Avon is currently undergoing a makeover that is seeing it charge towards an unprecedented digital transformation.

In a strategic move towards this further transformation, the cosmetics brand, known for its army of sales representatives, recently promoted former CMO, Kristof Neirynck to the position of Chief Executive. This promotion has paved the way for the appointment of Özlem Citci as the brand’s new Chief Marketing Officer, marking a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution.

Citci’s journey with Avon began in 2020 when she assumed the role of Marketing Director for Türkiye, laying the groundwork for her promotion to Head of Marketing for Europe in May 2023.

It was in this position, that Citci spearheaded one of Avon’s most ambitious transformation journeys, revolutionising commercial plans and brochures to align with the evolving mobile industry.

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Central to Avon’s transformation into mobile is its embrace of omnichannel marketing, a strategic shift aimed at enhancing brand visibility and accessibility.

“Our business model is built around human connection, and we believe relationship centricity remains key to our success,” Citci tells Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Underscoring the pivotal role of Representatives who provide personalised experiences and beauty advice within their communities, Citci says the company has “modernised relationship selling” by providing its Representatives with more ways to sell and reach customers.

This includes brands’ new digital tools like the selling app ‘AvonON’, via training courses on social selling and through offering Reps opportunities to even open up their own physical stores.

“By supporting Reps in more ways to reach their communities, we continue to provide the most personal shopping experience for our customers. Our Reps provide tailored beauty advice and are trusted experts among their communities,” she says.

On leveraging mobile marketing

“We have a fully digitised, mobile-enabled, shoppable brochure, enabling Reps to share it directly with customers via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, without draining mobile data,” Citci says.

Finding a correct balance between mobile marketing and direct selling, she identifies both challenges and opportunities.

Avon’s commitment to empowering representatives as digital entrepreneurs underscores its dedication to delivering personalised experiences that resonate with modern consumers.

For example, to optimise an omnichannel journey for its customers, Avon is focusing on understanding and addressing its customers’ pain points and opportunities, ensuring seamless and consistent experiences for all customers – from personal product recommendations, ratings, and reviews, through to payment options.

It is also ensuring a customer-centric approach, to ensure it’s creating emotional, personalised connections at the right place and time, with the right message and evolving its omnichannel customer experience, which leverages its brand pillars of trust, community, and personalisation through providing experiences that enlighten and guide, connect and empower its Reps and customers.

Meanwhile, Citci cites success stories from around the world, where representatives have leveraged social media platforms like TikTok to reach new customer segments and drive sales.

“Whilst not available in all of Avon’s markets, we see social selling catching on more and know it will continue to grow worldwide,” she states.

This comes as 52% of millennials are thought to have bought a product because they saw it on TikTok in the last year.

She notes: “Coupled with the authentic and “real” nature of the platform, this is an opportunity for Avon to continue to empower Representatives to utilise TikTok as a sales tool to offer their products to customers.”

“We are continuously evolving and optimising our mobile experience to keep pace with how customers like to buy in each individual market we operate in.”

On a data-driven approach thanks to AI

At the heart of Avon’s mobile marketing initiatives lies a data-driven approach to personalisation, where Citci showcases the brand’s use of AI-powered tools to provide consumers with accurate skin analysis and personalised product recommendations.

Citci also reveals Avon is leveraging the use of AI for campaign planning and some creatives.

“It is all about leveraging the marketing technology out there to help digitise our Reps and their businesses at pace.

“However, the human touch will never lessen in importance, only we have a true understanding of peoples’ pain points and that informs campaigns that are routed in human truths and resonate powerfully with our customers.”

Meanwhile, AI is not the only technology Avon is leveraging.

Like the skincare tool, the organisation has also tapped into Augmented Reality (AR), which allows customers to virtually try on lipsticks enabling them to find the perfect shade through technology. The tool is available on the Avon website and gives customers the opportunity to virtually try different lipstick colours to see which suits them best.

On the principles of sustainability and social responsibility

“Our sustainability strategy underpins our entire business, incorporating both people and planet initiatives, and is inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” Citci states.

“It commits us to reducing emissions from our operations and supply chain, innovating in sustainable packaging solutions, and switching to regenerative ingredients.”

She adds that the company is looking to provide packaging that is made from recyclable or recycled materials and ensure its ingredients are derived from more natural formulations, in line with its pledge for all its packaging to be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030.

On the future of the brand

Citci notes: “Our focus for the coming year is to continue with our ongoing omnichannel, digital and brand transformation.

“In 2023, we began to refresh our brand look and feel and, as part of this, we’re rolling out new product packaging in the next 18 months which will be much more modern, elegant, and streamlined.”

The Chief Marketing Officer also reveals the firm is working on developing further apps and digital tools.

“Our aim is to continue improving and evolving the customer experience and support our Reps to tap into new consumer segments who undoubtedly want a beauty expert to support them, but who are also digital-first, busy and technology-loving – and keen to try our products,” she concludes.