Studies say that 55 per cent of Indians aren’t getting enough sleep, and if doctors are to be believed, it’s not just that late-night blue light from your cell phone that’s the culprit. The mattress you sleep on is to be blamed as well.
But Sheela Foam believes it can fix this problem. The company is India’s top player in the mattress and foam products industry, which also owns Kurl-On and Furlenco.
In a chat with Storyboard18, Nilesh Mazumdar, chief executive officer, Sheela Foam, said, “From an era when many Indians prided themselves on minimal sleep—boasting about doing with only four or five hours a night — we are now witnessing a shift towards an awareness of the crucial role that good quality sleep plays in our lives.”
Mazumdar talked about the company’s new ‘Did you sleep well’ campaign, the sleep economy in India, and more.
Edited excerpts.
`Did you sleep well’ — that’s the question you are asking your audience in your latest brand campaign. What’s the idea behind this?
The mattress category faces three challenges. First, despite the fact that we spend a significant portion of our lives in physical contact with mattresses, it is not a top-of-mind category for most consumers. Second, unlike more public categories such as mobile phones, mattresses reside in the private space of a consumer’s bedroom and are not a social topic. The third challenge, applicable not only to mattresses but possibly to the entire durables industry, is that most brand communications are centred around either product features or celebrity endorsements.
In this context, as the leading brand, we sought to differentiate ourselves. Our study of the category revealed that it is inherently associated with comfort. While comfort is universally valued, we observed a unique aspect within the Indian context — the emphasis on the comfort of others rather than just one’s own comfort. Hence, we developed the philosophy of `comfort in comforting others,’ which we aim to convey through this campaign by highlighting the softer emotional aspects of comfort, care, and empathy.
What do you hope to achieve? What are the campaign’s objectives?
The primary objective of the campaign is to establish brand salience that sets us apart from competitors. We aim to ensure that our brand is not only top-of-mind for consumers, but also evokes a sense of brand love.
Can you elaborate how this campaign aligns with your brand’s philosophy of ‘there is comfort in comforting others’? And how does it compare with other campaigns you’ve done in the past.
For a brand to achieve success, it must address three fundamental questions: where, who, and why. The first is about the brand’s location or place, the second focuses on its target audience, and the third delves into the purpose or reason for choosing a brand.
Historically, much emphasis has been placed on answering the “why buy me” question. However, in our current approach, we are taking a holistic approach by addressing all three Ws. It is in the synthesis of these answers that a brand becomes truly robust and powerful.
You are in a category that hasn’t seen much innovation when it comes to campaigns, and has been heavily dependent on celebrities. You are introducing a disruption of sorts with empathy and storytelling. Why did you think of taking this route, and how do you think it’ll help the brand?
When we were going through the kind of work that has been done in this category, it became evident that there’s a communication challenge, with many brands relying heavily on celebrity endorsements or falling into the trap of using industry jargon that may not resonate with the consumer.
Our approach with this category is distinct — we’re aiming to break away from these patterns by forging a connection with the consumer on an emotional level. This is our strategy to stand out and set ourselves apart from every other player in this space.
`Did you sleep well’ is a catchy line, and it is easily something that can become part of any conversation. Marketers across categories are using influencers or content creators to generate buzz and drive conversation. Do you plan to engage influencers in this campaign?
Our belief is in the strength of a compelling story and powerful creative. We are confident that if we deliver a robust narrative, consumers will latch on, and the campaign’s virality will happen organically. The creative, crafted by Sideways and led by Abhijit Avasthi, one of the brightest minds in the advertising industry, reinforces our confidence. The quality of our communication will generate the virality it needs.
Walk us through your media plan. Your campaign launched when the festive season and the cricket World Cup are full swing. How do you plan to make the most of it?
The target audience we aim to reach comprises both males and females aged between 25 to 60, across socio-economic classes. To effectively connect with this diverse audience, our media mix includes TVCs during the World Cup matches. Additionally, we are leveraging GEC channels and news platforms. To engage with digital-savvy consumers, we will have robust digital support. In select markets, we’ll also use outdoor and print to reinforce the campaign’s impact. This approach reflects our commitment to running a comprehensive and integrated 360-degree campaign.
What’s next? What are the marketing campaigns planned for the rest of the year?
In addition to the ongoing campaign, we are gearing up for the launch of a second campaign, focusing on a new mattress category we’ve introduced, called Mixer. Recognising the need for innovation in the industry, Mixer is a completely differentiated product, distinct from traditional memory foam. Unlike memory foam, where one may feel somewhat ‘sunk in’ and require effort to turn, Nexa offers enhanced comfort through better rebound, while providing the advantages of memory foam. It’s a unique product in its category, and we will be unveiling a campaign for it by the end of the current month.
Looking ahead to the broader mattress business, I see three significant opportunities for growth in our country. Firstly, as a market leader, our aim is to expand the market itself. Currently, about 60 percent of the population still uses cotton mattresses. Our strategy is to introduce the right product offerings to this segment, converting non-users into users.
The second major opportunity lies in the fact that more than half the industry remains unorganised. Our strategy here is to bring consumers from the unorganised space to the organised space. This will be a pivotal focus.
Lastly, there’s the inorganic route. We’re looking to further enhance our market presence. These three strategies collectively form our approach to maximising opportunities in the mattress industry.
As people begin to understand the importance of sleep for good health, an entire sleep economy is growing here and across the world. What are the key trends you are noticing, especially in India, and how are you leveraging them?
According to a recent brand report on a US mattress company, the global sleep industry is estimated to be around $430 billion, including mattresses, pillows, sleep-related products, and medications. What stands out is the increasing focus on overall wellness post-Covid, with consumers becoming more conscious of the three pillars of wellness: diet, physical activity, and sleep.
This provides an opportunity to a brand like Sleepwell to leverage good sleep as a key component of holistic well-being.
How do you see the sleep economy evolving over the next couple of years? What are your plans around it?
From an era when many Indians prided themselves on minimal sleep — boasting about doing with only four or five hours — we are now witnessing a shift towards an awareness of the crucial role that good sleep plays in our lives. Undoubtedly, the mattress and pillow we choose become pivotal elements in ensuring the desired sleep quality. Recognising this, people are increasingly mindful of selecting products, like mattresses, that align with their individual needs and preferences.
Moving forward, our focus is on offering a diverse range of products tailored to meet the specific requirements of consumers, ensuring they experience optimal comfort during their sleep. Generating awareness about the category is key to generating growth. Additionally, a substantial portion of the country is unfamiliar with the benefits of modern mattresses. Bridging this knowledge gap and introducing non-users to the category will be a significant part of our strategy.
Lastly, looking ahead, we are exploring opportunities to introduce other products within the realm of the sleep economy. This aligns with our commitment to expand our portfolio, leveraging the strength of our powerful brands in the market.