Re: Helping kids in need – One pair at a time

This blog post was written in response to Diou Cao’s blog post on January 12th, titled “Helping kids in need – One pair at a time“.

Awareness of global issues has been increasing in North America – and, of course, in other developed nations all over the world – for years, and gradually businesses have picked up on this trend and responded to it accordingly. Companies like Starbucks (with their reusable coffee cups that can be purchased in-store) and FedEx (with their large fleet of hybrid vehicles for ground delivery) are tapping into the “go-green” trend, often with great success. TOMS, however, goes above and beyond the simple trend towards environmentalism and tackles an issue that many corporations don’t know how to approach — the problem of poverty in underdeveloped countries.

TOMS is a perfect example of a company that has analysed the current marketing environment and worked to respond appropriately and successfully position itself accordingly. Its cause-related marketing strategy has worked incredibly well, arguably not because their shoes are groundbreaking in terms of style, but because they connect with the desire of many consumers to “do good” in any way possible. Many people know about poverty in certain countries, but don’t know what to do about such issues. TOMS essentially gives them a way to help, and makes it easier to make the decision to buy a pair of shoes (and consequently get a pair for a needy child) by rewarding consumers for their benevolence with their own pair of shoes – a win-win situation. I would certainly agree with Diou Cao that this widens their target market from people who already like the style, to people who just like the meaning behind the shoes.

It may be a better idea for TOMS to work "with" the people it wants to help, rather than doing the work for them.

Although highly successful for the company, some consumers have criticised the marketing strategy for doing harm as well as good. Others have been quick to point out that TOMS is putting shoemakers of these impoverished localities out of business – likely an unintended side-effect, but a side-effect nevertheless. TOMS may be well-known for its “not-for-profit” mission of putting shoes on the feet of needy children, but it’s still a “for-profit” company at its core. A better way to ensure long-term success might be to look for ways to support the communities it wants to help – e.g., by employing local shoemakers strictly in the areas it’s giving to, to create jobs and boost skill levels a bit. This would help authenticate the TOMS mission of “do good” and really drive the “change [it] wants to see in the world.”