Toms Shoes (styled TOMS ) is an American commercial [1] [2] organization based in Playa del Rey, Los Angeles , California . It was founded in 2006 by Blake Maykoski , an entrepreneur from Arlington , Texas [3] [4] [5] . The abbreviation TOMS evolved from the name of the original idea of the project “Shoes for Tomorrow Project” with the keyword “Tomorrow” [6] . The main activity of the company is the development and sale of shoes, the design of which is based on Argentine alpargates , as well as glasses . Since its opening, TOMS has strictly adhered to the rule: after every sale of a pair of shoes, the same pair is donated to children from poor families living around the world [7] . Also, part of the profit from each pair of glasses sold is donated to a program for preserving and restoring vision for residents of developing countries.
| Toms | |
|---|---|
| Base | 2006 |
| Founders | |
| Location |  USA : Los Angeles , California |
| Industry | light industry |
| Products | footwear |
| Website | toms.com |
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Business Model
- 2.1 “One to one”
- 2.2 Focus on corporate responsibility
- 2.3 Marketing
- 2.4 Distribution
- 3 Perception
- 3.1 Criticism of the model “Buy one - give one”
- 3.2 Focus on the Family
- 4 notes
- 5 Links
History
| External Images | |
|---|---|
| Photo of Blake Mikoski | |
Being once on vacation in Argentina , Blake Mikoski was faced with the fact that many children from poor families walked along the street without shoes. This prompted him to take this step - instead of setting up a charity foundation, he created a shoe manufacturing company, taking as a basis the design of traditional Latin American sandals - alpargate . Moreover, he drew attention to the fact that local polo players were dressed mainly in shoes of this type, which had deep historical roots - Argentine farmers used such simple shoes for hundreds of years.
Interestingly, the face of Toms Shoes for some time was the Argentine actress and model Kalu Rivero .
Business Model
One to One
The TOMS business model is defined as a one-to-one concept, meaning the company's promise to deliver a pair of free, new shoes for a needy child in case of every retail sale of goods. The list of countries to which donations are made includes Argentina , Ethiopia , Guatemala , Rwanda , South Africa and the USA [8] . With the growth of the business, TOMS has ceased to be limited only to the production of shoes and has complemented its corporate line with glasses and clothes. The company mainly uses word of mouth to sell products, focusing its positioning on corporate social responsibility. Initially, this marketing model was partially used in the non-profit branch Friends of Toms, which recruited volunteers to help distribute shoes to foreign countries. The phrase “One for One” ( Russian One to One ), used by TOMS to describe its business model, was registered by the company as a trademark [9] .
Corporate Responsibility Focus
Analyst Daniel Pink in his book Drive. What really motivates us ”described the TOMS business model as“ directly created to maximize profits ”, in which“ customers become philanthropists ”by making purchases [10] . Earlier, John R. Shermerhorn in his work “Introduction to Management” designated this form of entrepreneurship with the term “caring capitalism” [11] . The business tycoon and founder of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, in his book “To hell with business as always,” noted that company employees “are looking for regions and communities that could benefit most from the TOMS business structure; economic, medical and educational needs are being studied in these communities; however, local business must be taken into account in order not to create a negative correlation effect. ” He also drew attention to the expansion of TOMS into the eyewear market, taking into account 285 million visually impaired people from developing countries [12] .
Marketing
TOMS marketing tools include fashion shows, major events, promotion on university campuses, social media and temporary trading platforms [13] . Products are created in accordance with various environmental standards, including adhering to vegan restrictions on shoe materials. Popularization of TOMS principles led to involvement in joint advertising campaigns with other organizations, including a commercial with AT&T , shot during the free distribution of shoes in Uruguay [14] [15] .
Distribution
Shoes were donated to children from 40 countries around the world, including the USA , Argentina , Ethiopia , Rwanda , Swaziland , Guatemala , Haiti and South Africa [16] . TOMS products are sold in more than 500 stores across the country and abroad, including the Neiman Marcus , Nordstrom and Whole Foods Market , whose product range includes shoes made from recycled materials [17] .
Shoes for children are delivered manually by volunteers. In 2006, TOMS distributed 10,000 pairs in Argentina [18] [19] . In November 2007, the company distributed 50,000 pairs to South African children. [20] As of April 2009, Toms had distributed 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, Ethiopia, South Africa as well as children in the United States. [17] . As of April 2009, TOMS distributed 140,000 pairs across Argentina, Ethiopia, South Africa, and the United States. [17] By 2012, the number of donated shoes in 40 countries exceeded a billion pairs [16] [21] .
Perception
Criticism of the “Buy One - Give One” model
TOMS was criticized by the International Cooperation Community [22] [23] , according to which the company’s business model was designed to increase consumer self-esteem rather than address the underlying causes of poverty [24] . Also, the effectiveness of shoe donations compared to cash contributions from other charitable organizations was called into question.
Focus on the Family
In July 2011, TOMS founder Blake Maykoski took part in an event organized by the American public organization Focus on the Family [25] [26] . After criticizing support for social conservatism, Maykoski posted a message on his website in which he apologized and assured that neither he nor his managers knew anything about the organization before the event. He also said that, together with his company, he supports equal human and civil rights [27] [28] .
Notes
- ↑ Walkley, Alison . TOMS founder Mycoskie comes to SHU (November 20, 2009). Date of treatment July 12, 2012.
- ↑ For Profit or Non-Profit ?: Is Toms a non-profit organization? (eng.) . Toms Shoes. Date of treatment December 19, 2010.
- ↑ Blair, Jennifer . A Mile in his Shoes, Fort Worth, Texas: The City's Magazine , Fort Worth Texas Magazine (January 2009), p. 38.
- ↑ Wong, Grace . Blake Mycoskie: Sole ambition , CNN.com , CNN (September 26, 2008). Date of treatment April 8, 2009.
- ↑ Sellers, Patricia Power Point: Be the change . Fortune Cable News Network (October 11, 2008). Date of treatment April 8, 2009.
- ↑ These shoes help others get a step up
- ↑ Second pair for free, or Toms shoes Success Story
- ↑ Simon Mainwaring. We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World : [ eng. ] . - Macmillan, 2011 .-- P. 57.
- ↑ Philip Kotler, David Hessekiel, and Nancy Lee. Good Works !: Marketing and Corporate Initiatives that Build a Better World ... and the Bottom Line : [ eng. ] . - John Wiley & Sons, 2012 .-- P. 87.
- ↑ Daniel H. Pink . Drive: The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us : [ eng. ] . - Penguin, 2011 .-- P. 134.
- ↑ John R. Schermerhorn. Introduction to Management : [ eng. ] . - John Wiley & Sons, 2010 .-- P. 148.
- ↑ Richard Branson. Screw Business As Usual : [ eng. ] . - Penguin, 2011 .-- P. ebook.
- ↑ Louis E. Boone and David L. Kurtz. Contemporary Business : [ eng. ] . - Wiley & Sons, 2011 .-- P. 137–138.
- ↑ Robin Crow. Evolve or Die: Seven Steps to Rethink the Way You Do Business . - John Wiley & Sons, 2010 .-- P. 161–163.
- ↑ AT&T / TOMS Shoes Commercial (English)
- ↑ 1 2 Where we give (inaccessible link) . Date of treatment November 16, 2012. Archived November 26, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Moore, Booth . Toms Shoes' model is sell a pair, give a pair away (English) (April 19, 2009). Date of treatment February 8, 2012.
- ↑ Mustafa, Nadia . A Shoe That Fits So Many Souls (English) , Time (January 26, 2007). Date of treatment April 8, 2009.
- ↑ Amped-up alpargatas (English) , HeraldTribune.com (October 30, 2006). Date of treatment April 9, 2009.
- ↑ Van Schalkwyk, Surika . Steps in the right direction (English) , Mail & Guardian Online (February 11, 2008). Date of treatment April 7, 2009.
- ↑ Murray, Michael . Person of the Week: TOMS Shoes Founder Blake Mycoskie (English) (April 8, 2011). Date of treatment July 12, 2012.
- ↑ TOMS shoes to begin producing shoes in Haiti. Will this be a more effective way to help the poor? (eng.) . slate.com. Date of treatment January 25, 2014.
- ↑ [Come To Africa For Business, Not Handouts http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ComeToAfricaForBusinessNotHandouts_WV.pdf Archived December 17, 2013 on Wayback Machine ]
- ↑ The Broken "Buy-One, Give-One" Model: 3 Ways To Save Toms Shoes | Co.Exist | ideas + impact . fastcoexist.com. Date of treatment January 25, 2014.
- ↑ Tom's Shoes Founder Steps on Gay Toes (en2), Huffington Post (2011-09-1).
- ↑ Mirabella, Joe . Focus on the Family Misrepresented Relationship with Toms Shoes , Seattle Post-Intelligencer (July 9, 2011).
- ↑ Mathis, Derrick Toms Shoes Founder Apologizes, Gay Response Is Disgusting (inaccessible link) . Renwl.org. Date of treatment July 12, 2012. Archived July 2, 2012.
- ↑ Toms Shoes founder apologizes for Focus on the Family connection , The Washington Post (July 16, 2011).