Digitally Savvy Mark Girls Become the New Avon Ladies
In 2003, Avon Products Inc. spun off its youth-focused beauty line Mark into a Web 1.0 world. The company -- and brand -- has evolved to be anything but.
Posted 2/ 4 10 at 1:46 PM | Business Trends, Sales
Text Size:
A A AIn 2003, Avon Products Inc. spun off its youth-focused beauty line Mark into a Web 1.0 world. The company -- and brand -- has evolved to be anything but.
Just as the Internet has transformed, so has Avon, jumping fearlessly into social networking and successfully redefining "Avon Ladies" for a whole new generation. Door-to-door selling is fast becoming replaced by tweet to tweet, wall to wall and other digitally savvy strategies. While competitors like Mary Kay Inc. also use social networking, Avon hopes its 40,000 Mark Girls in North America will lead the way in hipifying direct selling.
Just as the Internet has transformed, so has Avon, jumping fearlessly into social networking and successfully redefining "Avon Ladies" for a whole new generation. Door-to-door selling is fast becoming replaced by tweet to tweet, wall to wall and other digitally savvy strategies. While competitors like Mary Kay Inc. also use social networking, Avon hopes its 40,000 Mark Girls in North America will lead the way in hipifying direct selling.
The move seems to be working. In 2008, Mark signed on MTV reality star/fashionista/bestselling author Lauren Conrad as the brand's new face. And at latest count, more than 86,000 members had joined Mark's Facebook fan page.
Sales reps targeting the demographic of hip teens and twentysomething college-age women sell products in a variety of high-tech ways, including a recently launched Facebook e-shop, Twitter, MySpace, iPhone app and their personal eBoutique.
Social networking is at the heart of Mark's popularity and success and a priority for Avon. The direct sales giant has reportedly planned to spend $50 million on social networking over the next few years.
"I use Twitter and Facebook to promote my Mark business," says 21-year-old Anna Rice, a Mark Girl currently attending Northeastern University in Boston who has sold Mark products for more than a year. "Sometimes I'll tweet a coupon code or sale that we're having along with the link to my store and use the hashtag #deals. I have a Facebook group my friends have all joined, so when I want to offer a special discount, I'll send them all a message."
I asked Rice why she chose Mark over Avon or one of the company's competitors. "I love Mark, because it's younger than Avon and more fashion-forward," she says. "Since I'm interested in a career in fashion in the future, Mark is perfect for me. The makeup and clothes are really trendy and inexpensive, so they are easy to sell. I didn't want to sell Avon or Mary Kay, because there are monthly sales minimums, and since I am in school and busy with internships and homework, I didn't need that additional stress. I also love the social aspect of Mark. I enjoy 'meeting' other girls on the message boards and sharing sales tips."
The experience is teaching Rice and plenty of other Mark Girls real-world business skills as well, including managing a budget and taxes, building customer loyalty, marketing and running promotions. And although she isn't yet making a living off of Mark, the gig brings in extra spending cash and fits easily into her schedule.
Sales reps can get started for $20 and earn 30% commission on beauty, jewelry, and fashion items sold. Designed with affordability in mind, the products, which Mark advertises on its Web site as "inspired by the hottest runway looks of the season," are set at a lower price point than those sold by big sister Avon.
Sales reps targeting the demographic of hip teens and twentysomething college-age women sell products in a variety of high-tech ways, including a recently launched Facebook e-shop, Twitter, MySpace, iPhone app and their personal eBoutique.
Social networking is at the heart of Mark's popularity and success and a priority for Avon. The direct sales giant has reportedly planned to spend $50 million on social networking over the next few years.
"I use Twitter and Facebook to promote my Mark business," says 21-year-old Anna Rice, a Mark Girl currently attending Northeastern University in Boston who has sold Mark products for more than a year. "Sometimes I'll tweet a coupon code or sale that we're having along with the link to my store and use the hashtag #deals. I have a Facebook group my friends have all joined, so when I want to offer a special discount, I'll send them all a message."
I asked Rice why she chose Mark over Avon or one of the company's competitors. "I love Mark, because it's younger than Avon and more fashion-forward," she says. "Since I'm interested in a career in fashion in the future, Mark is perfect for me. The makeup and clothes are really trendy and inexpensive, so they are easy to sell. I didn't want to sell Avon or Mary Kay, because there are monthly sales minimums, and since I am in school and busy with internships and homework, I didn't need that additional stress. I also love the social aspect of Mark. I enjoy 'meeting' other girls on the message boards and sharing sales tips."
The experience is teaching Rice and plenty of other Mark Girls real-world business skills as well, including managing a budget and taxes, building customer loyalty, marketing and running promotions. And although she isn't yet making a living off of Mark, the gig brings in extra spending cash and fits easily into her schedule.
Sales reps can get started for $20 and earn 30% commission on beauty, jewelry, and fashion items sold. Designed with affordability in mind, the products, which Mark advertises on its Web site as "inspired by the hottest runway looks of the season," are set at a lower price point than those sold by big sister Avon.
AP
- 'TOUGH CHOICES': President Obama's 2013 Budget Juggles Austerity, Stimulus Measures - CBS MoneyWatch
- 'WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU': Whitney Houston Music Sales Skyrocket Following Untimely Death - CNNMoney
- STUPID CUPID: Office Can Be Awkward Place On Valentine's Day - MSNBC
- THE NEXT ECONOMIC SHOCK: Student Loan Debt - FOX Business
- HELIUM SHORTAGE: Last Minute Valentine's Day Gift Shoppers In For Deflating Surprise - IBTimes
- BACK FROM THE DEAD: Bank Accounts Are Hard To Close, And Even Harder To Keep Closed - The Huffington Post
- FROM THE BANK TO YOUR TANK: 5 Reasons We’ll See $4 Gas By Memorial Day - InvestorPlace
- TOGETHER WE STAND: The States With The Strongest And Weakest Unions - 24/7 Wall St.
