Your glasses are ready

I remember my first blog post pair of glasses. Hated ‘em! And each time you needed new glasses, the same dread would return. Do any of these frames look good on me? Is it possible to tell hunched over, squinting between rows of glasses on a mirrored wall?

While this isn’t a picture of my first pair of glasses, it’s obvious that I could have used some help. However, like all things fashion, I believe these are back in style. -4b1f-90ed-a37737b07816SELRES_3824d66f-53ea-4182-ab00-70e1cfd11b7cSELRES_3824d66f-53ea-4182-ab00-70e1cfd11b7cSELRES_e649d857-e5ca-4b1f-90ed-a37737b0

Charting a new course

Enter Warby Parker’s “Home Try-On Campaign.” Pick any 5 pairs of glasses and try them on at home without the pressure of making a decision in the store. That’s because there are no stores to visit (OK, they have some stores now but not at first.) and the glasses are less expensive, too. Sounds great but will it work?

The company made an important marketing decision to help customers with a potential hurdle. There is no charge to ship or return the trial sample of glasses. By removing this barrier, Warby Parker helped customers overcome one concern with trying their new and different service.

It works!

In less than eight years, Warby Parker has become a billion-dollar business that now includes retail locations, a new line of glasses for kids, and an online Prescription Check service. And, they have donated over 3 million pairs of glasses through their Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program. Yeah, I guess it worked.

But what really works for the company is the community that has emerged on social media.

Warby Parker’s community really seems to meet all the criteria required as defined by McMillan & Chavis:

1. membership,
2. shared emotional connection,
3. influence, and
4. needs fulfillment.

By choosing to go outside the normal channels for buying glasses, customers establish membership in the community. They are doing something unique. They are forming a common identity.

I believe that everyone who wears glasses shares an emotional connection. We can all relate to that feeling when you must get your first pair, the annoyance of trying to clean them, or looking through smudged or dirty glasses. We also appreciate being able to see clearly.

A key component of the dialogue on social media is posting a picture of your new glasses. User generated content shows happy people, with their new purchase, hopefully influencing their friends. It’s also been noted by Shandrow that there is a monetary effect to these posts – Warby Parker customers who post photos are twice as likely to buy.

Needs fulfillment is at the heart of the company, the origin.

“We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun. It should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your pocket.”

Just look at their social media platforms and you’ll see it play out in real-time.

I think it took me five visits this last time to finally choose some frames that I didn’t hate. I didn’t have any fun and didn’t leave with any money in my pocket. Next time, I’ll have to give Warby Parker a try. For now, I’m going to read a real blog.