Branding Lessons From Warby Parker... [PT.1]

Neil Blumenthal: Brand Building Through Narrative & Vulnerability from Piers Fawkes on Vimeo.

If you have never heard of the eye wear line Warby Parker its only a matter of time. Their glasses are known for their modern and stylish design for a price point that is hard to refuse, $99. However, what makes Warby Parker so unique is their business model that allows them to give one pair of glasses for every one sold. Founder, Neil Blumenthal shares nuggets from the brand meteoric rise in this 18-minute video from his talk at PSFK.

One of the nuggets that he talks about is understanding the power of design. When he worked for a non-profit helping women in third countries start businesses helping supply people with glasses, he noticed no matter where he went in the world that people loved a good pair of well designed glasses that actually look good on them. This insight helps me see how important that any project that I am working on it is important to understand the tastes of the people that I am designing a brand experience for. People want to be apart of things that have an aesthetic that speaks to them and represents.

Another take away from the talk is when Neil was speaking about through his research he found out that 100 of millions of people did not have access to eyeglasses. This finding drove his curiosity and need to find a practical solution. This finding also shaped his the brands business model of giving  a pair of glasses to those in need.

What I learned from this was the need to really identify a large segment of the market to serve. Sometimes we have a tendency of developing a business model that does not fully correlate with the market that you are servicing. The reality is that a business model that is viable and sustainable must be molded and shaped by service. Getting real feedback and responses from the variation and iterations of your products and services in the actual market positions your customers to be co-creators of the product or service that is being provided.

In part two, I will discuss,

• 'The Power of Crafting a Narrative', 
• 'Prioritizing Your Message Based On Customers Buying Priorities' 
• and much more...