TOMS SHOES LOGO

Hi TOMS fans! 

This is Pete, E-Commerce Intern at TOMS HQ.  I’ve hi-jacked the Intern Blog this week to turn the spotlight back on an Intern you’ve heard from quite a bit over the last six weeks, but haven’t met yet.  Alyssa is our Social Media intern, and boy does she have an amazing role in one of the coolest departments here at HQ.


Alyssa, the Social Media Intern, and Pete, the E-commerce intern, in the lobby at TOMS HQ

All of us interns are working hard and getting in the groove of our own departments, but Alyssa’s job is
especially important because she’s an integral part of the team who gets to speak to you -- our fans, friends and followers.  You are such a meaningful part of everything we do at HQ, I thought it would be fun for you to meet this smiling face.

How did you first hear about TOMS?

I first heard about TOMS while at school at the University of Michigan, but I didn't really learn more about TOMS and the One for One movement until I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal and saw many of the volunteers wearing TOMS shoes.

What is it about the company or the movement that led you to apply to intern at TOMS?

The most interesting aspect of TOMS for me is that it's a for-profit business. I applied because I wanted to meld my business background with a good cause. I wanted to work for a company where I thought I could make a difference, and where I felt that it wasn't all about the money.

Tell me a little bit about your department.

The Social Media department is responsible for all of TOMS messaging to TOMS fans through Facebook, Twitter, the TOMS blog and other mediums. The Social Media department is great because we work with the Creative department on the different assets posted online, the Giving department on content, and the Retail department on the creation of displays and events among others. There are always different projects going on, and I have the opportunity to learn a lot from other departments and be up-to-date on what's going on at TOMS!

Why is Social Media important to TOMS?

Social Media is important to TOMS because it allows TOMS to interact with TOMS Fans who are the people who drive the One for One movement. To hear how TOMS inspires fans makes it exciting to come to work every day to read their stories and see the pictures of where they've taken their TOMS.

What is a typical day at TOMS for you?

As the Social Media intern, I track the type of content and when it's posted each morning. I also approve comments on MySpace and YouTube, approve pictures on the blog, and track different conversations happening on TOMS social media outlets. Apart from my daily tasks, I do a lot of research on how other brands use social media and what TOMS can learn from them.

What makes you good at what you do at TOMS? What prepared you for this?

Really enjoying research is definitely a plus since I spend a lot of time looking at other brands, how to achieve certain goals, and looking for trends in the content TOMS posts. Being detail-oriented is also important since social media deals with a lot of information.

Alyssa at her desk at TOMS HQ

What are you working on right now?

Right now, I'm looking at data from recent posts to see if there's any trends that could help the social media department get the content out to more TOMS fans.

What's your favorite part of working at TOMS?

My favorite parts of the internship are getting to know other TOMS family members since everyone has such cool and unique experiences and stories, and the amount of variety in my work. I really enjoy being able to switch between my research projects, tracking data, and checking out all of the cool quotes, pictures, and comments TOMS fans post online.

What can TOMS fans do to help spread the One for One movement?

TOMS fans can help spread the One for One movement by joining our community on Facebook, following @TOMS on Twitter, watching our videos on YouTube and reading the blog. By interacting with TOMS online fans can learn about the movement so they can tell their friends.

What’s the best way to learn about TOMS events happening in my area?

The best way to learn about TOMS events around you is to follow TOMS on Facebook! I post new events every Monday!

Be sure to check back next week, when Alyssa will bring us another awesome installment of the Intern Blog!