CONSUMER INSIGHT & ACCOUNT PLANNING

Final Project

INTRODUCTION

TOMS makes casual canvas shoes and was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie. Mycoskie founded the company with the goal to match every pair of TOMS purchased with a new pair given to a child in need. Last September TOMS sold their 1,000,000th pair of shoes

  Explorator y   Investigated dialogue about our brand on blogs, comments,

and on Twitter   In store observation in Urban Outfitters and Neiman Marcus   Interviewed a sales associate at Urban Outfitters   Quantitative   An online survey hosted on surveymonkey.com and

distributed on Facebook. 98 responses, primarily college students between 18 and 24 years old

  Qualitative   2 in-depth interviews with TOMS owners   3 in-depth interviews with non-TOMS owners   Focus group, 6 participants.

METHODOLOGY

 Our target is the 18-24 demographic, primarily college students and recent graduates

  Shoppers can sometimes justify spending beyond their means if the purchase amplifies one’s sense of status.

CONSUMER AND THE CATEGORY

 Cause Marketing   Eco-friendliness   Pop-up Retail  Hipster Culture  Online Retail

TRENDS

  TOMS users to be   predominantly female   aged 18-24  with some college education   They are very heavy media consumers and receive most of their news/information from the Internet   They are heavy music listeners   concerned about socially conscious business practices

CONSUMER AND TOMS

 Nonusers’ primary reason to not purchase differs significantly by gender

 Consumers are unaware of TOMS’ wide selection of styles   TOMS’ charitable component is a strong initial influencer

when buying a first pair, but becomes less critical for repeat buyers

  The charitable aspect set aside, TOMS shoes are often seen as overpriced.

KEY FINDINGS

  TOMS’ One for One model helps consumers to justify the brand’s high price point.

 Nonusers question the durability of TOMS but owners vouch for it.

 Not all trust the significance of the charitable aspect.

KEY FINDINGS CONT.

KEY FINDINGS ABOUT COMPETITORS

PERCEPTUAL MAPS

 Consumers are widely unaware of the wide range of shoe styles offered by TOMS

  although TOMS produces shoes for both men and women, both genders see TOMS as appropriate only for female wearers

 Non-owners typically assume TOMS to have poor durability, considering the predominantly soft materials in their build

ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES

  Business challenge   Low awareness of brand, unpopular with men

 Communication objectives  We are developing this communication effort in order to show the

depth of styles that appeal to men.

  Brand essence   Rational - TOMS makes comfortable shoes that are easy to wear

and last a long time.   Emotional - TOMS are cool and stylish and by buying TOMS you

can make a difference in someone’s life.

CREATIVE BRIEF

  Target Audience   The target audience is male college students aged 18-24, urban, big

consumers of media and music. Key Insight   Men currently aren’t aware of the many different styles TOMS makes that would

appeal to them.   Big Idea

  TOMS has a shoe style for every guy.   Motivating Support Points

  TOMS has a diverse set of styles for men beyond the traditional alpargata.   The shoes are cool, versatile and perfect for everyday wear.

  Current Response   TOMS are shoes for girls. They don’t really make shoes that fit my style.

  Desired Response   TOMS has many different styles of shoes, some of which I see myself wearing.

  Executional Considerations   The various men’s styles will be shown in a visually driven print and outdoor

campaign.   The campaign will also be extended using social media and non-traditional media

to raise men’s awareness of the brand.

CREATIVE BRIEF

THANK YOU