MKT 4710 Marketing Strategy

Case Summary

In a narrative format, discuss the key facts and critical issues presented in the case focusing on marketing and strategic planning. Conduct a comprehensive SWOT and update the case to current time. 

Case Analysis

1. Do you think TOMS is successful because of its unique products, or the firm’s approach to social responsibility?

2. How does TOMS manage its supply chain in order to ensure ethical and socially responsible conduct?

Executive Decisions

How does TOMS’ business model relate to the understanding of stakeholders and strategic philanthropy?

Case Summary

Companies, which promote social responsibilities, are often ethical. As a result, these firms are compensated for being good corporate citizens (Pride & Ferrell, 2016). The social and ethical measures taken by the company has helped it build its reputation and image. The community views it as friendly because it helps the needy to live a good life. Therefore, companies that offer quality products would get good returns. With competition threatening the business, diversifying into other product lines would be a great opportunity for growth for TOMS. However, the activities at its foreign factories compromises of its corporate responsibility approach.

Case Analysis

The success of the company borders on its social responsibility approach and unique products. Although the unique products could have attracted more customers, the social responsibility approach must have made its customers to create an emotional attachment to the brand. According to Godiwalla (2012), social responsibility ensures the business minimizes adverse impacts and maximizes positive impacts on the society. TOMS has invested in the approach that has seen it minimize negative impacts. For example, the company’s philanthropic nature of helping the society is pushing many customers to purchase the shoes.

To avoid compromising on its core competences and values, TOMS has used social and ethical responsibility approach in managing its supply chain. The business works with the various humanitarian bodies closely to avoid negative impact on the customers and community. For instance, it has established manufacturing standards as expected by the ILO. It further conducts regular audits on its supply chain to ensure the organization meets the ILO standards (Pride & Ferrell, 2016). It has further established a strong relationship with key stakeholders such as volunteers and employees as part of its obligation. Despite these efforts, the company’s factories in other countries such as Ethiopia, China, and Argentina have violated the ethical responsibility model.

Executive Decisions

TOMS’ business model embraces the strategic philanthropy and understanding the needs of stakeholders. For instance, the company has embarked on a robust use of synergy to emphasize its organizational resources and core competence in meeting the stakeholders’ needs thus “achieve its organizational and social benefits” (Pride & Ferrell, 2016, p. 118).  Strategic philanthropy involves linking different assets such as expertise, employees, and resources to the needs of consumers. TOMS seem to be aware that the stakeholders are important and it would be prudent to make them the firm profitable. The company has thus emerged to be successful because of its definition of social and ethical responsibility. For example, the company has donated about 50 million shoes to the needy children. Therefore, its one-to-one model will benefit the firm as it maximizes different opportunities in the market.

References

Godiwalla, Y.H. (2012). Business Ethics and Social Responsibility for the Multinational Corporation (MNC). Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing, 8(9), 1382-1391.

Pride, W.M., & Ferrell, O.C. (2016). Marketing, 18^st Edition. Stamford, Conn: Cengage learning.