National Bed Month is here again, and the National Bed Federation (NBF) has gone all out to deliver a host of promotional and educational tools, as well as reinforcing its sustainable agenda and support for industry newcomers – explains the NBF’s head of marketing and membership, Simon Williams …
So many things have changed in the bed industry over the last three decades, but one thing remains a constant – National Bed Month – which this year celebrates its 33rd year.
This promotional event is the envy of the other sectors in the furniture industry, raising awareness of the most important piece of furniture in the home, promoting the health benefits to consumers of buying a new bed (particularly one made by an NBF-approved member), and how to care for it to prolong its lifespan – an increasingly relevant message in today’s sustainable society.
In line with our NBF Green initiative, we are keen to promote the importance of caring for the bed to prolong its lifespan, rather than the not-so-straightforward message of simply replacing it every seven years. If the bed still provides the user with the comfort and support they need, they should continue to care for it to get the most out of it – look after your bed, and it will look after you!
This year’s theme is Wake Up on the Right Side, with the Right Bed (#RightSideOfTheBed), and will focus on bed-buying advice to ensure consumers get the right bed for their needs, plus tips on how to care for it and expert sleep advice from The Sleep Charity.
An all-new, multimedia marketing toolkit is available to ensure retailers – and in particular NBF Retail Champions and NBF members – are well equipped to support their customers. As well as a suite of logos, infographics and website banners, there is also a fantastic new video which can be shared on social media or embedded into websites. NBF Retail Champions and NBF members have exclusive access to the free downloadable toolkit from our website.
If bed retailers aren’t yet part of the NBF Retail Champions scheme, then we encourage them to apply to join the scheme and get fully involved with this fantastic promotional campaign, as well as receiving free PoS items and a listing on the new Bed Advice consumer-facing website.
After being offline for the last year, we’re excited to launch an updated Introduction to Beds course. It’s aimed at anyone new to the bed industry, whether in retail or manufacturing – in sales, buying, customer services, finance, production or logistics. What’s more, this course is now available completely free of charge and can be downloaded directly from the NBF website as per the above.
As well as providing an in-depth explanation of all the main product types – mattress constructions, divan bases, bedsteads and headboards – there’s sections covering major bed brands, relevant legislation, and a glossary of industry terminology. There are also up-to-date learnings about the UK bed market and consumer bed-buying habits, as well as a helpful overview on the NBF Code of Practice. A noteworthy addition to the latest version is an outline of the NBF Green agenda, covering existing and future NBF projects and advice for businesses making green claims.
The downloadable course gives users more flexibility, allowing them to go at their own pace and refer to it time and again as their go-to bed manual. At the end, participants can access a certificate of completion and offer their feedback on the course.
We encourage all businesses involved in the UK and Irish bed industry to include this free course as part of their employees’ induction process. It’s packed full of information that will particularly help any new starters and quickly enable them to get up to speed on the wonderful world of beds.
