Christine Foster
three PR
404.835.4524
cfoster@3atlanta.com
Katie O’Neill
three PR
404.835.4527
koneill@3atlanta.com
-Mattress producer’s online promotion strategy uses Web links, newsletter and social media-
(ATLANTA – December 1, 2009) – Simmons Bedding Company continues to strengthen its position as the bedding industry leader in online marketing with the announcement of the “I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress” contest winners and the launch of a new online promotion called the “Question of the Day Sweepstakes,” which starts today and will run through January 31. Simmons’ online marketing strategy leverages the latest Web-based communication technologies as a way to generate excitement about the Simmons® brand and to build relationships with online consumers. So far, the program has succeeded on both fronts by expanding Simmons’ Web presence and creating consumer demand for additional online promotions.
“Given the rise in social networking and the fact that most consumers use the Internet to research major home purchases, we’ve taken the opportunity to reach consumers directly through online contests and sweepstakes,” said Tim Oakhill, Simmons’ executive vice president of marketing. “Our online communications efforts are designed to engage consumers in a dialogue that provides them with a better understanding of Simmons and of how our products will help them obtain a better night’s sleep.”
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Simmons Announces Winners of Online Contest/ page 2
Simmons recently announced the winners of the “I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress” promotion, an online contest where consumers submitted videos or photos and essays explaining why they wanted a Beautyrest® mattress for the chance to win one of 10 brand new Beautyrest® mattresses from Simmons.
“The ‘I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress’ promotion gave consumers the chance to showcase their creativity and individual expression,” said Oakhill. “We loved hearing consumers’ stories, which ranged from tugging at your heartstrings to downright funny. Our customers often tell us how much they love their Beautyrest® mattress, and the contest videos, photo essays and poems were a wonderful addition to the stories we hear every day.”
Simmons received 250 contest entries during the three-month “I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress” promotion, which ran from July 1 through Sept. 30, and more than 37,000 votes were cast for favorite submissions over the course of the contest. The company encouraged participation in the promotion through a variety of online tools including links on the Simmons® and Beautyrest® home pages, a refer-a-friend feature on the contest Web site, a monthly e-mail newsletter to consumers and social media components such as a Facebook® application and Twitter® posts about the contest. Simmons also provided retailers with a contest widget that they could host on their store’s home page. Together, these efforts helped to generate more than 178,000 page views of the promotion’s Web site, http://contest.simmons.com.
The promotion’s 10 winning entries, which were selected through a final round of public voting by visitors to the contest Web site, illustrate a variety of personal reasons for wanting a Beautyrest® mattress and reflect the significant role a good night’s sleep plays in each consumer’s daily life. The winning submissions, which may be viewed at http://contest.simmons.com, include the following:
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Simmons Announces Winners of Online Contest/ page 3
In contrast to the creative aspects of the “I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress” contest, Simmons’ “Question of the Day Sweepstakes” will feature a straightforward question and multiple-choice answer format with one question posted on the contest Web site, http://sweepstakes.simmons.com, each day. The questions will cover a range of topics including Simmons® brands, company history and sleep tips, and all answers can be found on the company’s Web site, www.simmons.com. One winner will be selected from each day’s entrants, and that individual will receive a prize of Beautyrest® pillows or sheets, courtesy of Simmons® licensee Louisville Bedding Company. All daily winners automatically will be entered into a grand prize drawing for a new Simmons® Beautyrest Black® mattress valued up to $3,000.
“The ‘Question of the Day Sweepstakes’ is the perfect follow up to the ‘I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress’ contest because it builds on the momentum of our earlier promotion and
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Simmons Announces Winners of Online Contest/ page 4
is simple for consumers to enter—all they have to do is answer a multiple-choice question,” said Oakhill. “Our goal for the sweepstakes is to educate consumers about the basics of sleep, the different mattress technologies available and the Simmons® brands in a meaningful, yet easyto-understand way, and because consumers can enter the sweepstakes every day if they choose, they’re able to learn something new on a daily basis.”
When publicizing the “Question of the Day Sweepstakes” to consumers, Simmons will continue to leverage many of the techniques used to promote the “I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress” contest, including links on the Simmons® and Beautyrest® Web sites, posts on Simmons’ Facebook® and Twitter® pages, a “share this” functionality and communications via the company’s e-mail newsletter.
For more information about Simmons’ online promotion efforts, including the “Question of the Day Sweepstakes” and the “I REALLY Want My Beautyrest® Mattress” contest, visit www.simmons.com.
Atlanta-based Simmons Bedding Company is one of the world's largest mattress manufacturers, manufacturing and marketing a broad range of products including Beautyrest®, Beautyrest Black®, Beautyrest NxG®, Beautyrest Studio™, ComforPedic by Simmons™, ComforPedic Loft™, Natural Care®, Beautyrest Beginnings™ and BeautySleep®. Simmons Bedding operates 19 conventional bedding manufacturing facilities and one juvenile bedding manufacturing facility across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Simmons Bedding also serves as a key supplier of beds to many of the world’s leading hotel groups and resort properties. Simmons Bedding is committed to developing superior mattresses and promoting a higher quality sleep for consumers around the world. For more information, visit Simmons Bedding's Web site at www.simmons.com.
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This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events and financial performance. Words such as “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “forecasts” and variations of such words or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events, results or trends, or that do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements are expressed in good faith and Simmons believes there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that the events, results or trends identified in these forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved. Investors should not rely on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Simmons’ expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to: (i) our ability to comply with and fulfill the closing conditions in the plan sponsor agreement with certain affiliates of Ares Management LLC and Teachers’ Private Capital, the private investment department of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, including obtaining financing and approval of the related pre-packaged bankruptcy plan (the “Plan”) by the Bankruptcy Court; (ii) compliance with covenants in, and any defaults under, our post-bankruptcy filing debt agreements or instruments; (iii) our ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Plan; (iv) the potential adverse impact of our pre-packaged bankruptcy filing on our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and the value of our and our affiliate’s debt and equity securities; (v) interest rate and credit market risks;