Product details

This is part of a case series. The two-part case is a decision-making case that revolves around the business activities of the TOMS social enterprise lifestyle brand, a for-profit social enterprise that generates charitable donations through consumer purchases. Originally conceived by its founder Blake Mycoskie as a buy-one-give-one shoe business inspired by his travels in Argentina the business grew from a start-up founded in 2006 to a company valued at over USD600m in 2014 when Bain capital bought a 50% share. Part A describes a pivotal moment in the brand's history when TOMS launched its first brand extension and re-conceived as a One-for-one(R) business with a mission to alleviate social problems through giving. It introduces critiques of the business model and Part B describes what happened next and how TOMS leveraged its cause marketing and the power of social media to create brand equity and build a multi-million-dollar brand with a variety of Gives: eyewear, coffee and bags, each with associated donations of sight-giving, clean water and safe births respectively. It describes how the success of the business led to changes in management structure and personnel and how this destabilised the business.