When a student lost his eyeglasses during a hiking trip, he was shocked by the cost to replace them. Like many students, money was tight, and he grudgingly went an entire semester unable to see clearly. 

It was this frustration, shared by friends, that lead to the founding of Warby Parker. So it was in 2010 when it became a pioneer in the online eyeglasses business, a move that would completely reshape the buying experience. The concept was simple: reduce costs dramatically by cutting out the middle and directly to consumers online.

The idea of shopping for glasses online caught on - fast - and within a year, the company had sold out of its entire inventory. Today, the company has about 200 retail stores in addition to its online business, with plans to open more.

Public Relations From the Start

As a startup, the company we careful with its spending, choosing to focus on three things:

At first glance, PR may seem a strange place to place focus during a launch. But in Warby Parker's case, it propelled them into a known, and interesting, entity at speed. Two features in particular made a difference: writeups in Vogue and GQ. This led to the company being called, "a line of boutique vintage-inspired frames and lenses for savvy urbanites at a revolutionary price point" and "The Netflix of eyewear." Within weeks, Warby Parker had a waitlist of more than 20,000 prospective customers. 

A Problem and a Solution

Of course, having 20,000 people on a waitlist sounds great. But, it can be a problem if those people are frustrated by limited access to a product. 

Warby Parker, though, addressed this head-on. The company engaged in a personalized email communications effort and introduced what became a hugely popular Home Try-On program. This effort enabled the new company to connect with consumers and create a cultural foundation to build on.

Social Media Drives Growth

To understand how Warby Parker built on its early success, once needs only to look at its use of social media. The company has made an effort to get to know its community, and it shows. 

Here are some of the ways Warby Parker has effectively used social media: 

Culture-Jacking

If you don't know, culture-jacking is the concept of creating an association between a product and a seemingly unrelated event. Warby Parker has done this exceptionally well. For example, during the solar eclipse of 2017, the company created a highly successful Instagram campaign using the hashtag #WarbySolarEclipse2017.

In it, the company started a conversation by creating a connection between itself and safety concerns around viewing an eclipse. This was followed by additional posts, including the day of the eclipse, in which it posted a safety checklist and a video of it passing over one of their stores.

User-Generated Content

Warby Parker also encourages its social media followers to share their own content. This is particularly effective in conjunction with the company's try before you buy service as it asks participants not only to upload photos of their try-ons, but to actively ask for feedback from family and friends. 

What results is engagement driven not by Warby Parker, but by its social media community. And this championing of user-generated content pays off: the company has found that people who share their try-on photos are 50% more likely to buy. 

Customer Service Through Social Media

Another way Warby Parker has succeeded on social media is by using it as a mean to provide customer service. When a consumer reaches out through its platforms, the company actually takes time to respond. And, it goes a step further: If an explanation starts to get too complicated, Warby Parker makes a video and posts it on its social pages. 

The result is a high level of engagement and a consumer journey filled with positive feedback.

Wrap Up

Warby Parker changed the eyeglasses retain industry when it launched on e-commerce storefront to reduce costs and sell direct to consumers. Great public relations in the early stages put the company on the map and created awareness.

Since then, it has leveraged social media in ways many companies must wish for. Warby Parker has created a true social community, driven by its followers and reliant on user-generated content. Furthermore, it has successfully used social media as a direct and personal customer service resource. Combined, these point to a growing, thriving company and community.

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