You know the type of thing I’m talking about — products where you feel like the creators have really put a lot into what they’re selling, considering YOU through every step of the process. This is a sign of good craftsmanship, something that seems to have been lost through a lot of facets in a consumer, money based society. When you make a product that you actually care about, it shows, and it’s appreciated.
A couple weeks ago, I went to Berk’s in Harvard Square. I was just kind of wandering around not planning on buying anything, but then I found an awesome pair of Tom’s. If you’re not familiar with Toms, they’re a shoe company started by a guy from Texas (have to throw that one in there ;) ), and for every pair of shoes you buy, they will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. Something you as a consumer can feel good about.
But just more than a good cause to make your wallet feel like you’re donating while buying, Tom’s surprised me with something more. I opened the box to try on my cozy plaid high tops with fuzzy warmness around the tops, and they were inside a canvas bag with the Toms logo printed on the side. Instead of lining the shoebox with that cheap newspaper feeling stuff, they give us a bag to Reuse! Ok, so at this point: I found a sweet pair of shoes. By buying them, I’ll also be donating a pair. And they’re giving me a cool looking reusable bag (which to their benefit has their logo… smart marketing, anyone?).
But ok. Who hasn’t jumped on the “go green”-canvas-bag-recycle-everything bandwagon? It’s almost become expected. So although the bag is awesome, it’s not that far out of the (shoe) box from every other company right now. So beyond the shoes, the donation, and the reusable bag, as I pulled the shoes out of the box, a TOMS logo sticker fell out. My heart melted.
At this point, I felt like Toms was taking care of me, which in turn takes care of themselves. That’s the beauty in a good business. You take care of your clients, your clients will take care of you. A mutual relationship that is not so commonly understood. It makes sense, but it takes a lot for a company to actually employ that kind of experience. I know it’s ‘just a sticker’, but a sticker is an effort beyond what the company HAD to provide. It’s an extra “thank you”, a nod to the buyer almost saying “we’ve done a good job with this product, we know you’ll like them, and here’s a sticker so you can help us spread the word by putting it somewhere”, on my longboard of course. Icing on the cake. (and what would a cake really be without icing?)
I always get excited when I find thoughtful people and have the ability to support them. I like when brands gain my loyalty through thoughtful craftsmanship and conscious entrepreneurship. As we embark on the budding of dtf, Ziv and I have talked a lot about good people doing good things, and we aspire for dtf to function in the same way. I think we’ll make this a habit to post about good people doing good things and artists/brands/musicians/companies that we support.
So, thank you Toms for the experience.
Raj approves, too :)
