Capitalism has and always will be present, however with the sudden rise of social entrepreneurship it is apparent that companies have begun to place a smaller focus on it. They have realized that giving back can have a surprisingly large return, both financially and morally.

As mentioned in Angela Qin’s blog, there is a lot of hype about TOMS shoes – a for-profit company but with giving as its core focus. I definitely agree with her in that what truly sets TOMS apart from other organizations like themselves, is that they are truly helping out.

TOMS  has achieved world wide recognition by making an impact on consumers with their genuineness and support of a good cause.

TOMS strategy about giving back contributes to their competitive advantage, but I think it goes beyond that. Any company can choose to give back, but its TOMS’ genuineness that really leaves an impression on consumers. People are able to recognize genuine intentions from deception. After watching this video and learning about their goals and other involvements, such as campus programs, TOMS is a genuine company that has recognized a need and is acting on it in a powerful and life-changing way.

The video gave me chills – it hit an emotional chord which is one way I recognized their bona fide intentions. As mentioned in class, if a company is able to hit that emotional chord or heart string they have ultimately won their marketing challenge.
I recommend that if it is within budget, they air the video on TV – to further increase consumers awareness about the good cause that they support (the video only has 180,895 views on YouTube). Had I have seen the video earlier, I would have already bought a pair of TOMS.

TOMS focus of helping others has hit strong with consumers. Whether you help a friend or a stranger, everyone, generally feels good after. Thus, “killing two birds with one stone,” as Angela said, by satisfying a want and helping a child in need is extremely satisfying from a consumers perspective. Ethical consumerism is a growing trend in today’s society. With TOMS “one for one” campaign they have engaged and captured many consumers, just by supporting a good cause. This poses a threat to other shoe companies that make similar products. A for-profit company that supports a good cause is likely to receive a lot higher return than other for-profit companies that simply exploits consumers to maximize profit.

TOMS is a company that exemplifies exceptional leadership and have influenced the entire consumer market.