Josh's Views

Published on Joshua Pelletier

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From the Beginning

Since the early days of our world, individuals have tried to reach the masses in various different forms of communication. This can include simple forms such as newspapers, telegraphs and printed books. However, now we have seen an evolution in forms of communication as we have it easy today with simply having a phone in the palms of our hands. And now we have a form of communication through social media , channels such as Facebook, Instagram, X and the list can go on.

Now we ask, is social media beneficial in terms of marketing. A simple answer can be yes, as we can reach more customers around the globe which in turn with generate revenue for our companies. If done correctly, this will hold true. A perfect example, of this trend in social media, is Warby Parker.

The Story

Think back to the year 2010, the age of social media gets its feet wet with sites like Myspace and Facebook just in its infancy. It is a scary thought in marketing through the internet nonetheless through a social media channel.

Conducting business in normal means was not working for college students Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa, and Jeffrey Raider. As they were trying to find cheaper and better options for prescription eyewear. What they did would change the eyewear industry for the better.

Using an online site, they cut out the doctor visits and trying to book appointments months in advance and offered a site where consumers can create and shop their own version of glasses that represents them and the style they are going for.

Genius, that to lower costs they made the glasses in house instead of buying the glasses from a distributor. They offered a service, in which they would directly sell to the customers giving them a more personal experience and connection to the customer.

Photo Credits: modernretail.com

Where’s the Success?

A simple business story, where the entrepreneurial spirit takes over and hopes to create something bigger than themselves took over. The help of social media helped boost their presence in this industry mainly because beginning out consumers still had the feeling of doubt and wanting to buy their glasses online. As to some people this can be a major purchase, that can cost a lot. Definitely coming from a customer who needs glasses himself, I as others do as well, I would want to try on a pair and see how they look or if they fit. So the question was posed, how does the company get over this obstacle in consumer’s thinking.

This is where now social media takes effect for the company and increases their presence. At first, the company pushes a “Home Try-On” campaign, where consumers can order their glasses online up to five pairs and try them on before committing to the glasses. Taking care of the concerns customers were reluctant on in the first process.

So, in doing this customers can now try on the glasses at home and only keep the ones that best suit their styles. Even better for the consumer, returning the others comes at no cost to them. Warby Parker would encourage their customers to post their purchases on their social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

You see companies posting on social media with little sense of a personal connection to their customers and just trying to sell their product. Warby Parker through this campaign gave customers a personal and meaningful shopping experience that you can get through going to a store, however, this can be done through online. Mainly because this company encourages the use of transactional communication and studies their market through posts made online with their products and does not focus on simply trying to sell their glasses.

Final Thoughts

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used in different ways whether if it is simply to stay in touch with other people, promoting yourself or even promoting your business. Using it for marketing can make or break a business simply in the way it gets to the masses. Warby Parker saw an issue, and rose to the evolution that was coming and that we see today. Change can be unexpected and to some crazy, but taking a chance like they did and disrupted a whole industry.

There’s an expression in business in terms of ownership, from Mark Cuban,

Photo credits: imgur.com

Ending on this and relating that quote to the terms of social media marketing, reaching 60% of the world is better than 100% of a state.

References

Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2016). Strategic Social Media: From Marketing to Social Change. Wiley Global Research (STMS). Pg 18 https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781118556900