Cover Story
Value That Resonates: The New Face Of Corsicana
By Gretchen Kast
There is no greater visual to show how much Corsicana has changed in recent years than the evolution of its Las Vegas Showroom. Just two years ago, market attendees looking to catch up with the Texas- based manufacturer walked into a big open space—one nearly unadorned save for endless rows of white rectangles. These days, the Corsicana showroom is an entirely new experience. Entering the space, retailers are greeted by colorful vignettes, eye-catching branding and cohesive, consumer-oriented story-telling. This refresh is about much more than just aesthetics though—the new look reflects a much larger overhaul of the entire Corsicana brand.
O
nce known as a low-cost private la- bel company, under new leadership Corsicana has since emerged as a highly-analytical operation focused on delivering greater retail margins through a contemporary portfolio of well-branded product alternatives. Driven by consumer data and unparalleled manufacturing effi- ciencies, the company offers proven prod- uct differentiation and comprehensive sup- port in today’s dynamic marketplace. As it continues to build not just momentum but real relevance, Corsicana remains com- mitted to its simple yet powerful mission statement: “to make everyday life better for hardworking Americans by delivering on its promise to provide outstanding sleep at an unbeatable value.” Founded in 1971, Corsi- cana has made a name for itself supplying retail partners with low-cost private label bedding products—a position that served both the brand and the industry well. But by 2018, the marketplace had changed and it was time for Corsicana to do the same.
With the arrival of Michael Thompson, CEO; Mike Loomis, VP of product development & innovation; and Karen Baartmans, director of marketing, Corsicana started to set in motion a new vision for the brand.
A Thoughtful, Data-Backed Approach A large part of Corsicana’s recent evolution included taking a more analytical approach across all aspects of the company. The new leadership team collaborated with a number of external experts to fully understand the com- pany culture and bedding consumers. They engaged Denison Consulting to administer its Organizational Culture Survey, which is designed to measure the “underlying beliefs, values and engagement of an organization, as well as the practices and behaviors that exemplify and reinforce them.” With these da- ta-driven insights, the company determined a consensus for what the Corsicana brand stood for and gave the team a guideline for moving forward. Since then, the company has been committed to creating a “high perform-
ing, motivating” culture—with annual surveys to ensure that this commitment is being met. The new vision for the company is driven by what Thompson calls the ‘5 Es’: Energy, Edge, Enthusiasm, Engagement and Execution. These attributes do more than simply reflect the company culture—they have helped drive its strategic plan as well. Set in place just 20 months ago, this plan fully reimagined Corsi- cana’s position in the industry. While the com- pany’s private label capabilities are still available to retailers today, that customer solution is now just “one arrow in its quiver,” Thompson says. In order to effectively shift its focus onto branded products, Corsicana first invested in comprehensive consumer research and in- sights. One of the first stages of the new stra- tegic plan included a robust attitude and usage study. By identifying key bedding consumer segments—the cost-conscious consumer, the healthy sleep fanatic, the ecommerce con- noisseur and the ultimate comfort-driven con- sumer—the brand was poised to build its new portfolio based on real consumer needs. From
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