Companies all over the world talk about their cause marketing efforts and hope that the positive press has an impact on their brand. Then there are companies like TOMS Shoes which doesn’t do “cause marketing”, their entire brand is for a cause. For every pair of shoes that TOMS sells, they give away another pair to a child in need. It wasn’t a program started to get publicity for the company but the entire reason for the company to exist.
The original TOMS were inspired by an Argentine shoe with a hundred year history. TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie’s travels to South America. TOMS has given away hundreds of thousands of shoes across South America and Africa. Their employees personally participate in these shoe drops and place the shoes on the feet of children. It’s really a great story how a company built on a foundation of social responsibility is truly making a difference. You can help support TOMS by purchasing one of their shoes via their website at http://www.tomsshoes.com/ or other retailers. Great work TOMS!