TOMS Unveils New Look, New Impact Strategy - Numéro Netherlands (2024)

TOMS®, the original One for One company, is marking its 15th Anniversary with the introduction of a new impact strategy and updated visual identity.

Since 2006, TOMS has impacted over 100 million lives giving shoes, sight, safe water and impact grants, learning and listening along the way. TOMS remains grounded in their mission to use business to improve lives. After diligent research and evaluation of their giving, TOMS has implemented a new impact strategy, swapping out its original One for One shoe giving model with a commitment to give at least one-third of annual net profits to grassroots good working with passionate, informed leaders within the communities that they serve.

Responding to community-driven feedback along with a hyper-engaged internal Giving Team, TOMS has identified relevant issues that will be the focus of the one-third profits strategy. The three main pillars include (1) promoting mental health, (2) increasing access to opportunity, and (3) ending gun violence, aligning with the belief that together, they help lay the groundwork to create equity for all people, particularly Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, LGBTQ+, and Women & Girls. Through an ever-growing community of partners, TOMS has and will continue to work with organisations led by those closest to a community's obstacles and opportunities – driving change from the ground up.

At the helm of these efforts is the brands Giving Team. This team is composed of leaders dedicated to being responsible stewards in the world of social and community impact working hand-in-hand with existing partners and seeking to identify new partners. These partners consist of non-profit organisations operating within the brands key issue areas with service to priority communities.

In an effort to pause, reflect, and celebrate all that the brand has achieved, the newly published 2019-2020 TOMSImpact Reportshowcases the monumental good the TOMS community has done whilelooking to the future – sharing what has been achieved and a sneak peek at the good to come. Over the past two years, TOMS has engaged 71 partners in 28 countries together giving 7,049,436 pairs of shoes along with $4,436,000 in grants. Existing partners include organisations such as Cities United, supporting a national network of community leaders who are committed to reducing the epidemic of homicides and shootings of young Black men and boys in the US, Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world and Magic Bus, ensuring girls and boys in India complete their education and build the skills they need to move out of poverty. The global brand is further expanding its grassroots commitment to also support communities in Europe and will announce a new UK-based giving partner later this year.

“On behalf of the TOMS Giving Team, I am thrilled to be able to carry the brand's legacy in a new and powerful direction with these inspiring grassroots organisations,” says Amy Smith, TOMS Chief Strategy & Impact Officer. “TOMS has been using business to improve lives for 15 years now, and with that experience, plus a whole lot of research and a bit of sole searching, we have learned that there is so much we can do when we come together as a community. We realise we’re not changing the world, but we are at the feet of people who are. The journey to impacting another 100 million lives has officially begun!”

The brand has put this evolved grants-based model to the test with the TOMS COVID-19 Global Giving Fund and saw the power and impact that comes with greater flexibility, generating over $2 million in support of global pandemic relief efforts. The funds will continue to be distributed to giving partners that remain on the frontlines of the ongoing global pandemic delivering supplies, building hygiene stations, and so much more.

While social impact is a main focus, the B-Corp certified brand continues to fuse profit and purpose by taking care of the place it’s community members call home, planet earth. With the belief that sustainability is a collective responsibility, TOMS continues to take a holistic approach with ethical and eco-conscious practices throughout the business. Through new and existing product offerings, processes, packaging and vendors, the brand works to make choices that benefit the customer, employees and planet.

“It is of utmost importance not only as a global brand, but a leader in a larger movement to better the world, that TOMS represent the highest standards of corporate social responsibility,” adds Magnus Wedhammar, TOMS CEO. “We are deeply proud of what TOMS has done through its giving efforts and we’re always striving to do even more. Our team is excited to continue working towards a goal of creating a better tomorrow – where all communities, big or small, can truly thrive.”

In tandem with the evolution of a long-standing impact structure, TOMS is rolling out a new expression of the brand. Through a complete creative overhaul, the brand pays homage to those charging forward, creating meaningful change in the world. New campaigns and visual assets reinforce TOMS as a shoe that stands up for people making an impact on the ground. With this re-imagination of the brand, impact will stay at the forefront reiterating TOMS’s commitment to giving. Product collaboration in all forms will be woven through this updated brand strategy ranging from a diversified collective of brand ambassadors to exclusive launches celebrating conscious leaders among us. While the brand is moving forward in many facets, fan favourites will be re-introduced in a new light starting with the iconic Alpargata and expanding throughout the product offerings.