One for you AND one for you...

Partnering with Charities and Non-Profits is a big idea that has proved to be successful for all parties involved. As we discussed before, the ability to help others while still driving consumers to work/purchase your brand is a success all around. Today many corporations are launching creative new campaigns to bring attention to not just their brand but also the charities they are partnered with. However, a new concept is catching steam that is not just creating awareness but is using the act of giving as their branding.

The original idea caught on in 2006 when the creator of TOMS shoes, Blake Mycoskie, returned from a trip to Argentina. While traveling he found so many children in the small villages could not afford shoes. Without shoes they were not allowed to attend school. Mycoskie returned with the concept "one for one". Once a pair of his brand's shoes are purchased, they would donate a brand new pair of shoes to a child in Argentina. Once word got out, consumer support started pouring out and when he returned to Argentina he was able to bring back 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in need. Today more than 1,000,000 shoes have been donated to children through the TOMS organization. With the help of social conscious celebrity trendsetters, TOMS shoes are the "it" shoe of the summer and the story behind the brand has sold more shoes than any advertisement reach has. TOMS is not the only fashion company who is going after the "one for one" concept.

Warby Parker, an eyeglass retailer , was built on the concept of chic eye wear at affordable prices. This past spring, Neil Blumenthal, Co-Creator of Warby Parker and former director of VisionSpring, brought the two companies together to form a "one for one" initiative. Once a consumer purchases a pair of glasses from Warby Parker, a pair is donated to VisionSpring. VisionSpring, who not only distributes glasses to those in need, also teaches women how to make eyeglasses. With the knowledge and skill to make and sell eyeglasses these women are not only providing income but also the ability to see for people in their villages, who for the most part live on $4 a day. Over the past 5 years, VisionSpring has expanded to serving 10 countries and now with the help of Warby Parker hopes to continue that growth.

Those are just two companies who are seeing success with the "one for one" branding concept. With limited advertising they are able to brand themselves and reach the eye of the fashion forward consumer leading them to choose their brands over other mass marketed brands. So why not help yourself by helping others?