Avon or Mary Kay?

While doing research for my peak pitch, I found an article discussing how Avon had reinvented its online image in 2005. Avon, for those who don’t know, is a makeup company in the same strain as Mary Kay. They’re known mainly as a representative company, their products are sold by sales representatives who hold “house parties” that feature Avon products. What’s interesting about their new online image is that instead of having one website that answers every need, Avon has two websites—Avon.com where consumers can buy directly from the company and YourAvon.com, which is directed for sales representatives. As the article featured on Plonka International’s website says, “in effect, Avon is competing against its Avon ladies.” I found this interesting, because for companies such as Avon or Mary Kay, the sales representative is a huge part of their image. Avon’s tagline is “the company for women” and Mary Kay’s is “enriching women’s lives.” As the majority of sales reps for these companies are women, a huge part of their appeal over other makeup companies is that they advertise that their products enable women to build successful careers as well as make you look prettier. What does allowing for online purchases do to Avon’s image? Does it undermine their sales representatives? If so, will that turn away potential customers? In contrast, Mary Kay’s website only offers information about their products and gives information about sales reps near you. Is this a better way of staying true to the image they project? Unfortunately I couldn’t find which company makes more money, so I’m not sure which company has the right idea.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/13/berglass-apple-abercrombie-leadership-clayton-christensen-merchandising-innovation.html

http://www.plonka.com/website/contents/avon.asp

https://www.youravon.com/REPSuite/login.page

http://avon.com/

http://www.marykay.com/