It is a simple concept. Sell a pair of shoes today, give a pair of shoes tomorrow. “Shoes for a Better Tomorrow” quickly became “Tomorrow’s Shoes” which then settled into TOMS, with a simple and powerful promise — a better tomorrow.
A new approach in marketing is called “profitable good” and it involves shifting from the current mindset of “doing charity” (because that’s what good corporate citizens do) to thinking about social impact that has a direct positive impact on the bottom line.