Cause for a good business

Opinionated Blog

We'd love to tell you that branding is all about pretty design but we'd be lying. It takes balls to define your leadership, clarity and focus, and you'll need even bigger balls to execute on it. The branding process can reveal a bunch of ugliness as well as brilliance. Yes, branding hurts. Are you brave enough? Get a regular shot of qualified comments, opinions, recommendations, tools, and ideas regarding branding and leadership. To inspire and provide food for thought. Welcome to our blog!

Cause for a good business

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My favorite entrepreneurial stories are those in which an undying faith and belief are required to combat the ridicule of doing something different. Casting the right vision and purpose for a company has to come from somewhere deep inside if it is going to be completely authentic, meaningful and sustainable.

I came across TomsShoes.com—a company founded by Blake Mycoskie and built on a very compelling brand promise. For every pair of shoes you buy, they will send a pair to a child in a developing country as part of their One for One movement.

What's even more amazing is how many people have adopted the cause and joined Blake in bringing his vision to life. Take a quick look on YouTube and search for Toms Shoes and you'll find tons of videos that tell the story. High schools, colleges and even other businesses have seen the value or Blake's vision - not because it was sold to them, but because it struck a cord. His idea has become viral and as a result thousands of kids now have shoes.

So here are a few questions to ponder. What is your business doing that is meaningful? What is connecting your people inside and attracting customers? What would it take for others to make unsolicited videos about your company? What do you believe in?