Purple Mattress Business Review

Business in Real Life Series

I know that I’m weird, but I can’t help it.  Like a hairstylist who notices everyone’s hair, I notice everyone’s business (not their b’ness, but their actual business 😉 ).  So, when I see a business that is just killing it, I stop, take note and then take a picture.  There are so many business principles to learn and to share, but seeing them in real-time and in real life makes a huge difference.  So, I’m going to be highlighting businesses that I use and share the business principles that they are using and why they are so good and why you should be using them too.  We will give it a try and if you love the series, then I’ll keep doing it.

Today we are talking about the Purple mattress company.

My husband went to medical school, so for most of our marriage, we had very little money.  We survived on hand-me-downs.  Hand-me-down furniture, hand-me-down clothes and yes even hand-me-down mattresses (hold your judgment friends, they were people we knew and again, we had no money).  Well, we’d been using that mattress for years and it was finally time to get a new one.  We did the research and decided on a Purple mattress.  People had said that this mattress would change my life.  I was skeptical.  I have five kids and a few businesses, getting to sleep wasn’t my problem.

The first night sleeping on the mattress, I was so tired, I didn’t really notice a difference.  The second night was completely different.  I woke up and felt completely rested, a feeling I hadn’t felt for a really long time.  I can only describe it as that moment when you get an epidural.  Mommas, you know what I’m talking about.  You get an epidural, feel so relaxed and comfortable and in that moment you realize just how uncomfortable you’ve been for the last nine months.   That moment of relief was how it felt waking up on my Purple mattress.  That sounds dramatic and like someone is paying me to say it, but sister, I’m totally serious.

I was really glad that what I heard was true because through the whole process of buying, getting and setting up the mattress, I was completely impressed with the business.  So impressed that I had to share.

(If you are interested in a Purple mattress, they are giving you a $75 Amazon gift card if you purchase through this link.)

Here are some of my favorite things about the Purple Mattress company.

1. Purple Mattress Ads

This is what really got me aware of and interested in the brand.  They did things differently and instead of doing the boring mattress commercial, they went for humor and fun.

Take this ad for example. They use humor and the plot of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to not just demonstrate the difference between their mattress and others but also to educate their audience. This is a huge feat considering the topic. If you had the choice, would you listen to a five minute commercial about mattresses? Probably not. But Purple mattress carefully crafted this beautiful brand message and have had 180 million views to date. That is some good advertising.

Watch it for yourself:

And if they make a commercial about mattress protectors that is fun and worthy of more than 116 million views, it is one you need to see for yourself.

Listen for my favorite line of the commercial:

“Other protectors turn your bed crinkly or stiff and they make your mattress noisy, hot and uncomfortable…like a Nickelback concert or the first year of my marriage.”

 

The takeaway for you:

You do not have to do what everyone else is doing.  In fact, doing things differently may be THE thing that makes you stand out.  Don’t be afraid to infuse your personality into your brand.

And, be fun!  Don’t take yourself or your business too seriously.

 

2. Their purple packaging

 

When our Purple mattress came, the packaging was spot on.  Purple bag and easy 3-step instructions on the outside:

1.Unwrap

2. Unroll

3. Unwind

The takeaway for you:

Whenever you can share how to use your product in an easy to understand way and with easy to follow instructions, you are winning.  Because it is so clear, the customer knows in a few seconds what they need to do and how they can use the product.

Once we took the bag off, out came a little bag with a small cutter to cut the plastic shrink-wrap around the mattress, 2 sleep masks and a small square of their “purple grid” which is the technology that makes their mattress different.  There was something magical about having them anticipate the things that I was going to need to really enjoy my new purple mattress.  I didn’t have to run downstairs to get scissors, I had everything I needed right there.

The takeaway for you:

Consider how your customers use your product.  Will they need something extra to use your product?  Go the extra step and send it in as a freebie.  It will wow your customers.

3. Their no sales pricing

As far as I’ve seen, Purple doesn’t really put their mattresses on sale.  They will offer freebies (I enjoyed 2 free pillows and a sheet set) but they don’t discount their main product.  This is a strategic move for their company.  Some business models rely solely on sales. These businesses are targeting the budget-conscious buyer.  Because Purple is a luxury business model, they don’t lower their price, they just add bonuses when they want to sweeten the deal.

The takeaway for you:

You need to know your product and your business model.  Are you more of a Walmart or Target or Nordstrom type brand? Who do you serve? Knowing this will help you determine a lot of things in your business: pricing, products, target market and so much more.

 

There really are so many business lessons I could talk about with Purple Mattress.  They have a fantastic product and an exceptional business.

So, let me know, do you have a brand you love that I should review?  If so, let me know in the comments.

 

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