So this was a bit difficult...

I didn’t expect it to be, but nevertheless, I had to really do some digging to find out the information for this.  On a good note, Vibram’s website is not the most difficult website to navigate and audit.  It has a simple structure that breaks down very “tree-like,” so going into a quantitative audit wasn’t incredibly hard. 

What I find interesting about Vibram as a company is that their social networking, blogging and new media work exists for pretty much only one facet of the company – their FiveFingers brand.  This might be because of their uniqueness in the market, or maybe having to do with their appeal to a younger audience more interested in running a different way.  Aside from that, the rest of the main site is simply built - pick an activity (like hiking, mountain climbing, or industrial work), and browse until you find what you want/need - simple and effective.

Vibram does have a Social Networking branch, but this also gets a bit confusing.  The easiest way to access their social network is through Facebook or Twitter, more specifically focusing on the FiveFingers' brand.  What makes it a bit more confusing would be that if you were browsing around on Facebook, you would probably encounter a TON of different Vibram communities, but not necessarily the right one (the one linked to the company).  If you were interested in following their Facebook page, the link to like them on their main site would be the best bet.

Blogging doesn’t seem a huge part of the Vibram community (unless you want to consider birthdayshoes.com the unofficial blog that I could find up to date), but Vibram does have a tester team dedicated to posting videos up on YouTube, as well as videos posted on their main site to show specific events or demos of their products' durability.  Vibram also ran a competition to see who could make the best video showcasing the use of their Five-Fingers shoes.

With social bookmarking, Vibram definitely utilizes the essential tags on Twitter like #running and #barefoot, as well as tagging their product within big events, much like the recent New York City Marathon. 

So what does this mean as far as Vibram's relationship to their audience?  For one, it was easy for me to navigate around and find out what exactly I would want/need for a heavy excursion.  Their videos and articles that they post are up to date, and their Tweets/Facebook updates definitely keep up with latest events (as I mentioned above, take the New York City Marathon).

It's intriguing to see how the FiveFingers' site is almost a different, more youthful creature, versus the corporate look of the Vibram main site.  When I went to the Vibram main site, I felt as if I was browsing a company that wanted to sell me a top-of-the-line shoe, complete with articles and videos of its triumph, sustainability and durability.  This contrasts heavily to the FiveFingers' branch, which feels more like a community - you can check out different barefoot activities to do, watch videos of different athletes (both professional and amateur) and engage in a lifestyle, versus feeling like you're being sold to.  This makes me want to engage more with just the FiveFingers site only - it feels like a family versus a group of salesmen.