I work for a multi billion dollar company that is over 126 years old.  We have a VERY conservative culture and are head quartered out of Carthage, Missouri.   In the past we have only marketed our products to our customer, the bedding producer, and have never talked directly to the consumer.  So how do we change that?  We hire one of the best social media/video production companies out there (PURE), to assist our PR agency (Fahlgren), also great in the social media space, to help us tell our story. Our goal is a three-part mission:  1.) Create some recognition and desire for the brand at retail by introducing our new innerspring product, VertiCoil Edge, to consumers and share the advantages of sleeping on the latest in innerspring technology.  2.)  Introduce Leggett and Platt to consumers because if you are not in the bedding/furniture industry, there is a good chance you don’t know who we are.  3.)  Create interest to sell this unit to the industry and educate them on the real benefit of the VertiCoil Edge innerspring system.

How do you do all of that on a shoe string budget but make impact with your target audiences?  A web series came to mind.  We know that innersprings are not all that interesting or sexy,  but we think we can change that!

There has been some speculation about the first release of The Virgin Mattress. It is true that we pulled the first episodes off line. It is also true that we did so as a result of feedback that we received from our employees, but is this so wrong?  Let’s face it, at the end of the day we are trying to match a creative vision with a corporate mission. Not always an easy intersection. My team missed it. Not that we didn’t have some great content, but it stretched our company brand too far.  Some of our people had a hard time relating to the show we created and I can understand why as it was a total departure from anything they were used to. My question to you is, do you know your brand or do you just think you know your brand?  We thought we did but we were wrong.  I don’t regret producing the first series because if we had not, we would never be where we are with an incredible new web series.  I do regret any negative feelings we created from our own people.  The Leggett and Platt Partners are the best you will find anywhere.  They are very loyal and only want what they think is the best for the company.  How can you fault them for that?

We are trying to fight a group (of foam and air bed people), that are telling consumers that innerspring beds are a thing of the past or just plain uncomfortable.  In some of their advertising they even give comparisons that are totally misleading to consumers to position themselves as superior.  Who likes companies that take that approach?  We don’t have the big budgets like they do, but we do have truth.  The truth that says innerspring beds, (made with VerticoilEdge of course), are in fact superior in many ways.  We have testing to prove it!  And yes, based on what I know about Bounce Per Ounce (BPO), I have to say innerspring beds are better for sex.  There I said it.  (More on that later.)

If you believe that social media can do great things and make huge impact; then help me tell the story!  Visit www.thevirginmattress.com for details on the free bed giveaway and to connect with us in other ways.  You’ll be glad you did.