Preview

Globalization: Toms a Commodity Fetish

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3241 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Globalization: Toms a Commodity Fetish
Alysa Sharp
12/12/12
Carla Jones
Final Project

TOMS: A Commodity Fetish Globalization is the international influence, change, and interaction within or between countries and or nations. This creates an idea of connectedness between the facilitating nation and the nation being influenced. Within this interaction and influence on another nation there becomes this desire to become a “trendsetter” through the use of products and other various commodities throughout the world. One such example can be seen through the United States which is associated with so many different types of brands such as Coca-Cola or Nike. These influences and trends though cannot be simply placed anywhere, rather they are developed and strategically thought of where they would be best placed and as well alternated to fit within a new environment for optimum consumption. These changes can either hinder a product or can help it through the way in which it is advertised and accepted into the local market. Such an example can be seen through TOMS shoe company where their goal is “to show how together, we can create a better tomorrow by taking compassionate action today” (Toms.com). TOMS’ business model of buy a pair give a pair is marketed to the U.S. in a way that plays with people’s emotions so that their product becomes a fetish through the idea that once a pair of shoes is bought people are doing good for another person; in particular children in other countries without shoes. This correlates with both Marx’s commodity fetish theory, the cultural imperialism theory and Mazzarella’s idea of the impact of imagery through the direct way TOMS is directed to the consumer and as well how there is an indirect influence from the TOMS shoe company onto the other various countries that they take their shoes to through the positive imagery that is created through the global impact that the company is trying to make. TOMS was started by founder Blake Mycoskie in 2006 after he had gone to



Cited: Bartter, Jacqueline. “A New Model of Corporate Social Responsibility.” Iprs.uscs.edu. University of California, San Diego, 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/001/503681.pdf Costello, Amy. “Buy One and Give One, Inside TOMS Shoes”. Tiny Spark. Chronicle of Philanthropy. March, 15, 2012. F., Daniel. “Toms: One For the Movement.” University of New Mexico, 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. http://danielsethics.mgt.unm.edu/pdf/TOMS%20Case.pdf Marx, Karl, and David McLellan. Selected Writings. Oxford [Eng.: Oxford UP, 1977. Print. Mazzarella, William. Shoveling Smoke: Advertising and Globalization in Contemporary India. Durham: Duke UP, 2003. Print. "TOMS SHOES LOGO." TOMS Shoes & Eyewear Official Store. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. "International Labour Organization." International Labour Organization. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2012. "TOMS Shoes: Does Buy-One-Give-One Work? | PRI 's The World." PRIs The World RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2012. "Www.TheWorld.com: The World 's Home Page." Www.TheWorld.com: The World 's Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    TOMS Shoes has provided one of the most innovative business ideas the early 21st century has seen. Through the “One for One Movement”, TOMS has ushered in a truly altruistic business model which cannot be ignored by the broader consumer goods industry. By describing what TOMS Shoes is, why it is important, how the One for One idea originated and evolved functionally, and the business model utilized to compel it, a clear void is filled not only for those whose lives are affected at the Bottom of the Pyramid but also in the modus operandi of business in the United States today. This point is also exemplified by delving into the supply chain and specifically what drives the company and its unique features. Lastly, by examining Blake Mycoskie, founder and CEO, and the culture he has created for his novel company, TOMS Shoes’ success via their innovation is pinpointed.…

    • 2213 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Australian Wheat Board Study

    • 3027 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Kotler, P. and Lee, N. (2005) Corporate Social Responsibility. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons…

    • 3027 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    TOMS: One for One started in 2006 with the TOMS shoe line, for every shoe sold TOMS would donate a pair to child in need. Since 2006, 35 million pairs of shoes have been donated. In 2011, TOMS Eyewear launched and for everything eyewear sold they provided prescription eyewear, corrective surgery, and medical treatment to some one in need. Since 2011, 275,000 people throughout…

    • 250 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Business Ethics Outline

    • 1266 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Crane, A; Matten, D; & Spence, L; (2007) Corporate Social Responsibility: Readings and Cases in a Global Context…

    • 1266 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Dentex Case

    • 2959 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Citations: Petrenko. A. Corporate social responsibility [Power Point Slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: https://moodle.yorku.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=39261…

    • 2959 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Mallenbaker.net. 2012. Four emerging trends in corporate social responsibility. [Online] Available at: http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/page.php?Story_ID=2747 [Accessed: 19 Aug 2013].…

    • 2128 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    Kotler, P. & Lee, N. (2011) Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your…

    • 4039 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This innovative idea resulted from a trip to Argentina where Mycoskie saw an overwhelming number of children without shoes. Toms Shoes recognized that consumers want to feel good about what they buy, and thus directly tied the purchase with the donation. In just four years, Toms Shoes has donated more than 400,000 shoes, evidence that consumers have clearly embraced the cause.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Nike brand is one of the most successful brands in the world, and it depicts…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom's Analysis

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Tom’s is a company based in California that operated a non-profit branch informally known as Friends of Toms. The company was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, an entrepreneur from Arlington, Texas. Tom’s classic shoe is inspired by a traditional Argentine alpargata shoe which sits atop a rubber sole. (Cook 2009) They are made in a variety of styles, colors, designs, and fabrics. As far as demographics, Tom’s products are targeted for men, women, and children ages 13-30. As far as psychographics, or aspects of style and personality, Tom’s is targeted at the media-savvy, those interested in art in music, those who care about social causes, and the middle class.…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Davis, Keith. (1975 : Business Horizon). "Five Propositions for Social Responsibility". Republished in Archie B. Carrol. (1977). Managing Corporate Social Responsibility. Boston; Little, Brown and Company (Inc.), pp. 46-51.…

    • 13692 Words
    • 55 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    TOMS Shoes is a for-profit company, which has combined with a philanthropic component. One-for-One campaign enhances the company’s reputation. For every pair of shoes the company sold, the company would match a pair for a child in need. This company started doing business in 2006 and reached to give the 1,000,000th shoe 4 years after in September 2010, in San Pedro, Argentina. Now TOMS Shoes are sold in 22 countries and carried by over 500 retailers. Company’s charitable distribution reached to 28 nations in need.…

    • 2196 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Toms

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages

    TOMS Shoes began in 2006 with a "One for One" initiative, for each pair of shoes sold they donate a pair of new shoes to a child in a developing country. Their goals are to help prevent foot injury, spread of soil borne diseases such as parasites, increase education by providing shoes needed for school uniforms, and indirectly increase the confidence level of the recipients of the shoes. According to "The Impact of Distributing School Uniforms on Children's Education in Kenya," school attendance increases as much as 62% when children have their required uniforms" (David Evans, 2009).…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Globalization

    • 2362 Words
    • 10 Pages

    In generally, globalization refers to integration and interconnection between people, transnational corporations and different governments. According to Rothenberg (2002), “Globalization is the acceleration and intensification of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations.” On the other hand, in terms of business context, globalization is the movement towards economic activity around the world. Free trade between countries, outsourcing or offshoring the production, capital flows and internalisation of several brands (Coca-Cola, Toyota, GAP, Nike, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Apple …) can be an example for globalization. International Monetary Fund working paper states (2003) states that, “The growth rate of world trade has been greater than that of world output in almost all years since 1960 and the cumulative increase in the volume of world trade is almost three times larger than that of the world output over this period.” The process of globalization accelerated during the last 20 years and especially economic, rise of information and communication technology, political factors and influences have been the key drivers for this process. Because of these key drivers of globalization, new contemporary world occurred.…

    • 2362 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Globalization

    • 2024 Words
    • 7 Pages

    For years, “Globalization” become one of the most popular word all around the world and covering a wide range of fields in the world, like economic, culture and even political. Globalization makes the world become smaller, it is a integration of economic, financial, communication, companies, government and trade of the word, it driven by the international investment and profit from information and communication technologies (Ietto-Gillies,Grazia,2011), it means the local and nationals start to have a opening perspective, the countries become interrelated and interdependent because of the free transfer of products,services and capitals. The globalization can be summarizing into three kinds: economic globalization; culture globalization and political globalization. Economic globalization has resulted in many businesses setting up or buying operations in other countries. Therefore, the transnational corporations (TNCs) become the most important role in the globalization precess.(Ietto-Gillies, Grazia,2011)The Importance of political globalization of an international organization is obviously growing, and these international organizations are a focus on their actions which without sacrificing national sovereignty.Cultural globalization is a process that can hybridize the global popular culture and makes the cultural differences flatten out (Held and McGrew,2003).…

    • 2024 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays