by Seb Masih, Vivid Brand

TOMS shoes have been doing the rounds amongst university campuses and on the feet of trendy east Londoners for a while now. At first I dismissed this new brand as a flash fad for hipsters and wannabes alike (myself included – hipster, not wannabe). But I really began to take note, when I saw that they were more frequently being donned complete with cuff-hem chinos – minus the white branded tab on the side and the blue and white striped flag on the back of the heel – a.k.a ‘the imitation TOMS.’ This brand was suddenly pervasive enough that it already had copy cats trying to steal it’s thunder. hmmm…

So, I started researching TOMS in the hope of answering questions which I had been subconsciously asking myself over the past few months. How did this random canvas slipper infiltrate the hearts and minds of British urban youth? The same urban youth, who five years ago would not have been seen dead in anything other than the core four – Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Puma. If this wasn’t you then you were cool – even then. A bit too out there for some… Where did this new creation come from? It looked and felt like some ex-pat hippy invention only applicable to the traveller en route to Phuket. And what was this ‘One for One’ thing all about?

TOMS were established by Blake Mycoskie following a trip to Argentina, when he discovered that many people could not afford shoes. TOMS unique proposition became clear – for every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need.

I wondered how any company could  afford to give away a pair of shoes for every pair that they sell. Surely this doesn’t make finincial sense? But I hadn’t taken into account the £32 price tag for the pair I was about to purchase. But this shopping spree was not a selfish indulgence and it didn’tmatter that I could get the uncharitable version from Primark for under a fiver. No, this purchase was for a good cause: a kid in a third-world country would get a pair too which would somehow make us equal (and this made me feel good about myself). This was reaffirmed when I walked into the  design studio, new TOMS in hand, to be met by my high-flying creative director, who took a deep breath when I told him the cost of my new canvas slippers. Horrified at the price I’d paid ‘for a pair of plimsoles’ he was bowled over once I re-told the ‘One for One’ story and suddenly I had not only bought myself a pair of shoes, but had spent my lunch hour doing a good deed courtesy of Mastercard; Yes, the boss seemed impressed.

Other key elements set TOMS apart from similar canvas shoes:

The message is clear: One for One.  The same idea from some committee at a large corporation might have translated to: “Proceeds from our shoe sales go to children in need. Limited to one pair per customer. Some restrictions apply. Review our web site for full details.” But wiht Toms shoes’ the message is simple: One for one.

Good simple story – The story can be summarized in three sentences. This guy Blake Mycoskie goes to Argentina and sees cool shoes. He sees kids with no shoes. He puts two and two together and starts a company that will make cool shoes and will donate a pair for every pair it sells. The story is supported with videos and pictures that show that the company is delivering on it’s promise.

Mass media Buzz – The first big push for TOMS came from an article in the Los Angeles Times. As a result of that article, Blake got 2,200 orders in 24 hours. Blake continues to get a lot of press. He’s been on Good Morning America and other shows. In the U.S., AT&T telecoms commercials feature him. Don’t underestimate the role of mass media in building buzz.

Getting involved – Customers can get involved in a “shoe drop”, where they can measure kids’ feet, fit the shoes and help kids decorate their Toms. For those that cannot go on a “shoe drop”, the company encourages participation through Facebook, by buying the shoes and by spreading the word.

Social media with a purpose – At every contact point, the company encourages you to spread the story. For example, after you buy the shoes, you’re encouraged to tweet “I just bought and gave a pair of TOMS Shoes to children in need. You can too at http://www.tomsshoes.com !” And this type of thinking is not limited to social media: The box with the shoes arrives with a TOMS sticker and a flag, so they encourage you to create visual buzz in the real world, too.

Self expression – We all love talking about what we create. TOMS encourages its customers to put together “Style Your Sole” parties where people decorate their own shoes. There are some beautiful designs that people put together and those end up on Flickr, Facebook and on blogs. And again, people love to show what they create to friends, so there’s visual buzz in the real world.

Ongoing Engagement – TOMS are constantly coming up with new stuff to talk about. New styles, new partnerships, new promotions. The core message never changes though: “For every pair of shoes you buy from TOMS Shoes, this company will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need.”

Comfort – At the end of the day, the product is king and putting aside this fantastic retail philanthropy, if you thought Converse were comfortable, you haven’t felt anything until you buy a pair of these babies!!

http://www.toms.com