BY JAGDEEP KAPOOR

One of the most important things for a human being is to have good, sound sleep. Infact, sleep not only refreshes consumers but also relaxes and gives them rest and in addition, reinforces other needs like enhancing the beauty of a person. Sleep also makes the consumer more productive during the day time and is able to enhance the growth of the human being in terms of health and wealth, profession and family as well as beauty and brains.

Infact, without sound sleep a consumer is incomplete. Therefore he is constantly looking out for good, sound sleep.

This opens a whole new opportunity for marketeers to participate in.

A number of products and services offer solutions in and around the sleep category. It is important to understand consumer behaviour and treat this category as a major opportunity to build brands in all sectors including pharmaceuticals, FMCG, durables and services. One must understand that to enjoy good sound sleep is the basic need of every human being and of every consumer. Infact if sleep is compared to other basic categories, then it would be as important as eating food, drinking water or wearing clothes. Hence, this sensitive category has to be handled with care and credibility.

Let us begin with a category, which is consumed almost 33,000 feet above the ground. The airline industry is constantly positioning and repositioning its brands, communicating to the business and tourist travellers, that it is able to give more leg space, more comfort all in the interest of providing the traveller with sound sleep during the air travel. Many consumers, especially business travellers are able to make a brand choice based on the comfort and the facility to sleep that is provided in the Business and First class sections of many International Airline brands.

In the case of another industry, which is the pharmaceutical industry there are many ethical products and pharma offerings, which help consumers attain good sleep, making them relaxed and rest, which is good for their health. In the OTC segment, there are many balms, which help directly or indirectly consumers of all ages whether young or adults, to get good sleep. Similarly there are many medicines as well as advice solutions to be able to sleep soundly from the medical fraternity.

Another interesting category, in the consumer durable segment, which addresses the sleep category and provides solutions, is the category promoting pillows and mattresses. Infact, different types of pillows made from varied technologies as well as different comfort levels of mattresses are offered in the market promising good sound sleep. There are many brands of pillows and mattresses which have become large brands and have been able to help many a consumer get up next morning fully fresh after a sound nights sleep. Further, there is also the nocturnal attire in terms of night suits, kurta, pyjamas as well as night dresses, whether for children, males or females which make life comfortable as well as have aesthetic appeal. Thus, in the consumer durable segment too, the sleep category is used as a good opportunity for brand marketing.

In the financial services sector like banking and insurance there is a need for peace of mind which then leads to sound sleep. Infact, this intangible need is being handled extremely well by the brands in the financial services sector leading to a good nights sleep.

Coming to FMCG, the mosquito repellent sector has literally offered a good night sleep and is widely used across the country with great results. The solutions could be in various forms and shapes. However, the objective is the same to be able to get the consumer attain sound sleep.

Thus we see that the sleep category offers a huge opportunity for brand marketeers to build brands and help the consumer through sleep marketing to get good sound peaceful sleep. Brand marketeers should wake up to this opportunity if they are sleeping.

The author is Brand Guru Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director of the successful Samsika Marketing Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. Tel: 022 28597700/7701 Fax: 28597699 E-mail: jkapoor@samsika.com

Copyright © 2007 All rights reserved with Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants Pvt. Ltd. No Part of this document may be modified, reproduced, stored, deleted or introduced in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (Electronic, Mechanical, Photocopying, Recording or Otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of the document )