COVER STORY
Quality, dependable manufacturing is just the starting point. “Operationally, we are incredibly strong,” he continues. “That means we make a great prod- uct that we can distribute over and over again. From a visibility and brand standpoint, we know there’s a ton of opportunity and much work to be done. That’s where we’re putting our focus now because the foundation is set.” The first step to building a stronger, more visible brand was to get clear on what the company was and what it wanted to be mov- ing forward. Next, it was time to develop a new national mattress line-up—one that the compa- ny could market and distribute throughout the entire country. As a licensing group, Englander had previously focused on more regional col- lections, which often made it difficult to devel- op a sense of marketing cohesion. By focusing its attention on one line-up with a clear set of specs and styling, Englander was able to craft a singular branding story that would be easier for consumers to understand and connect with. “I think more than ever, relevant brands that are building value in what they do and connect- ing with people on an emotional level are going to be the ones that separate themselves from the pack,” Kinsley explains. “Because when it comes time for consumers to make a decision, they’re looking for something they can believe in. They’re not looking for commodity products, they’re looking for identifiers and signals that say ‘That’s who I am and that’s what I want to be a part of and this is the product I want to own.’” Debuting at the winter Las Vegas Market, the new Englander collection features a cu-
12 Sleep Retailer / Winter 2020
rated selection of proven materials that have been refined over time. At the top the line, the mattresses are made with a fabric-en- cased coil support unit, combined with layers of copper-infused latex, copper-infused vis- co foam, 3°
Open Air micro coils, and a cool
touch top panel. Designed to reflect its “clas- sic yet modern” feel, the beds are styled with rich color ways including elegant shades of navy, charcoal and taupe. The inspiration for this collection brought together both Englander’s long heritage in the industry and its new vision for the future. As the research and development process got underway, the company looked back through its history for some direction. In the 1970s, Englander was considered one of the top bedding brands in the United States. But even prior to that, it had built a reputation for ingenuity. In fact, Englander was one of the early pioneers of the latex category. At one time, Englander was actually owned by GOODYEAR—which gave the mattress mak- ers access to innovative rubber formulations for creating latex foams. To this day, Kinsley says, both retailers and consumers across many markets in the U.S. associate the En- glander brand with latex mattresses. The chosen focus on latex isn’t just an hom- age to the company’s past; the consumer in- terest in latex foams has grown significantly in recent years. Even more than that, it has be- come the mattress of choice for some of the most informed buyers. “I’ve been in the indus- try for a long time,” Kinsley explains. “And when I ask my industry friends what they sleep on,
invariably, it’s some combination of pocketed coils and latex. So I thought, let’s just do that.” By zeroing in on the kinds of mattresses
that industry insiders sleep on at home, the company began developing its new approach to marketing. For many consumers who may be new to the latex category, it can be over- whelming to try to parse through messaging that is bogged down by details on the differ- ent processes and formulations. By instead promoting its popularity among those in the know, Englander is able to communicate the superiority of the components more efficient- ly. And while one may not immediately con- sider bedding industry executives to be “in- fluencers” in the traditional sense, this kind of personal insight carries with it plenty of value among consumers. “We want to make mattresses that we would be comfortable giving to our moms,” Kinsley explains. “We don’t want to complicate it with fake innovation and technology that’s really not technology. We want to use what’s proven to perform and what’s been refined over time and put that in a mattress in ways that we know deliver amazing comfort.” While some licensing groups struggle to get all of their facilities on board with a na- tional line-up, Kinsley is quick to correct that assumption. More than just licensing part- ners, Englander’s factories are owners of the brand—which means they are fully bought in and committed to working together. In the build-up to the new collection’s launch, the company did an internal audit of all of these
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