In his first editorial column for BedTimes, editor at large Dave Perry discussed how the word “reimagined” will be a keyword for success this year in the mattress industry.
Since his column appeared in the January issue, I have thought about Dave’s words and how bedding companies face decisions about replacing antiquated business strategies with new, innovative ones to survive today’s economic, political and health realities, among others.
As enormous as today’s hopefully temporary disruptions are, reimagination stretches beyond our current struggles. Since the turn of the century, the advent of e-commerce, social media and digital communications have revolutionized supply chains, production, distribution, and marketing and advertising. On a larger scale, the transformation of society has accelerated at an unprecedented pace. This ranges from education, consumer habits and business practices to online banking and purchasing a mattress online.
While technological advancements provide efficiencies and effectiveness, they also open new opportunities for innovative business models, corporate goals and even customers.
Case in point: The feature story, “The Right Mix” by Saleforce’s Danny Wong, exemplifies reimagining through creative and practical thinking. Wong guides manufacturers to sell direct to consumers without destroying retail relationships. “All things considered,” he wrote, “brands that execute D2C initiatives properly end up improving sales across all their channels as more customers actively seek out their products online, in stores and through the various points of sale within reach.”
While this approach may not be viable for all bedding companies, it does open a door to discover — or reimagine — new possibilities.
