Purpose Gives a Brand Legs

Last year, I blogged about my favorite brand, TOMS, an organization that truly understands branding with purpose.  I mean its One for One business model was created around the organization's purpose:

For every one person who buys, one person is helped.

With a purpose as grand, unique and meaningful as TOMS', it was only natural to see it evolve and grow.

Last week, TOMS launched its 'next chapter' of its One for One business. In addition to selling and giving shoes, which I have a whole new appreciation for after learning about the fungus, worms, etc. that can borrow into your feet and cause illness - even death if not treated - from exposure to mud in places like rural Tanzania, they have added eyewear to the roster.

So for every pair of TOMS Eyewear sold, they will provide sight to one person.  This comes in the form of medical treatment, a pair of glasses or sight-saving surgery.

Although it's not as direct as the shoe program, it proves that innovation and growth comes quite naturally when it aligns with your purpose. Additionally, no one is left confused wondering why you chose to take the company in that direction - like how I felt this weekend when I kept stumbling across all these PEUGEOT pepper grinders...

This is only the begging for what TOMS is capable of, and I'm very excited to see how it continues to evolve and change the world one purchase at a time!

Here's a picture of a pair of my well loved TOMS shoes that kept my feet fungus and worm free while I was in Tanzania! Oh the skull next to my feet is of a hippo: