This is the same way a brand works: it embodies the company's product and service and how you feel about the company. Some brands are very well-established, such as Coca-Cola, Tempurpedic, Sears, Wal-Mart, Ford. When you see these names, these brands, you immediately know what they are, what they represent and what to expect. And that last part, what to expect, is where lies the power of a brand.

We are creatures of habit and we like to shop where we are comfortable, buy products we are familiar with. When you are lost, you look to a friend. And when you want or need a product or service, a recognizable name is like a beacon in the night, making you feel comfortable with your purchase. Brand is trust, and when shopping for products or services we know little about, we look to recognized names for assurance.

The mattress shopping experience is no exception to brand. Mattresses are what I call a "trust product", that is, a product that requires the consumer to feel a level of trust before they feel comfortable making a purchase. And in the "old days", brands such as Tempurpedic, Serta, Sealy, Simmons, these brands ruled the mattress landscape. Consumers recognized these names and purchased because in the face of fear and the unknown, that recognizable name stood out like a beacon in the night.

However, today's consumers are more savvy than ever before. And brands, particularly in the mattress business, have become diluted. For example, Sealy, Serta and Simmons have all changed hands numerous times, and large investment companies and other interests now own the name. So, brand is nothing more than an interchangeable, purchasable name. Mattress brands are basically nothing more than a commodity that can be bought and sold to anyone in any country, and no longer is a guarantee of quality and longevity.

What is taking the place of brand? The internet is quickly becoming the brand. What other consumers are saying about a product has become more important to shoppers than what the brand's marketing team says about the brand. Review sites and information contained in the internet holds more sway with consumers now than the brand name of a product. In effect, the internet is now the brand.

How does this information translate to your quest for a new mattress? Brand names are no longer that important when shopping for a mattress. In fact, it can be argued that buying a name brand can actually cost you more, as advertising a name brand with mass market advertising is a very expensive endeavor, a cost which gets tacked on to the price of the mattress. In effect, you are paying for that name, and not the materials. 

So, does brand matter? Not really. What the consensus of consumers says is very important when considering a mattress. Does the store and/or the product have a great reputation? Ultimately, that is more valuable to you than what the marketing department at a company says about their company. 

Nest Bedding stands for high quality organic mattresses, eco-friendly memory foam mattresses, USA made bedding and beds, in an affordable and comfortable setting. We invite consumers to search the internet and review sites and see for themselves what our customers say about us and our products.