Warby Parker Meets Social Media Marketing

Who Is Warby Parker, Anway?

Founded in 2010 by Neil Blumenthal and his college mates, the Warby Parker brand was born the day one of the students lost their glasses on a hiking trip. According to the narrative, the cost of replacing the glasses was so out of reach that the student spent his first semester of grad school without them, squinting and complaining, so the story goes.

But what sets the company apart is its super smart business plan and unique marketing campaign. The idea was simple, really; offer consumers a seamless way to shop for and purchase glasses online. The idea was so outrageously uncomplicated and hugely convenient, in fact, that they had to sell it to new consumers and then build their brand identity with testimonials from their budding audience – which was quite small at the start.

Social media played a huge role in their success back then and still does today. So, let’s take a deep dive into the world of Warby Parker.

Selling by Social Media

Social Media technology provided Warby Parker the vehicle to drive their exclusive item to the masses. They relied on their audience to promote the business by encouraging consumers to share their purchase experience on the business website, as well as the consumer’s social media accounts which, in turn, influenced prospective consumers.

This not only increased their reach, it generated new business and continues to contribute to their growth and authenticity to date.

Without social media marketing, Warby Parker would have had to rely on traditional, linear, methods of advertisement, like television and radio ads, newspaper and magazine ads, and USPS bulk mail ads.

Just one of these methods, by itself, is extremely costly and much slower than digital media. Additionally, to cast the widest possible net, the company would likely have had to employ all methods rather than selecting one or two over the others.

Transactional Communication

“Warby Parker encourages transactional communication by consistently communicating with, and responding to, customer comments on their social media platforms” (Mahoney, 2016, p. 199).

Using digital prompts, they engage with their audience, encourage their consumers to share their experiences, and even post a picture to showcase their purchase.

User-Generated Content

The user-generated content on consumer social media accounts, like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, builds Warby Parker’s audience and authenticity. Because most audiences rely on digital communication between the message sender and the message receiver, communication must remain fluid and transparent.

In other words, Warby Parker needed existing consumers to post comments about their experience on the Warby Parker website, and their social media accounts, to showcase their new glasses to their social media following. This method propagated fluid communication and helped Warby Parker build a wider audience along the way.

Reducing Dissonance

Warby Parker reduced dissonance by resolving the apprehension and false narratives its campaign exposed; people were wary of purchasing online and some thought the frames might be subpar simply because they cost less.

By changing the narrative and offering the Home Try-On Campaign, they effectively changed the behavior, or cognition, of prospective consumers. The campaign made the consumer’s buying experience risk-free, thus expanding on transparency and building on trust and authenticity.

More recently, Warby Parker updated its Vision-Testing iPhone App.

Philanthropic Partnerships

Finally, Warby Parker partnered with VisionSpring, a philanthropic eyeglass company focused on “providing affordable, quality glasses to the 2.5 billion people worldwide who need them” (Our Story. n.d., para. 1).

Interestingly, though there is an existing partnership between the two companies, I couldn’t find a single connection, a mention even, of the Warby Parker brand on the VisionSpring website. However, in a story

However, after a bit of a deeper dive into the Warby Parker Buy a Pair, Give a Pair campaign page, I learned they have suspended many of the pieces of that program due to COVID-19 and the risks associated with public health and safety in the distribution process.

Instead, the company is donating a portion of its proceeds to purchase personal protective equipment and preventative health supplies to distribute to healthcare workers and communities in need (Buy a Pair, Give a Pair, n.d.).

Moreover, it’s worth noting that Neil Blumenthal worked at VisionSpring for five years before cofounding Warby Parker. In an interview with Forbes contributor David Hessekiel, Blumenthal said he “saw how impactful this model was in communities where proper eye care isn’t accessible” (Hessekiel, 2021, para. 6).

The Socially Conscious Business Strategy

Socially conscious business strategies appeal to consumers who care about doing good things for people less fortunate or fulfilling a global need. According to VisionSpring, “Almost one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses, which means that 15% of the world’s population cannot effectively learn or work” (History, n.d.).

As a consumer who relies on glasses to perform my work, as both a professional social worker and as a grad student, I am acutely aware of how limited my world would be without them.

And, as an empath, I am drawn to these types of causes. As an example, I purchase Paul Newman products not only because I like them but also because they donate all their proceeds to charitable causes, keeping only enough to meet the business expenses. It’s a beautiful thing!

Moving On

While Warby Parker launched its business strategy on the social media technology platform and its user-friendly online purchasing model, they have branched out to the brick-and-mortar industry.

But don’t let that stop you from becoming a part of the Warby Parker family. After all, whether online or in person, their philanthropic ideals are still heavily ingrained in their brand, and they continue to reach their target audience by staying true to their core values – to provide glasses to consumers in need.

#WarbyParker #VisionSpring #Site #ByAPairGiveAPair

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References

Buy a pair, give a pair. Warby Parker. (n.d.). https://www.warbyparker.com/buy-a-pair-give-a-pair.

Hessekiel, D. (2021). Companies embracing buy-one-give-one strategies: Warby Parker. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhessekiel/2021/05/06/companies-embracing-buy-one-give-one-strategies-warby-parker/?sh=7ee536cd3b56.

History. Warby Parker. (n.d.). https://www.warbyparker.com/history.

Our story. VisionSpring. (n.d.). https://visionspring.org/about-us/our-story.

Mahoney, L. Meghan; Tang, T. (2016). Strategic social media: From marketing to social Change. Wiley-Blackwell. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119890365.

Reader, R. (2021). Warby Parker's new iPhone eye test is its next step into telehealth Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90656280/warby-parker-is-launches-a-virtual-vision-test.References.