“Take 5 With Dave” and “Inside the Mind of the Mattress Shopper” give viewers insights into bedding developments and BSC research
I still cringe when I recall the scene.
A young reporter, trained in the proud traditions of print journalism, was struggling with a new medium: video. He faced the camera at the High Point Market in High Point, North Carolina, and delivered his take on a recent move by one of the mattress majors. His producer was dismayed: “That sounded like you were announcing the start of World War III.” It was time for another take. And then another.
Who was that hapless reporter? Yes, it was yours truly. I will own up to that uncomfortable moment, one that transpired almost 40 years ago, when my company decided to experiment with this thing called video. It seemed like a good idea at the time, I guess.
I stood in front of the Stearns & Foster showroom in High Point and speculated on why Ernest Wuliger (remember him?) had brought that line to market. I was paralyzed with fear as the camera was rolling. I signed up for a print journalism job, but this was something else.
That video venture went nowhere, and I went back to my more comfortable life as a print journalist, pursuing that path for decades.
But gradually the world of journalism changed, and video’s time arrived. With much more experience as a journalist, I was much more comfortable in front of a camera. I’ve now been facing cameras on a regular basis for many years. Yes, I like it, but I remember the wisdom shared by veteran CBS anchor Dan Rather (remember him?): “The camera never blinks.” No, it doesn’t.
But that’s OK, nowadays, because we have this thing called blooper reels. Who doesn’t enjoy a good blooper or two?
My early experiment with videos was, in hindsight, far, far ahead of its time, but now video is a vital tool in many journalists’ lives. Our world today is a much more visual one than in my early days in print journalism. Video is a basic part of our days. We can watch videos on all of our mobile devices, and our smartphones have turned each of us into videographers.
In my early work with BedTimes and sister magazine Sleep Savvy, I have only appeared in a video or two. But that will be changing. Two new video features are joining our editorial calendar.
In June, we started our new series, “Take 5 With Dave,” in which I comment on the weekly happenings in the world of mattresses. We shot some of those videos at the High Point Market, but you’ll also see me on the road and on Zoom chats, as well.
In July we are starting a six-part video series called “Inside the Mind of the Mattress Shopper.” In those videos, I will interview members of the Better Sleep Council and other industry leaders to get their thoughts on the wide-ranging insights that the BSC is providing with a host of consumer studies. The BSC is ISPA’s consumer education arm.
In our rapidly changing industry, one in which the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll but also has provided some benefits, it’s never been more important to monitor changing consumer perceptions and behaviors. We all know that online shopping got a boost from the pandemic, but will that boost last? Will shoppers be more inclined to visit brick-and-mortar stores in the months to come? Will they continue to favor better beds and larger mattress sizes?
I hope you enjoy our new videos throughout the year. You can see them at BedTimesMagazine.com; in BedTimes’ weekly e-newsletter, BedTimes in Brief; at SleepSavvyMagazine.com; and in Sleep Savvy’s weekly e-newsletter, ShopTalk.
