Soda - Keeping Curious

It’s got all the hallmarks of a social epidemic written on it. This is how products should be sold - because they are a great brand. And because they engage the hearts and minds (carefully avoiding reference to soul) of consumers. Not just by force feeding broadcast messages through mass media, but through word of mouth. I’m calling this ‘Natural Marketing’. Or, to engage everyone across an organisation, is it Natural Selling or Natural Business? Don’t get me wrong, conventional media still has a big part to play, but it needs to be to back up a great product, not to hold it up.

Anyway, the story of TOMS: Founder Blake Mycoskie went to Argentina on a volunteer working holiday. He saw kids living in such poverty they couldn’t afford shoes - they had horrible cuts on their feet. With no experience in the shoe/fashion industry he decided to set up TOMS (Shoes for Tomorrow). For every pair you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. Set up in March 2006, their aim was to sell 200 pairs. Later that year they’d already sold 10,000 pairs and delivered 10,000 shoes to kids in Argentina! By autumn 2007 they had sold enough to send 50,000 pairs to kids in Africa!!

Check out the story http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LD4f-KkAqwM and the site: http://www.tomsshoes.com/. I know it’s a bit American Cheesy in parts, but their heart is in the right place.

Natural Business - I’m going to think on about that one!