Speaking with an Expert and Consumers of TOMS
(Interview with an expert and customers)
In our lesson Introduction to Advertising & Public Relationswe had to become brand ambassadors of a company and we decided to choose TOMS. Then our challenge was to find andinterview aTOMS expert. Our first thought was to search for the Marketing Manager but we didn’t manage to find him so we communicated with VeronikiHaritatou, Communication Director at the PR Agency of TOMS. The keypoints of our discussion were Communication Strategy & Social Media, Brand Personality, Values, Message & Purpose and Target Group & Customers of TOMS. Finally we asked her to tell us her 5 Keywords for TOMSand she said “Inspiring, Talented, Visionary, Dreamer and Team Spirited”.
Specifically she told us that TOMS’ Communication Strategy involves consumers mainly. TOMScreates a community with consumers and for consumers to show them the company’s philosophy. Globally the policy of TOMS is not to pay for advertising (for example magazines or road banners). Instead of this, company prefers to use the marketing budget to make its products (ex. shoes — one for one) and be very active on social media in which it has a strong presence internationally (70% of their promotion).
According tomissHaritatou, TOMS’ Brand Personality has a global perspective and supportsglobalization, unity, civilization and human rights. TOMS has a visual profile of a person and its brand philosophy is the social entrepreneurship. The main valueof TOMS is the individual. The company shows through its campaigns, actions and stories that mobilization and sensitization are very important and it aims for a better future. Inspiration, fellowship, partnership, teamwork and fair behavior are also some important values for TOMS which wants to give the message that it’s not just a fashion company, but also sustainable via philosophy of social entrepreneurship.
The Purpose is to become the example for the market and TOMS has achieved it throught the “One for One” campaign, motivating other companies and inspiring the consumers. As we understood from our interview TOMS’ Target Group is mainly people (both women and men) 20–50 years old and has three categories demographically (age and financial ability). With her help, our team was able to recognize its philosophy, campaigns, goals and finally how it chooses to work not only for the brand but also for consumers that it respects.
In addition, in our Ad Discovery and Creativity Lab we had to interview consumers of the brand too. So we met two customers of the company and asked them for TOMS and their relationship with its products. Both of our interviewees were 20 years old and students and it’s very interesting that they didn’t give the same answer. When we asked Aspa and Andriani if they know the main philosophy that TOMS supports both told us “yes”, indicating that the company has managed to create the community it strives for with its consumers.
In our question “Why do you purchase shoes by TOMS?” the first girl told us “Because they are fashionable and comfortable” while the second said: “First of all, because of the sensitized company and its aim and then because shoes are comfortable, durable, wearable and easy to put on” Finally, we tried to understand if TOMS’ purpose, attitude, goals and philosophy is really important for people who buy its products by asking “Is TOMS’s action the main reason for purchasing them?”. Andriani told us that “Despite knowing the purpose behind the brand that was not my main motive but it was for sure a bonus” while Aspa said that “Yes, TOMS’s ideology and campaigns such as “One for One” are more important than the product”.
To sum up, through our customers’ interviews we understood that TOMS has successfully approached consumers that really care about its philosophy and choose the company because they respect its purpose, they agree with its philosophy, they like its products and they want to help with its campaigns. So we understand that it is possible to create a whole community around a brand and not only has TOMS accomplished that, but at the same time is has managed to play an important role in the market, in its customers’ mindset and to people who need its actions.
Thank you!
Athens, Panteion University 2018–2019
Introduction to Advertising & Public Relations — Ad Discovery and Creativity Lab
Betty Tsakarestou Georgia Simitzi Stavriana Orfanou Renata Stav Σοφία Τσαβδαρίδου Κωνσταντίνα Μουντάκη
