Black Mycoskie started TOMS Shoes in 2006. Since then the company has given away 10,000,000 pairs of shoes and 150,000 pairs of glasses. TOMS is a classic example of a social innovation in a for profit company. Every time one of their customers buys a pair of shoes the company gives a pair away to someone in need. The story of the company is compelling and instantaneously turns customers into advocates.
Storydoing, as Ty Montague of Fast Co. calls it, has changed the nature of the way the company markets. Customers are drawn to social innovation. It softens the image of the cruel capitalist motivated only by money. It makes the entrepreneur seem, at the very least, to be more tempered in their approach to the world around them - more balanced. When the customer is immediately pulled into that space by buying the entrepreneur's product, they are also changing the way others see them. Most often customers know the story of TOMS. They know the One to One tagline and they can recite facts about its origins.
Storydoing is an essential element of why social innovation is profitable. It solidifies a customer's image of themselves and gives them the opportunity to display that image to the world simply by buying a product. Of course, in the meantime, they're shedding light on the company as well. Free marketing. Instantaneous brand advocates.
