Backbone of the business: Avon gives back to women
As a company that depends on the patronage and loyalty of women, Avon Philippines has reaffirmed its commitment to giving back to its clientele by continuing to champion their empowerment and promoting their health and well-being.
New Avon Philippines’ general manager Vanee Gosiengfiao says the company would continue to advocate for and help women, support transformational initiatives, including financial literacy.
After all, Avon is not only relying on the brand loyalty of women but has always depended on an army of women to promote and sell its products to other females.
Gosiengfiao says Avon remained the No. 1 direct selling company in the world (there are five million Avon representatives around the globe) thanks in no small measure to the commitment, diligence and perseverance of its women brand promoters.
As it marks its 46th year in the Philippines, Avon is determined to keep its leading status in make-up, intimate apparel, lotions, and fine fragrances by reaffirming its commitment to empowering women and pursuing innovation and excellence.
Despite the competition from many brands offered primarily by online sellers, Avon is confident discerning buyers will remain loyal to its products even if other brands are being offered at much lower prices.
“Avon is more than just affordability — we use our world-class innovation capabilities to develop top-rated, award-winning products and we ensure the very best in beauty is accessible to all,” Gosiengfiao says.
“Our representatives also offer personalized experiences for their customers. (They) help them with their beauty choices,” she adds.
Gosiengfiao also stresses that with every purchase of an Avon product, the company was actually giving back to its customers as sales contributed to the progress of women. Selling Avon products has not only helped uplift the lives of the women entrepreneurs, who make up the army of direct sellers, and their families but also advanced causes that the company had promoted and supported all these years, like breast cancer awareness and fighting gender-based violence.
Online rivals
Still, in the face of serious challenges posed by online selling, Gosiengfiao says the company makes sure its sellers are reskilled and upskilled to deal with the competition.
“We offer them (sellers) access to extensive training, digital tools and various incentives to help their business succeed not just in traditional spaces, but also in accelerating their success online,” she says.
Gosiengfiao stresses that for Avon, their representatives were more than just sellers of products, “they are entrepreneurs.” She says that in her meetings with the women, as she familiarized herself with her new responsibilities and got to know the company’s front liners, left her in awe of the passion of the “Avon ladies who work tirelessly to change their lives and their families’ lives.”
As she took on her new responsibilities, Gosiengfiao says, “I want Avon to continue to be the preferred brand because we offer aspirational beauty at irresistible value, not just in direct selling but across various channels. Our strategy is to drive growth through our omni-channel experience, harnessing our presence across all consumer touchpoints to complement Avon’s robust direct selling model, so our customers can shop however they prefer.”
She adds that “our purposeful work continues, to create a better world for women by empowering female entrepreneurs and contributing to causes that matter to them.”
As the company celebrates more than four decades of helping Filipino women look and feel their best, Avon is committed to maintain and improve on its current status in the Philippine market.
“We remain the No. 1 direct selling brand in the country with over 180 branches (throughout the archipelago). With our award-winning line-up of products, we are proud to be the No. 1 brand in makeup, lotion, and intimate apparel in the Philippines; No. 1 fragrance brand in the world by volume,” Gosiengfiao says.
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