Week 14: Business Marketing

Business marketing is the marketing of goods and services to individuals and organizations for purposes other than personal consumption.The goal of good marketing is to keep customers coming back. The location of a business is also key to a good marketing, to have a sucessful business it is key that your store is located in an area in which their is a target market. In Toms shoes case their shoes are available in various different online outlets. In New York City alone it is easy to spot Tom's shoes are many different stores.

Week 13: Segmenting & Targeting market

A target market is a specific group of people that a company is trying to market their products to. It can be narrowed down to a certain gender to a specific age group. In Tom's shoes case their target market can be separated into two groups. i would define group one as the more environmentally conscious. People who are concerned about what goes into the making of their shoes, Tom's is made from recycled materials. The second group is the fashion conscious. Since hitting the market back in 2006 Tom's shoes has become the latest trend. Tom's can be found in various different department stores such as high end establishments like Bloomingdales, their also available at the local grocery store: Whole foods. Target markets can often change but every company makes sure that their products are being advertised to a certain target market.

Week12: developing & managing products

New products are constantly being released to keep up with the high demands of the public. Current products already out also need managing to keep up with changes. There will always be a need for new products. In toms shoes case there was a demand for environmentally friendly footwear. Developing a shoe that was made from recycled materials was what was in demand. Many customers are arracted to toms because of their comfort appeal but the price of toms can't be beat either. At $30-$50 a pair there becoming the next must have shoe.

Week 11: intergrated marketing communications

Promotion is a great part of the survival of a business. Each business goes about their promotional strategy in a different way. There is advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion. There is a competitive advantage, each company sells different unique products, and can be promoted differently to each target marget. Getting your companies brand name and products out there are essential, for example the company khiels a homegoods store is always giving out samples of there products, and there is always great great promotions.

week 10: Product Concepts

The packaging behind certain products are what makes them top sellers. For example the shape of the box that your shoes come in, the kind of cardboard that makes the box or the colors that are on the box. The brand behind the product such as the name and the spelling of the name can also launch a product. For example Apple and the iPhone..when the iphone first came out there was nothing else quite like it on the market. From the sleek small black box that the phone came in to the apple logo stickers you could put on the back of the phone. In tom's shoes case..Tom's comes wrapped in a hemp bag and an eco friendly recycled box. Inside the box there is a brief history of the company and then an explanation of how the purchase of one shoe helps to provide shoes to a child in an underdeveloped country.

Week 9: Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

It is said that a good product needs no advertising and will sell itself. This can in fact be true but a good product can be a greater product if it is introduced to those beyond it's target market. A great tool used in trade to promote a product is giving out free samples of the products. For example if your company specializes in household products like soaps and lotions you can pre-package samples to hand out in front of your store. If your product is something that people generally have an idea about already such as shoes and clothing, you advertise to set your brand and company apart from the others that are selling in the same category as you. There needs to be something special or different about your product that is going to make customers want to wait in line to buy your shoes rather than going to the next store where there is no line and no wait to buy a pair of shoes. The purpose of shoes is to protect your feet and get your from point A to point B..but in Tom's Shoes case their shoes are known for an entirely different reason. Tom's Shoes is known for being the shoe that gives back and for being the environmentally friendly shoes. The founder of Tom's Blake Mycoskie has done a number of interviews and has had his shoes seen on the likes of well known celebrities. There is also a good chance that if you own a pair of toms that you will make a second or third purchase, because their shoes really are comfortable and the fact that your helping a child in a third world country that cannot afford shoes is the icing on the cake. One of the largest promotional events that was held by Toms was "a day without shoes" event. It is a day where you go without shoes to get a feel for what thousands of children suffer through day after day. It was talked about in many news articles and featured on Oprah. I personally attended "a day without shoes" event and it was an eye opener and cemented my place as a loyal Toms customer.

Retail Experience

Earlier this month i walked into an Urban Outfitters in search of a new comfort shoe. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Urban Outfitters had Tom's shoes available at their store. There was a wide selection of Tom's to choose from and they were also outside in their window display. The Sales associate was helpful when i asked to see a pair of the gold glitter Tom's espadrilles in a size 8. I tried on close to 4 different pairs of Tom's, all of which were new designs that i had not seen before. I continued to browse at the other styles of Toms and some other shoes that where in the store. All in all it was a great shopping experience. 

Week 8: Advertising & Public Relations

In our everyday lives we are bombarded with advertisements from our commute to school or work to the short distance we walk to the train station there are ads everywhere. Advertisements are the companies way to let us know what new products they have or what new locations they are at. Advertisements can be humorous and make us laugh therefore making us associate happiness with that company. Some Advertisements are informative and teach us about how their companies are giving back. In the case of Tom's Shoes their advertisements are not all over the city and it is rare that you see them on TV advertising. There Advertisement comes by word of mouth. Celebrities such as Oprah, Katie Holmes, Jessica Alba are all fans of Tom's and are photographed in them. There was also a feature article of Tom's in Vogue magazine.

Week:7 Retailing

Retailing is the sale of goods or services that benefit our lives. It can come in the form of clothing, accessories, to electronic goods. In New York City alone there are over 100,000 different retail boutiques that specialize in different goods. Retail employees more than 24 million people across the United States. There are a great deal of different characteristics that can define a retail store from what their selling to their actual store design and their prices. In Tom's shoes case their product is a moderately priced footwear. Tom's shoes does not have an actual store in which you can shop at, but their shoes can be found in other stores. For example Urban Outfitters, a chainstore that supplies clothing and shoes usually directed at younger fashion conscious public. They have Tom's shoes in their retail stores because they saw the trend in the environmentally friendly comfort fashion shoe.

Week 6: Consumer Decision Making

Each and every single one of us is a consumer in one way or another. Some of us spend our money on just groceries and the necessities while others spend big bucks on clothing, shoes, and the latest electronic goods. Our preferences are forever changing and our opinion of a shoe one day can be altered and change the next. A large majority of us are products of our surroundings. For example there have been many occasions where teenager peer pressure has an affect on purchasing decisions. In Tom's shoes case they recognize that there was an untapped market in the environmental going green consumer market. With their shoes being made from recycled materials such as hemp it puts consumers at ease and makes them more likely to buy a second or third pair after wearing them for the first time. Post Purchase Behavior is the expectations that a consumer has about a certain product that they buy. In Tom's shoes case their shoes are known for comfort and style. Consumers that invest in a Tom's shoe know that they are going to be wearing a comfortable shoe that is environmentally friendly and that their purchase of one pair allows for a child in another country to have a pair of shoes as well. Tom's shoes is a win-win situation.

Week 5: Developing a Global Vision

Global marketing is defined as marketing that targets markets throughout the world. Globalization can be beneficial for the company and those surrounding it. The company is building it's empire and outsourcing the company provides jobs and the opportunity to rise out of poverty. In toms shoes case they are based in California in the united states but their also marketing largely to south America and many third world countries.

Week 4- The external marketing environment

Having a target market in mind when running a retail business is key, in Toms shoes case their target market are those influenced by the environment. With today's global warming issues influencing our everyday lives it is key for some to purchase eco-friendly items. Tom's espadrille sneakers are eco-friendly and vegan friendly the upper part of the shoes are made from hemp material and recycled bottles, they contain no animal materials. Aside from the fact that they are cruel free they are also a great comfort shoe to throw on for a walking day in the city. Tom's target market has also expanded to the fashion conscious, they can be found at high end luxury retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman. Some of their limited quantity espadrilles feature the art of N.Y.C and L.A street artists.

Week 3- Ethics & Social Responsibility

Ethics is defined as being the moral principles or values that is generally instilled in each individual, the difference between right and wrong. Business Ethics are applying right and wrong moral standard to your businesses situations. It goes hand in hand with social responsibility, the recognition that business activities have an impact on society. Tom's shoes is a business built on providing a need to society and giving back tremendously to the greater community. Not only is their mission to provide children in lesser countries with proper shoes they also provide adolescents in colleges around the United States the chance to be apart of their Campus Clubs. These clubs allow you to gain confidence, leadership, marketing, event planning, and networking skills. Aside from the campus clubs Tom's is also spreading knowledge about the importance of giving back by holding events such as "One day without shoes." This events takes place annually, and is meant to allow those fortunate enough to afford the luxury of shoes a day in the life of a child in a third world country who cannot. It raises the awareness of how much impact a pair of shoes can have on a life.

Week 2- Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

The goal of Tom's Shoes is to offer customers a economically priced, stylish shoe. Their strategic plan has always put others before their business. They provide their customers with free shipping within the United States and the opportunity to give back to the community at large. "One for One, a pair is given to a child in need, with every pair purchased." Tom's Shoes enjoys hearing the opinions and feedback from customers and their employees, they are continuously improving their business. Whether your an employee or intern at Tom's Shoes they provide those on their team with great benefits.
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Week 1: History & Mission Statement

Toms Shoes was the brainchild of entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie and began running back in 2006. After graduating from Southern Methodist University, he took a trip to Argentina where he saw first hand children roaming the streets shoeless. While in Argentina he saw  non-profit organizations working to help the children, but their efforts were flawed they were using old shoes some missing laces and some almost completely damaged. After seeing the situation Blake decided to embark on a new business venture that would help others in need. While at a polo match Blake noticed a certain type of shoe on the players feet, that are known as "Alpargata" which is the main design of all Tom's Shoes today. Blake named the company "Shoes for Tomorrow" later shortened to "Toms". The company itself is based in Santa Monica, California. It is a For-Profit Company which means it provides a good or service to consumers. In Tom's Shoes case their shoes provide comfort with a great looking light weight shoe and with each pair sold a pair of Tom's Shoes is donated to a child in need. Although Tom's has only been around since 2006 it has taken the world by storm. It was featured on Oprah as one of her favorite things and has many celebrity clients.