What Can School Marketers Learn From a SOCK Company?

Strategy

I admit it: my phone beckons me often during the day. Especially during the holiday season, when I’m constantly remembering new things to prepare and new people to shop for. (Plus, I love seeing all the cute kid-with-Santa photos on Facebook).

So, I find myself mindlessly scrolling a lot. And because of that, I feel like I’m pretty immune to online ads. I’m used to glossing over them, I know they’re trying to retarget me (sorry, Nordstrom, I’m not biting … this time), and I feel like I’ve seen them all.

That’s why I even surprised myself when I stopped and watch an ENTIRE video ad a few weeks back.
And liked it.
And clicked through.
And bought the product.

So, who was this masterful advertiser who captured my attention and lured me into their trap?

It was a sock company.

Now, I’ve never thought much about socks. At all. And I’ve most certainly never visited an online retailer specifically for socks, let alone purchased them. But this was a different circumstance. A special circumstance.

And it was all because of the story.

The company: Bombas.
The name comes from the Latin word for bumblebee, and you’ll see why that’s meaningful when you watch the video…

So, now you get it.
Bombas makes high-quality, stylish socks … but so do a lot of companies. It’s their mission, their story, that makes these socks worth something more:

For every pair of Bombas you purchase, we’ll donate a pair to someone in need. Already this year, we’re committed to donating tens of thousands of pairs of socks, with lots more to come. It’s the reason we started this company and the motivation to keep designing and producing better socks.

That’s pretty awesome. That’s something I can get behind. I can feel good about my purchase. And the video told that story in a way that was interesting, and witty, and meaningful.
I think this little product-based video can be a lesson to us all when it comes to online storytelling. Because in 3.5 minutes, Bombas answers:

Why should I CARE? (Because giving socks are a small way to make a real and tangible difference in someone’s life.)
What’s in it for ME? (I can feel good about helping an important cause, and also get a high-quality product.)
Why listen to THEM? (Because they know what they’re doing. They make “The Best Socks in the History of Feet.” They’ve done the research and are continuously improving their product. They’ve given me ample reasons to believe.)

And finally, it ends by thanking ME, the viewer. For making an impact. An impact I may not have made yet. But I certainly now want to. So what do I do?

I buy some socks. And I feel good.

And that’s the power of awesome storytelling.