I have always been interested in how people solve problems in our world today and came across an interesting problem relating to eyeglasses that a business solved for consumers! Did you know 64% of people in the United States wear eyeglasses? I was not aware of that fact until I started to look into the research about the impact of eyeglasses in our soceity today. I also found out that eyeglasses can range from $8 all the way up to $600 if you do not have insurance. Which is just another reminder how important it is to have insurance these days! So the business I was looking into about solving this problem is Warby Parker.
I had not heard about this company until today and I was really impressed with how they got started and all the various ways they utilize social media to promote their product. This business was started by some young men who were not happy with the cost and options available for people who needed prescription sunglasses. So they got some funding and get the ball rolling with their idea! This really struck my interest because there are high school students across the United States attempting to create their own business these days. There is a program we currently use at Prairie Ridge High School entitled Business INCubatoredu. It is a program where students are solving problems with the help of mentors and coaches from the community. Below is an example of a student from Wheeling High School in Illinois who was on Shark Tank!
Marketing
Here is a link explaining Warby Parker’s story in a little more detail. One unique aspect of this business is they allow people to try on their products and give them a trial with them! This is similiar to way back in the day where you could purchase CD’s. YES! Compact Discs for a penny try them out and then keep them ones you want and ship the others back you did not care for…. This is a great video showing a consumer giving their eyeglasses a try! What a great way to market and give consumers an opportunity to try out their products. They also are all about the social good of their business.
Warby Parker is an engaging and relatable brand because of the all the various ways they integrate social media into their marketing. They put their product in the consumers’ hands and get real feedback. This not only is important for the consumers to hear from other consumers about their opinion in regards to the product. It also provides Warby Parker a great opportunity to get feedback in order to improve their products! So this is a WIN WIN! The consumers gets to learn more about their potential purchase and the company gets to improve their product their social media marketing. The other big piece of their strategy is they know and understand they have a lot of potential customers so they use all forms of media to reach their customers. The forms of media include Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. This is a great company that caters to the consumer and truly satisfies our wants and needs! However at the same time engages the customer in the product and allows them to use it before making a purchase.
The Impact of Social Media on Business 