Many people complain of not getting enough sleep or no sleep at all. There is a science behind sleep problems and there have been numerous studies conducted to address this problem.

But one brand that promises to help the sleep-deprived with its “pressure-relieving material” is Tempur, which delivers the promise of a good night’s sleep to its customers.

Now on its fifth year in the country, Tempur, through its local distributor Focus Global Inc., has expanded to three branches and is increasingly gaining a strong pull among Filipinos.

“People usually take for granted that we spend one-third of our lives on the bed. It is on the bed that we relax after a long day’s work. It is when we sleep that we recharge for yet another day,” Focus Global home furnishings division assistant vice president Aline Lopez pointed out during Tempur’s fifth anniversary party at one of its branches in Greenbelt 5.

Being in the business for 75 years, Tempur has already made its mark in the US and Europe. In the Philippines, however, only a few are familiar with the brand. Despite this, Focus Global was determined to bring Tempur in the country, backed with the product’s promise and a strong commitment of helping fellow Filipinos improve their sleep, and, to some extent, their way of life.

In 2005 Tempur found its first home at the Shangri-La Plaza, initially occupying a 100-sq-m space. Lopez recalled that the company did not find any difficulty in introducing the brand because they were convinced of the product’s sales proposition.

That year turned out to be a very good introduction for Tempur. “We were confident that we had a good product and that positive word of mouth would help make the product successful in the market,” she added.

And they were right. According to Lopez, in less than a year, they had people telling them how great Tempur is and how it has helped them.

In just five years, the store has expanded to over 200 sq m to house an almost full line of pressure-relieving mattresses and pillows. Two more branches opened—the Tempur show room in Bonifacio High Street and the Tempur show room in Greenbelt 5.

“Tempur has been doing very well since it was launched in the Philippines.  In a matter of five years, sales have already doubled and still continue to grow,” she said.

Behind the brand

Lopez noted that Tempur is the first of its kind in the market. “There have been a lot of copycats that came out, but it is only Tempur that is recognized by Nasa [National Aeronautics and Space Administration],” she boasted.

It was actually Tempur that developed the material used for the Nasa space program to cushion the impact of takeoff and landing on the backs of astronauts.

“Tempur has, in fact, been awarded by Nasa for its significant contribution in transferring space technology for the improvement of people’s lives,” she added.

Lopez explained that Tempur works by relieving the body of pressure caused by unnatural sleeping positions. “Many of us don’t know that unnatural sleeping positions are the usual cause of back and neck pains,” she pointed out.

Tempur is made out of a revolutionary visco-elastic material that provides little or no counter pressure as it perfectly molds to the exact contours of the body. The result is a proper support and an even distribution of the body’s weight on a Tempur mattress.

According to Lopez, studies have shown that tossing and turning at night, which greatly affects the quality of rest, is reduced by 80 percent by using Tempur.

“Tempur stands out not only because it is the first in the market, but because its performance is unrivaled.  It is recommended by over 50,000 medical practitioners worldwide,” she added.

Lending a hand

The promise of comfort and tranquillity for Focus Global extends beyond its customers but also to those underprivileged members of society. As part of its anniversary, Tempur came up with a campaign called Donate-A-Mattress, where customers are encouraged to donate their old but still usable mattresses in exchange for a 10-percent discount on any Tempur mattress.

Seen by its customers as a gracious gesture, the company was able to gather 17 mattresses in good condition from different donors “who are all too willing to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Through a nonprofit organization, The Family International, which seeks to comfort, help and minister to those in need through the help of generous donors, the mattresses were handed over to Boys Town in Parang, Marikina, an institution that houses abandoned young boys from all over Manila.

“The boys could not contain their joy and excitement as they waited outside the care home while the mattresses were being unloaded from two Tempur vans,” Lopez recalled.

As part of the turnover ceremony, the kids of Boys Town rendered a song-and-dance number for the guests. Due to the success of the campaign, Tempur has opted to extend the program to other institutions like Gawad Kalinga.

“Tempur is continuously being supported by generous clients with 19 additional mattresses for donation to date,” Lopez added.

Testimonials

The brand has its share of A-list clients who trust their “good sleep” to Tempur. Actress and TV host Kris Aquino is a “very loyal client,” Lopez noted. In fact, it was earlier reported that the popular TV figure gave a Tempur mattress to her mother, the late former President Cory Aquino.

Producer and director Jeric Soriano always looks forward going home as his Tempur bed serves as a welcoming image on his mind after his work. “Talk about quality sleep, there is no better investment than a Tempur product,” he said during the anniversary.

Today the brand is familiar to millions of people in over 76 countries in the world who enjoy Tempur’s phenomenal ability to improve sleep.

During the same event, Tempur introduced the Promessa Bed, or “The Promise.” Lopez highlighted that bed’s beautiful material and gentle waveform of the mattress combine to give an elegant, contemporary design for supreme relaxation.

The wave topper is made of “soft touch” Tempur material. The mattress allows the joints to rest in their natural positions, resulting in less pressure and more comfort for the rest of one’s sleep.

“Tempur is a nighttime renewal for body and mind.  A person’s demeanor and attitude is largely affected by how well a person has rested.  Especially with today’s lifestyle, when everything is moving fast, and can become very stressful, people need a place where they can find comfort, renewal and serenity.  That is where Tempur takes you when you go to bed,” she emphasized.