The age of video

Digital video is the medium of the moment. Consider these astounding statistics from YouTube:

• More than 800 million unique visitors access the video-sharing site every month.
• People upload 72 hours of video to YouTube every minute.
• People watch more than 4 billion hours of video on YouTube every month. (I’m guessing 2 billion hours of that are videos of dogs raiding the refrigerator and cats playing piano. Regardless, it’s an impressive statistic.)

Smart companies are using the medium to market products and boost their brands. Components and finished products supplier Carpenter Co. in Richmond, Va., was one of the first in the mattress business to have viral—and critical—success with a video promoting sleep accessories. Its “2 Guys, 600 Pillows” video earned a Webby in 2011 and has had more than 5.6 million hits on YouTube.

Earlier this year, furniture industry supplier Leggett & Platt in Carthage, Mo., released the comedic “Get Hybrid” music video by “Springz and Phoam” to promote hybrid mattresses.

The Better Sleep Council, the International Sleep Products Association’s consumer education arm, has embraced video in a big way, including in its current “Stop Sleeping Around” campaign.

Even BedTimes is shooting videos. We find it a great way to provide extended coverage of furniture markets and other events.

The Carpenter, Leggett & Platt and BSC efforts are scripted, highly produced videos, but business-to-business and even business-to-consumer videos don’t have to be elaborate. In fact, there are times when a casual, of-the-moment quality is exactly what you want.

The important thing is to incorporate video into your marketing efforts and our October cover story shows you exactly how to do it.

Also in the October issue: A profile of WCW Inc. and its nonpowered adjustable air mattress technology and a look at the newest gel foam offerings from foamers.