Toms Shoes was founded in 2006 by Blake Myocoskie, who was inspired by the traditional Argentine alpargata shoe. The company operates under a "One for One" model, where for every pair of shoes sold, Toms donates a pair of shoes to a child in need. Toms uses a three-pronged public relations approach including traditional media, social media, and events. Through word of mouth and public relations efforts, Toms has grown exponentially from selling 10,000 pairs in its first year to distributing over 1 million pairs expected in 2010, positioning itself as one of the most recognizable shoe brands in the world.

1. Public relations strategy of the futureJey Bernal

2. Let’s look at the Brand2

3. Who is toms shoes?TOMS SHOES was founded in 2006, by Blake Myocoskie in Venice, CaliforniaInspired on a trip to Argentina, Blake would start a shoe business that would change business and PR models alike Producing only lightweight shoes, based on the common Argentine style, Alpargata. 3

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5. Just another type of keds?Compared to the vastly popular Keds styling, Toms Shoes offer a simplistic combination of canvas casing and a flexible sole to make for a comfortable fit and casual look.5

6. Let’s look at the business and PR 6

7. How is this shoe company different from others?In an innovative move to take corporate social responsibility to another level and to advocate for forward thinking, Toms Shoes is built upon a simple business plan:ONE FOR ONE7

8. ONE FOR ONEThe concept is simple- for every pair of shoes sold, a pair of shoes would be given to a child in need. 8

9. WORDS FROM BLAKE:"Inspired by a traditional Argentine shoe and challenged by the continent's poverty and health issues, I created TOMS with a singular mission: To make life more comfortable. TOMS accomplishes this through its unique shoe and my commitment to match every pair purchased with a donated pair to a child in need...no complicated formulas, it's simple...you buy a pair of TOMS and I give a pair to a child on your behalf."9

10. SALES AND DISTRIBUTION 2006-2009After its inception in 2006, Toms Shoes saw a sale of 10,000 pairs of these ‘plain’ shoes in a short 8 month span 2007 saw an increase of sales to 50,000 pairs April 2009 showed a jump in sales to 140,000 pairsAs of January 2010 over 400,000 pairs of shoes had been distributed world wide. 10

11. HOW DOES TOMS USE PUBLIC RELATIONS?Toms Shoes uses a three pronged approach when it comes to public relationsTraditional mediaSocial mediaEvents11

12. TRADITIONAL MEDIA12

13. SOCIAL MEDIA13

14. SOCIAL MEDIA14

15. SOCIAL MEDIA15

16. SOCIAL MEDIA16

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18. EVENTSAs a company that relies heavily on word of mouth for the spreading of their message, Toms has mastered the art of PR events.Here are a few examples of Toms Shoes Events:18

19. ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES19

20. SHOE DROP20

21. HAS TOMS SHOES BEEN SUCCESSFUL?Growing from a small brand moving only 10,000 units in its first year, Toms has all but shattered all expectations. Toms Shoes is expected to distribute around 1 million pairs of shoes in 2010. Relying solely on word of mouth (and a strong PR standpoint), Tomshas positioned itself asone of the most recognizable shoes in the world. 21

22. "When you're buying a pair of Toms, if you don't feel like you're part of a community then I've failed”-blakemyocoskie22