According to a Times interview with the head of Tempurpedic, you don't know.

That's how they built a built a billion dollar company. By getting 2% of a market that doesn't care about brands to care about them. A typical marketer looks at this and says, "great marketing! You branded a product in an unbranded marketplace."

I actually don't think that's what really happened. I think what happened is that every single product in the mattress market was perceived as the same, so there was no reason to care about which brand, because, frankly, it didn't seem to matter. Like brands of gasoline or milk.

Many marketers are excited about a brand-free market. They walk in wads of cash and try to buy share. They believe that the brand can build the product. That's backwards.

When you change the product enough, branding happens.

There are two traps here:

first, entering a brand-free market where people have been trained to ignore the various competitors is really expensive, because people aren't listening, no matter how great your offer is. I think Tempurpedic got a little lucky.

and second, believing that you can have the brand before you have the product. You almost certainly don't have the money to pull that off.

He also said that 95% of his customers have recommended his product to others. Not the brand, not the experience, but the product. I have, it's true. I've recommended a thousand dollar mattress to someone. Go figure.



Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
What brand is your mattress?
	According to a Times interview with the head of Tempurpedic, you don't know.
Seize the Opportunity!
	How successful you are really only depends on how you perceive the opportunities that surround you. Take my trip mattress shopping for example…
Do you need a 99¢ Chicken Sandwich?
	How to make customers react positively to your business
Strategic Branding Questions
	There’s a heightened interest in branding these days. For small businesses, it can be one of the most important marketing programs of all. As you launch (or relaunch) a branding campaign, take a look through these...
Build Your Reputation
	I’ve been building the Trump brand for several decades. But from time to time, landmarks do come along.

---

Related Forum Posts
	Warrenties
	...or a Skoda
	Same Name, Different Class
	Trademark in the "right" countries
	Re: Promotion Pack / Prize Pack
	diamond vs. square
	Re: diamond vs. square
	Answering the phone