‘Selling’ on the sea of conscience

TOMS and its owner Blake Mycoskie have a unique approach to retail. In some quarters, it has been described as “caring capitalism.” Whenever TOMS sells a pair of footwear, a pair is given to an impoverished child; and when a pair of eyewear is sold, part of the profit is used to save or restore the eyesight of individuals in developing countries.

The brand’s new lines of coffee, apparel and accessories similarly espouse “causes.” This “One for One” corporate vision has brought Mycoskie, a Texan, and his for-profit Plaza del Rey, California company, to the attention of other budding entrepreneurs ready to adopt a similar business model and turn corporate social responsibility (CSR) into more than just an afterthought when profits have been declared. With TOMS, the notion of CSR is built into the business operations before profits; the idea being that this approach will translate to consumers being attracted to the brand and result in substantive market share.

Founded in 2006, the company’s provenance had much to do with Mycoskie competing with his sister in the 2002 Amazing Race where they sprinted through Argentina in one of the race’s legs. It was then that he first noticed the alpargata — a pair of simple canvas slip-ons with rubber soles that Argentinian farmers and locals would wear. A return to the country to do volunteer work meant encounters with children in the low-income communities running around barefooted. And from here it was a hop, skip and jump to funding and creating TOMS — a play on the word “tomorrow,” and the original “Shoes for Tomorrow” project. He would expand the types of footwear produced by TOMS, but they would be inspired by the alpargata, and with the caveat that for every pair sold anywhere in the world, a corresponding pair would be sent to a barefooted child, whether in Argentina, or in other developing countries. Distribution where it would have the highest impact became the aim, as in Ethiopia, where a soil-borne disease attacks the lymphatic system. In 2012, TOMS gave away over a million pairs of shoes in over 40 countries; and this increased exponentially with the success of the business such that last year, in over 70 countries, 35 million pairs were given.

Here in the Philippines, TOMS is represented by Swim Philippines Inc., which operates the Nothing But H2O stores. The company recently had a press event at Your Local on Esteban Street, Legaspi Village, Makati; and I had the chance to converse with Swim’s CEO/president Dimples La O’. While the 2015 Spring/Summer lines were showcased, the event was also about explaining its corporate philosophy  — how socially conscious entrepreneurship can still mean revenues, market acceptance and of course, profitability (to increase global impact, Mycoskie sold 50 percent of the company last year, and the transaction valued the company at $625 million). We were also informed that in the case of the TOMS Bag Collection, purchases help the TOMS Giving Partners provide training for skilled birth attendants, and distribute kits that contain items,  which help mothers give birth safely — and this in four countries. A TOMS Roasting Coffee purchase leads to sustainable water solutions in over seven countries — providing one week of safe water to a person in need. Various causes and advocacies linked to the different product lines that carry the TOMS brand name make for the company’s unique DNA.

With TOMS Philippines, Dimples and Swim Philippines are proud to share in the Mycoskie vision, transforming purchasers into benefactors — and the nice thing is that this is a company goal, regardless of whether it is or isn’t a conscious consumer goal. Something to keep in mind the next time you are out to get a pair of summer footgear and/or eyewear.

They who live by the law

With these three novels we have tales that revolve around law enforcers, whether in the form of policemen and detectives, or lawyers/judges trying to ensure that certain laws are executed. Ellroy is the author of L.A. Confidential and returns to his stomping ground on this one, while McEwan wrote Atonement and Amsterdam. Hillier is a young crime fiction writer with Filipino roots.

Perfidia by James Ellroy (available at National Book Store) With a cast of characters we grew familiar with in L.A. Confidential, and still writing in his stylized staccato prose, Perfidia is essentially a prequel, taking place in 1941 Los Angeles — unmistakable Ellroy territory. It’s centered on events that swirl right before and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, signaling the true entry of the US into the war. In sharp focus is one character, Ashida, the lone Japanese-American working on the force. His struggle to survive amidst the cloud of suspicion and mistrust leveled against anyone Japanese, not to mention outright forced detention, is the most interesting part of the book, given that it’s uncharted Ellroy territory. Hard-boiled, and with a veneer of rough cynicism, Ellroy is back!

The Children Act by Ian McEwan (available at Fully Booked) Weaving his particular brand of literary sleight of hand, McEwan is back in full force, turning what is ostensibly a story about a Family Division lady judge into a sobering, intricate treatment of social responsibility, loneliness and facing consequences for the action or inaction we are guilty of. Childless, and with her marriage disintegrating, 60-year-old Fiona handles a tricky case concerning a 17-year-old son of a Jehovah’s Witness family. Struck down by leukemia, the case reaches Fiona when the hospital insists on a blood transfusion that their faith has forbidden. What transpires, why it does, and what follows as a result of the controversial decision makes for this cautionary tale that has high literary merit stamped all over.

The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier (available at National Book Store) Listed as born and raised in Canada and having lived in Seattle for five years, I got excited with Hillier’s novel, when on the second chapter, she writes about how one of her main characters had a lola named Marisol and ran a Seattle resto named Adobo. With Filipino roots that play a part in how she sets up her characters, this is not so much a mystery/whodunit, as it is a gripping page turner of “What happens next!” Retired police chief Ed Shank has some dark secrets, and his grandson Matt is about to make a grisly discovery. Meanwhile, Matt’s girlfriend is a true crime writer, whose own life is about to enter the realm of her books’ subjects. At times implausible, but always thrilling, this is one blood-splattered roller coaster ride.