a running track, bicycle track, miniature golf putting green, wooden floor for yoga, and even a modern condo with a working kitchen. On the walls, photos show people “waking up ready” on Therapedic mattresses. “From the campaign theme, the product design and construction, and the boutique store is very strongly integrated,” says Massie.
According to Massie, the campaign was a success, increasing Therapedic’s brand awareness and sales. In fact, “Wake Up Ready!” was so effective that Borreggine and Mathes applied a similar active lifestyle, peak performance theme to the launch of the Agility line that debuted at the Las Vegas Market in January 2024.
Social Media and Sporting Events Are a Focus in Mexico
For Artaban Group, which has held its Therapedic license since 2009, the company faces challenges in the marketplace including a low-end market and high raw materials cost and competition, particularly from China. If the company imports materials, they must be purchased in United States dollars which is costly, due to the fluctuating currency exchange rate.
“In Mexico, there is a big war between producers, and the war is, ‘If I’m cheaper I will sell more,’” says María Eugenia Zuzuárregui Pelayo, vice president of marketing and product development. This push-pull battle leads customers to expect low prices and high value despite the aforementioned challenges. “Another difference is the Mexican market has always been focused on firm comfort, not soft.”
However, Zuzuárregui Pelayo says the company has found success with its charcoal-centered products in its sub-brands Alpha, Firmeher, Medicoil HD and TheraLuxe. “Each mattress targets different needs but all have a common element, charcoal,” she says which is notable for its anti-static, anti-humidity and deodorizing properties.
For marketing, Therapedic Mexico capitalizes on the popularity of sports in the country, looking for tie-in promotional opportunities at various events. “Boxing is a popular sport in Mexico with more than 170 Mexican champions,” says Zuzuárregui Pelayo. Recently, Therapedic Mexico sponsored heavyweight champion Andy Garcia in a match. But, according to Zuzuárregui Pelayo, soccer is even more beloved than boxing. Therapedic Mexico has sponsored the Liga Mx soccer league, the top professional football division in Mexico with stadium ads.
Therapedic Mexico has also been successful with humorous social media posts on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. At the time of publication, the company’s accounts have a combined following of 200,000. Therapedic Mexico also has a Spotify account with custom playlists, like “Evening Feelings,” or “Walk and Dream,” so consumers can dial in a specific mood while enjoying their Therapedic mattress.
In Central America, Grupo Diveco Adheres to Tradition
Grupo Diveco, founded in 1971, is one of the largest vertically integrated manufacturers in the Americas and holds the license for Therapedic, King Koil, Serta and Kingsdown. Grupo Diveco’s markets include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
“Our markets here in Central America are completely different from the U.S., price-wise, look-wise and structure-wise,” says Georgia Dimitrakis, regional franchise manager for Grupo Diveco. “We have to do business according to what our consumers want.”
Grupo Diveco offers three Therapedic brands: Sleep Fitness, Immunity and Go Sleep.
Like Massindo Group’s focus on health and wellness, the tagline for Sleep Fitness is “A world of wellbeing.” The campaigns showcase athletic imagery surrounding the mattress while touting its supportive qualities. Grupo Diveco’s newest Therapedic offering, Immunity, is comprised of two models, one dual-sided for soft and firm feels and another with dynamic foam for resistance and flexibility.
Therapedic Go Sleep, Grupo Diveco’s boxed bed brand, is a somewhat unusual offering in its markets due to a lack of consumer understanding. In Central America, boxed beds aren’t nearly as popular as they are in the United States. To combat this, Grupo Diveco uses marketing as a tool that simultaneously creates awareness while also educating its target markets. To communicate Go Sleep, Grupo Diveco uses a bold blue and green color palette and the tagline, “Enjoy comfort immediately.” On the packaging, the simple four-step process for unboxing the bed is highlighted for easy consumer understanding.
According to Dimitrakis, Go Sleep is increasing in popularity in Guatemala, but she admits places like Costa Rica still need more of a marketing push. “People are very traditional in our countries but [the product] is starting to move a lot better and people like it,” she says.
An adherence to tradition also extends to the mediums where Grupo Diveco advertises Therapedic. “Newspapers died a long time ago here in Central America,” says Dimitrakis. However, radio is a popular medium, and Grupo Diveco often places ads on it. Grupo Diveco also uses outdoor advertising, utilizing sandwich boards and billboards. In Nicaragua, over-the-street banners are popular, a cheap form of advertising similar to a billboard.
Social media is present, although some platforms perform better than others. “TikTok is starting to be more of a thing, but Facebook is really big here,” says Dimitrakis. The company also sponsors local events that support its health-focused messaging like 10ks, 5ks and even pet runs.
“Our sales are growing every month. Therapedic is one of our best-selling brands within the group,” says Dimitrakis. “We love it. People love it.”
No matter where in the world Therapedic’s products are, everything goes back to the core brand. “Our ability to share product and marketing concepts with all of the licensees and see them adapt ideas from one another is great to experience,” says Mathes. “One of the most rewarding aspects of working with them is seeing how our brand message or a product’s guiding theme plays out regardless of the region, ultimately supporting and strengthening the Therapedic brand around the world.”
Read more on Therapedic: Therapedic International Brings Licensees Together.
