Warby Parker

I was thinking the other day, I sure would embrace a new way to get new glasses in the Covid world we live in today. I have ALWAYS gone to an eye doctor’s office and had them order a new pair for me. I would go through the motions of choosing from 1000 demo pairs to choose what I thought would be a great option. I have finally decided that I should give Warby Parker a try!

For me it is easier to look at the pros and cons prior to making a big change.

Pros:

• Lower cost for glasses compared to traditional source
• Home Try-On Campaign gives you 5 pair of glasses to try on and choose one from.
• Amazing social good campaign that has supplied 500,000 pairs of glasses to people in need.
• Free Shipping

Cons

• Reviews vary on customer experiences from three to five stars
• Ordering glasses online still gives me the feeling that the glasses are not as quality compared to the traditional way I have ordered glasses in the past.

How is Warby Parker using social media to promote transactional communication with customers, rather than more linear advertising?

Warby Parker has chosen a multifaceted approach to engaging their audience through social media. It is a very personal approach as the company has directed attention towards the challenges consumers have with the traditional eyeglass market (x). Furthermore, Warby Parker has included marketing for social good in their business strategy. By teaming up with the company VisionSpring, the company is able to provide a pair of eyeglasses for a person in need for every pair of Warby Parker glasses that a consumer purchases. To date, Warby Parker has given away 500,000 pairs of glasses (Mahoney, 2017).
Warby Parker encourages transactional communication by consistently communicating with, and responding to, customer comments on their social media platforms (Mahoney, 2017). This really bring the brand experience to a personal level. We feel we are really getting great customer service. 

How does social media technology aid Warby Parker’s alternative business model for selling prescription eyeglasses? What challenges would the company have faced in a traditional media environment?

If Warby Parker had chosen to go with traditional media in launching their business it would first have cost them a much larger sum to try to permeate the eye glass market. A TV advertisement would cost them millions and still not be targeted specifically to just those who are interested in ordering glasses online. Warby Parker uses technology to engage the customers to make this exchange feel like a more personalized experience (Mahoney, 2017). This is why social media is perfect for Warby Parker. 

 To see what is happening with Warby Parker in 2020, you can visit them at www.warbyparker.com

Final Thoughts

I cant help but feel that what Warby Parker has done is a great model of how to engage those specific social media users that are interested in glasses. Social media platforms like facebook and Twitter will give them the option to target their ads to those who have been searching for new glasses recently. My favorite thing that they do is to involve current and former customers. Social media is also used to prompt users to share their positive experiences with friends. Not only does this become a part of their new schemata of interpretation, it allows new customers to hear about the product through an already trusted source, rather than through a business’s self-promotion (Mahoney, 2017). This type of campaign builds brand loyalty as well.

References:

Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2017). Strategic social media: From marketing to social change. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.