Simmons Strengthens Foothold in Health Arena By Co-Promotions Health and Medical Products.

Furniture World Magazine

In three short years, Simmons BackCare has made "Five Zones for Your Bones" a marketing cornerstone for healthy living, and this year promises no less innovation. Simmons built its second flagship brand via non-traditional programs and has enjoyed remarkable success in doing so. Some marketing innovations include: an unsolicited endorsement from the National Foundation for Spinal Health (NFSH); a co-promotion with Doan's pills; a dedicated team of BackCare sales managers; and the brand's first-ever television spot. In order to maintain that leading position however, Simmons has more exciting plans in store for 1999. "Simmons will strengthen its foothold in the health arena by leveraging the brand's benefits through innovative marketing techniques," said Tim Oakhill, Simmons director of BackCare. "We are looking forward to explosive success in the upcoming year with physician and marketing partnerships geared toward the health-conscious consumer." Maximizing the Medical Marketplace Building on the success that catapulted Simmons BackCare onto the scene, Simmons has teamed with Slumberland Furniture to launch the Retailer Physician Program. Being tested on more than 1700 physicians, the program is designed to further link BackCare with health. General practitioners, orthopedic surgeons, OB/GYNs and chiropractors will receive a kit full of information focused on how to maintain a healthy back, highlighting such topics as sports safety, exercises to relieve back pain and back care for pregnant women. "By touting BackCare's healthy benefits and encouraging the medical community to test and recommend the product, this program offers our consumers a compelling reason to purchase a mattress," said Ken Larson, president of Slumberland Furniture. The program also introduces Simmons BackCare Ultimate to doctors as the only sleep system designed to keep the spine in its natural position with five zones of support and comfort in each component. Additional kit contents include: A letter from Larson and Zenon Nie, Simmons Chairman and CEO welcoming physicians to the program; A pocketed easel for easy doctors' office display, filled with 50 free "BackHealth" publications, a colorful, four-page tabloid with condensed, useful information on how to take care of your back, and a coupon for $ 100 off of a BackCare Ultimate mattress at Slumberland; A physician coupon for $400 off of a BackCare Ultimate mattress at Slumberland to compel doctors to test the mattress and encourage patients to try the product, and an "800" number to re-order publications for their offices.