• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, March 7, 2013

Simmons Bedding Co. has awarded WPP’s MEC media planning and buying duties, the client has confirmed. The selection, which is effective immediately, was made without a formal review.

The media incumbent was Martin Williams, which will continue to share some creative duties on the account with Arnold, a unit of Havas. Creative chores were not in play.

The switch was orchestrated by Jeff Willard, who joined Simmons in January as executive vice president of marketing. Previously, he was CMO at consumer electronics company Harman, which is also an MEC client. That existing tie led to the shift in media shops at Simmons.

The company spent around $15 million on ads for the first nine months of 2012 -- a fivefold increase over the prior year, according to Kantar. And the company is expected to sharply increase its budget again this year according to sources, who say Simmons has mapped out a spending plan of $30 million and possibly more.

“MEC’s proven record of using analytics and insights to reach audiences at all touchpoints is the perfect fit for our needs,” stated Willard. “We believe this partnership will help to quickly reestablish Simmons as the leader in the premium bedding market.”

The company is in a heated battle with rivals Serta and Sealy for dominance in the mattress market. According to a May 2012 report by Furniture Today, Serta, Sealy and Simmons are ranked as the top three mattress sellers respectively.

Simmons, based in Atlanta, had estimated revenues of $1 billion in 2011. The 140-year-old firm manufacturers and markets a number of branded mattresses including Beautyrest, ComforPedic From Beautyrest and BeautySleep. The firm’s “brand promise” is “Living Life Fully Charged.”

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