Tom’s Shoes has a growing reputation for socially responsible marketing campaigns, and last week’s “One Day Without Shoes” April 8th in Venice, CA was a tribute to the brands successful strategy. People gathered around the world -from college campuses to local community groups–including a massive group at Tom’s LA headquarters, to walk without shoes and express their support to increase awareness about the large percentage of young people growing up without shoes. The event is intended to encourage people to recognize and contribute to creating a world where everyone has a pair of shoes, concentrating especially on developing countries.
Interestingly, the Tom’s website allows people to create their own One Day Without Shoes (ODWS) and host an event or walk in their own city. It comes with a pledge form, toolkit for hosting an event, and information about what it’s like for people who have no shoes.
Tom’s Shoes pledge called One for One has been incredibly success: For every pair you purchase, they donate a pair of new shoes to a child in need. The results are global with young people wearing Tom’s in a number of developing countries as well as locally here in the United States in support of the program. “The TOMS One for One business model transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support.”
Overall, Tom’s Shoes campaigns prove that socially responsible marketing can be a successful way to increase brand awareness while at the same time, do some good in the world.
