What’s in a product label?

A lot, thanks to the marketing efforts of mattress makers

Mattress manufacturers are sharing more information—and making it easier to present and sell their products—via the creative use of tags and printed labels. It’s a trend Sleep Savvy has noticed while reporting on new products at recent bedding shows. Labeling is a way for individual floor models to “speak” directly to retail sales associates—and consumers—at a time when more stores eschew showy, branded point-of-purchase materials in favor of a serene, simpler store atmosphere.

Known for its simplicity in styling and POP materials, Tempur Sealy, with headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is packing more information directly on its revamped Tempur-Contour and Tempur-Cloud beds. Embroidered satin border labels identify the collection, model and the bed’s comfort level, and a slip-on satin sock customizes Tempur-Pedic foot streamers with further information.

When it comes to temperature talk and concerns about sleeping too warm on foam, information is at your fingertips on mattress licensing group Therapedic’s EcoGel2 specialty collection, thanks to a standout deep blue label attached to the bed’s charcoal and white border. The Princeton, N.J.-based company uses a double label in printed satin displaying an iceberg adrift on the deep blue sea that is packed with product information about the bed’s “cooling gel” components. The label also prominently displays the collection’s tag line, “Cooling sleep to the power of 2.”

Using labels to communicate luxury is the goal of the newest Stearns & Foster Signature collection, manufactured by bedding major Sealy. The beds’ heritage of handcrafting is highlighted with a new hanging label signed by the bed’s “master craftsman.”

Meanwhile, the “Made in America” story is a powerful draw for a wide swath of consumers, and Paramount Sleep, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., makes the most of its product line’s U.S. provenance, which is verified by a third party. The mattress manufacturer and licensing group uses a bold “Made in America Certified” satin label illustrated with a check mark and the U.S. flag.

Pay careful attention to these information-packed labels. If you do, you’ll never be at a loss for words when touting the features and benefits of the newest beds on your floor.

SSA rolls out Bedfax labeling program

And speaking of tags, the Specialty Sleep Association introduced a new Bedfax labeling program at the winter Las Vegas Market. The voluntary program provides third-party content verification and labeling for all mattresses and is offered in tandem with the SSA Environmental & Safety Program, a four-level labeling program for mattress manufacturers who wish to have third-party verification of their environmental product claims.

Under the new program, mattress manufacturers are able to place a label “declaring the ingredients or contents of a mattress (that has been verified) and to say to the consumer that this mattress is offering full disclosure of contents, and there is paperwork on file with the SSA,” says Dale Read, SSA president.

Information can be accessed at www.bedfax.org.