AdjustABed
Sleep Number by Select Comfort

December 13, 2007
Interview Project

Product Background

Unlike traditional mattresses that are made from metal coils and springs, The Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort uses uniquely designed air chambers to provide a gentle cushion of support which can be easily adjusted to your preference for comfort and firmness. In addition, the Sleep Number bed allows couples to individually adjust each side of the bed to the precise comfort level each partner prefers. The Sleep Number allows you to choose your own personalized comfort level which allows you and your partner to have your own preferences with firmness/softness. This increases proper spinal alignment and provides maximum comfort and posture for your body’s health. It also has pressure map technology which increases sleep and comfort by reducing tossing and turning throughout the night and provides a 20 year limited warranty, no need for traditional mattress replacement every 5-10 years. Most people sleep on a bed that's too firm resulting in increased pressure points and discomfort that results in tossing and turning and sleep interruptions. Unlike innerspring mattresses, the Sleep Number can be adjusted to a firmness level suited perfectly to your own body. Innerspring mattresses can produce uncomfortable pressure points. The sleep number reduces the severity of painful pressure points, as well as the tossing and turning that accompanies them. Furthermore, innerspring mattresses can provide uneven support over time as the metal coils of the springs gradually lose resiliency and the ability to bear the weight of the sleeper. A 100-pound weight set in the center of a typical innerspring mattress for a long period of time will eventually cause its coils to compress, leaving an impression. For this reason, most innerspring mattress manufacturers suggest their mattresses be flipped regularly. Most mattresses 8-10 years old are either on the verge of wearing out, or already past their prime and no longer provide optimal comfort and support. Many bed manufacturers recommend that you consider replacing your bed every 8 to 10 years, a costly and cumbersome task. In contrast, the Sleep Number will never need to be flipped, and will provide you with at least 20 years of durability. In the same time it takes two or more innerspring mattresses to go from new to needing replacement, the Sleep Number will continue to provide like-new performance.

Surveys

In order to obtain proper consumer perception of the Sleep Number bed, we found it beneficial to conduct informal research with potential customers at mattress outlets. We approached 32 different people as they were browsing the mattress section at Colders and asked them if they had time to participate in a short survey. We asked them the 5 following questions:

What type of mattress do you currently own?

Is physical body health a factor when you buy a mattress?

How much would you spend on a mattress?

Do you have a sleep partner? If yes….Do you have the same firmness comfort?

Have you ever heard of the Sleep Number bed?

The results are as follows:

Types of mattresses owned: 26 Spring, 3 foam, 3 waterbeds

Body health a factor: 24 yes, 8 No

Amount would spend: 6 less than $400, 11 between $400 and $700, 10 between $700 and $1200, 3 over $1500, and 2 had no price limit

Have a sleeping partner: 32 had a sleeping partner with 23 not having the same firmness comfort

Heard of Sleep Number: 19 knew of product, 13 did not

These short surveys provided us with just the right background knowledge to help facilitate us in asking the right questions during our in depth interviews. The results of the surveys were especially interesting to us in that everyone surveyed had a sleeping partner.

In depth Interviews

Our in depth interviews were conducted with 3 spring mattress user, 1 waterbed user, and one foam mattress user. We started the interviews by asking the 5 simple questions we used in the surveys. All six people interviewed had a sleeping partner and have heard of the Sleep Number bed. The interviews started by obtaining demographic information from each interviewee by asking a number of closed ended questions. Age, income, religious background, marital status, ethnicity, occupation, gender, and family size were collected in all interviews. Here is a chart that shows the demographics of each individual.

|Name |Age |
|Choose your personalized comfort |You and your sleeping partner have preference with firmness/softness |
|Pressure map technology |Increases sleep and comfort by reducing tossing and turning throughout night |
|Increased proper spinal alignment |Provides maximum comfort and posture for your body’s health |
|20 year limited warranty |No need for traditional mattress replacement every 5 to 10 years |

Selecting the target market relies on the lifestyles and demographics of the customers. There seems to be no specific geographic area that mattresses are more needed than others. Demographically many of the customers surveyed were Married men and women ages 30-55 that owned a home and had an income greater than $60,000. Customers with a lower income usually did not think about such a higher quality bed because they had the perceived risk that it was too expensive and high tech. The customers that did fall in our demographic area were not price sensitive and had a medium to high education level. They also were of many different nationalities and religions. Psychographic ally these people were trendy, farther in family life cycle, socially responsible, status seeking, and innovators. Customer’s media habits include staying in tune with the latest fashion/products and purchasing “green” and high comfort items. They read ‘Better homes and Gardens’ and ‘Time’ magazines and other sophisticated material. Consumers in this segment also use the internet as their main source to find their information and are pretty high-tech and savvy. For price vs. sales promotion consumers seem to be innovators and early adopters and do not wait for a sale.

We have found that our target market retrieves information through friends and family and the internet. Our tech, savvy market relies heavily on information gained on the web yet also relies on family and friend perception as well. Many of our informal interviews were shopping with a significant other or family member. This tells us that our market segment does not make the purchasing decision alone. Even our innovators and early adopters were in some way persuaded or influenced by another before making the purchase decision. This makes our primary target market experts rather than novices. Because the sleep number bed is so different in terms of traditional mattresses, we have found that our target market will know much about the product before they buy whether research was done alone or with the help of testimonial influence.

Positioning

We have found that the sleep number has an extremely high performance level compared to traditional beds. Spring, foam, and waterbeds focus on comfort and style rather than body health and individual comfort of bed partners. We will rename the Sleep Number bed into AdjustABed. This new name gives a visual image of what the bed is able to do. Our interviews were able to help us understand that most people did not understand fully what the sleep number could do. The name Sleep Number was also not catchy or appealing enough for our target market. The new name will help give Select Comfort a new brand image and attitude with consumers in having a visual image associated with the product. Unlike a foam bed, AdjustABed can be adjusted instantly to any body's ideal level of comfort, whether extra firm or featherbed soft. AdjustABed’s unique air chamber design accommodates the changing needs of your body, and provides more support to your back and spine when you need it, at the touch of a button. Foam beds, like sponges, can also break down over time. AdjustABed will provide you the same comfort and support for 20 years or more. Our competitor’s do not pose a large threat to AdjustABed in the main sense that we are so different from traditional mattresses. AdjustABed will be positioned away from competitors in order to make it the new prototype in its product category. Waterbeds can cause a "hammock effect" as the water beneath the sleeper displaces. With this effect, your spine is bending throughout the night, and probably causing you back pain throughout the day. Waterbeds cannot be easily adjusted to alleviate pressure points or the bowing of your back. AdjustABed, on the other hand, can be easily and instantly adjusted to conform to your individual needs. In addition, AdjustABed requires no chemical treatments and there's no risk of water damage from leaking. It's lightweight, and can be set up for use in less than an hour. Making it even easier for you to make the switch to personalized comfort and support, AdjustABed waterbed replacement mattresses that fit most waterbed frames. These mattresses, along with many of its accessories, are not readily accessible to the public for many reasons.

Promotion and Distribution

The Select Comfort Company is an exclusive company that is primarily located online or in random television ads. This does nothing to promote the sales of the Sleep Number Bed. In order to create a sales increase along with the availability of this bed we decided to change the name and bring the bed to local stores. While the Sleep Number Bed had been slightly advertised at local stores the availability of this bed was non-existent. Unlike a foam bed, AdjustABed can be adjusted instantly to any body's ideal level of comfort, whether extra firm or featherbed soft. AdjustABed’s unique air chamber design accommodates the changing needs of your body, and provides more support to your back and spine when you need it, at the touch of a button. Foam beds, like sponges, can also break down over time. AdjustABed will provide you the same comfort and support for 20 years or more. Many people disagree on what's comfortable in a sleep surface. This dilemma frustrates countless couples every night. Whether it's a personal preference, or a critical need for comfort and support because of a physical condition (back pain, arthritis, surgery, etc.), one of you is probably compromising comfort in bed. No two bodies are alike, so it only makes sense that each of you should be able to adjust your sleeping surface to match your individual comfort needs. The dual-adjustability of AdjustABed allows each of you to have your preference - whether extra firm or featherbed soft, or anywhere in-between!

AdjustABed is great for couples. On conventional beds, one sleeper is often less comfortable than the other. In many cases, both sleepers are compromising comfort. With the dual-adjustability of the AdjustABed, couples enjoy personalized comfort and support without compromising! Instantly you can adjust your side of the bed to fit your ideal level of comfort, whether softer or firmer. In addition, the unique dual-adjustable design of the bed can minimize the movements between sleepers. If you and your partner have different sleep schedules or habits, disturbances are kept to a minimum. You both sleep better! Sleepers with partners greatly benefit from larger beds because among other things, disturbances in sleep are minimized. It is highly recommended that you invest in the largest bed your bedroom can accommodate. AdjustABed is available in standard Queen, Eastern King and California King sizes. Sleepers who really want to stretch out will appreciate our Expanded Queen, featuring a 10% larger sleeping area than a conventional Queen-size bed, or our Grand King, offering an impressive 30% larger sleeping area than a conventional King. AdjustABed 30-Night In-Home Trial gives you some peace of mind in trying a revolutionary sleep surface. You can fully assess and judge for yourself the benefits of sleeping on air in the comfort of your own bedroom, under real sleeping conditions. If you are not more comfortable and sleeping better within 30 nights, we'll accept the return of your mattress with no questions asked; you pay only return shipping fees. In addition we back all of our beds with an amazing 20-Year Limited Warranty. In the same time it takes two or more innerspring mattresses to go from new to needing replacement, AdjustABed continues to provide like-new performance.

To a target segment that looked most attractive, we suggested a promotional strategy, advertising message and a name that would best appeal to potential buyers of this product. We have generated AdjustABed which not only will it have the high-tech personality but also be available in many stores. AdjustABed will be advertised in local areas as a new beginning of personal comfort, health benefits, and one less thing to worry about as you finally “Dream Easy….”. Our new ad campaign will invite potential consumers to learn about the posture your body is in while sleeping. While most people are not aware of their physical body position as they sleep, we believe that it is important to alert consumers of why they may be having difficulty sleeping. The Dream Easy ad will help teach consumers that AdjustABed provides superior spinal alignments and reduced pressure points compared to all other mattress types. By using AdjustABed, we are allowing customers to dream easier by providing them with one less thing to worry about; their body health.

Target consumers are likely to shop at local mattress stores. To implement a key aspect for success we need to provide more areas in which AdjustABed is available for purchasing other than television and the internet. AdjustABed needs to be readily available in all markets and channels including mattress stores, outlets, internet, and by phone. There also needs to be a comparison with mattresses so customers can try before they buy. Allowing for comparison between spring mattresses and AdjustABed mattresses strengthens a consumer’s knowledge and likeliness to buy AdjustABed. Select Comfort has unfortunately hurt their potential sales volume by not providing enough outlets to their consumers. Because AdjustABed is such a unique product, we want all potential customers to have the ability to try the new mattress and compare it with others while they are making the buying decision.

Our research has found that the best persuasive tactics for our target market are to display ads that don’t confuse the customer and that show the customer a product that benefits the entire family; or in the case both bed partners. Many Sleep Number ads focused on the actual handheld dial that controls the mattress firmness. AdjustABed will be more focused on showing the outcomes that are associated with using the AdjustABed. For example, a couple sleeping comfortably and easily will be an ad that shows how happy both partners can be while still obtaining personalized mattress preference.

Perceived Risks

Risk perceptions for AdjustABed customers come in many different areas. Many customers are not willing to deviate from traditional mattresses. This causes minimal sales for AdjustABed. If customers are not willing to try Adjustabed then they won’t know of the benefits it may provide. Another risk for AdjustABed is its high perceived cost and the lack of knowledge on were to purchase this product. Many customers confused with space age memory foam and Adjustabed. This is clearly different and the lack of availability and advertisements really prohibits any change. In order to eliminate risks and negative perceptions of AdjustABed, we will provide customers will exceptional customer service in all aspects of the buying process. Whether the customer just wants to know more information about the product or wants to buy it, AdjustABed representatives want to let every potential customer know how exceptional our product is compared to others and that buying our product is a low risk decision compared with the benefits that they will receive while using AdjustABed. By providing an AdjustABed model in every mattress outlet, we will allow our customers to see the difference for themselves and gain knowledge of the product that they previously knew so little about.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we believe that revamping the Sleep Number into AdjustABed will help inform more people about the possibilities and health benefits/comfort that can be obtained with the purchase of an AdjustABed. Sleep is fundamental to health and well-being, with lack of sleep increasingly shown to impact on cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes, as well as work and traffic accidents. Yet sleep has been the subject of little epidemiological or public health research, and is largely invisible in health promotion literatures. By making the AdjustABed available in more markets, we will be able to show people exactly how their sleep can be improved by purchasing our product.

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