A funny thing happened on my way to Facebook. Seeking help to create a custom landing page for my Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization page, I posted a project for bid on several freelance sites. One developer responded with several sample sites of work he completed. One of his clients is TOMS Shoes. I had never heard of TOMS Shoes.
TOMS was founded in 2006 by 33 year-old Blake Mykoskie on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. My discovery demonstrates that viral marketing works in funny ways. I wasn't searching for shoes or a cause. But after being introduced to TOMS, I liked what I saw and I’m now writing about it.
Many of you will read about TOMS and share the story too. The news about TOMS will spread the “old fashioned way” -- by WOM (word of mouth) advertising. Isn’t that what marketing is all about anyway? As of early November, TOMS has over 153,000 fans, a considerable base for a small business.
TOMS is proof that WOM works. The only difference today is that, thanks to blogs and social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, WOM is on steroids. Oddly enough, 153,000-plus fans are not what struck me the most about TOMS. While many business owners and executives struggle with the relevance and ROI of social media, TOMS follows a strategy well worth considering: instead of marketing your business, support a cause. TOMS sells shoes but promotes their business through the cause. Yes, the cynic might say that’s capitalism at its worst. But if the cause emanates from the heart and not the wallet, then everyone benefits -- the business, the community, the greater good. What’s wrong with that? But that’s not all.
In addition to demonstrating the power of viral marketing and the value of marketing your business with a cause, TOMS also confirms an oft-overlooked characteristic of 20- and 30-somethings. While maligned for their overzealous ambition, lack of loyalty, and even slacker attitude, TOMS is an excellent example of how our youth are trying to make the world a better place. Blake Mykoskie is on the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y. His vision and ambition should be the envy of older generations and a lesson for many business owners about how social media can really work for their personal and business benefit and the community at large.
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