Empowering women Awards 2011

Avon UK and Women’s Aid Empowering Women Awards 2011 In association with Marie Claire The Avon UK and Women’s Aid Empowering Women Awards are a platform to celebrate the amazing achievements and incredible bravery of women who have either been affected by domestic violence themselves, or who are working tirelessly in the field to support those who have experienced abuse. The winners will be chosen by a specially selected panel of judges made up of high-profile and inspirational women. The Judging Panel: Women’s Aid Patron Sarah Brown Women’s Aid Supporter Alesha Dixon Women’s Aid Ambassador Charlie Webster AVON Regional Senior Vice President Anna Segatti Marie Claire Editor Trish Halpin Women’s Aid CEO Nicola Harwin CBE Applications are now open to nominate yourself or an individual who you think deserves to be recognised for their achievements. Applications close on 8th June 2011. Terms and conditions of entry apply. The awards aim to empower women who are affected by domestic abuse by recognising inspirational individuals in the following categories: Woman Survivor of the Year Child Survivor of the Year Grass Roots Hero Marie Claire Campaigner Against Domestic Violence Winners will be presented with their awards at a special afternoon tea ceremony in London in July 2011. In order to be eligible for an Empowering Women Award applicants and those being nominated must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident in the UK, or a registered charity. Terms and Conditions apply, please see Terms and Conditions of entry. Due to the sensitive nature of these awards, any person or charity nominating an individual for an award must have the express consent of the individual being nominated before submitting their application. The individual being nominated must also agree to the publication of their photograph and story by Women’s Aid, Avon and Marie Claire.

Gail Reynolds in the Observer Magazine November 2010

 

Gail force: Gail Reynolds started selling door-to-door eight years ago and now has a business worth £5m. Photograph: Richard Saker for the Observer 

In 2002, at the age of 31, Gail Reynolds had moved to Hastings for a job at an accountancy firm when she saw an advert that said: Join Avon, Meet New People. “And that was why I joined – because I was lonely. I gave up my job at the accountant’s after three months, and then went on to meet all my goals – I bought a car, I got married, we went on our first holiday abroad, we bought a home. By 2015 I’ll have bought my next house in Bowleaze Cove, which is like millionaires’ row. I was brought up on an estate, to work, pay bills and sleep. I’m one of 53 grandchildren and, apart from me, they all work in shops and factories. So I love my life,” she says. “But while most people join Avon to earn an extra £50 around Christmas, you do have to be very competitive to do well, to win the Mercedes, to get the prize holidays in New York and Berlin, for being one of the top 20 sales leaders.” 

Later, Gail and Brian show me their trophy cabinet. First, the cabinet itself, “Beautiful wood, solid oak, it’ll look amazing in the new house,” and then the Avon trophies, shelves and shelves of them, alongside a framed photograph of Gail with Avon spokeswoman Reese Witherspoon, one of the celebrities (along with Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas) who has helped combat the brand’s occasionally mumsy image, and fundraised for their female-focused causes – breast cancer and domestic violence. On the wall of the Reynolds’s bright, sunlit office, a map of Britain is pinned beside a print which reads: “It’s a hard life.”

Despite Avon’s current boom, and the success of the individuals whose home businesses are thriving, Carly Syme, retail analyst at Verdict, predicts trouble ahead for the company’s reliance on door-to-door sales. “The mail-order market itself is a declining one,” she says, “and that is really impacting on Avon’s sales. While it is putting more focus on the online channel [in 1997, Avon became the first major beauty brand to sell online], this needs to be a real focus for it over the coming years if it is to attract new customers to the brand.”

When I ask Brian Reynolds about the impact that web sales have on his business, he says the two – the “real-life” doorstep sales, and the impersonal web ones – are so far removed that he doesn’t worry about it. Sales on Avon’s website make up just 5% of its £10bn international annual revenue. In fact, Brian says, web sales are soon to benefit home sellers – Avon is talking about changing the way online orders work so that each purchase will require a representative to log the buyer in. But, when I later ask an Avon spokesperson about this move, she denies it with a sharp shake of the head.

“Innovation is something that is absolutely vital in health and beauty,” Syme says, “and while Avon has been developing new products, it struggles to justify higher price points to its customers compared to its store-based competitors.” Customers are willing to pay premium prices for health and beauty products, adds Syme, but door-to-door selling is typically the place for low-cost sales. Will Avon be able to break out of its bargain-basement image?

It’s an odd contradiction, the growing achievements of Avon’s representatives and the relative doom of Avon itself, a brand only limited by its own sales methods, but whose methods are the thing that makes it unique. While analysts forecast a fall, its Avon ladies and Avon men are thriving in this recession; as well as the much-documented lipstick effect (when facing an economic crisis, consumers are tempted by small luxuries) which is no doubt contributing to their buoyant local sales, the business model is such that there are opportunities to build new careers from the ashes of redundancy, at least as long as Avon’s name and heritage remains in lights.

For now, the sales leaders seem thrilled, dazzled by their success, and rightly proud of the business skills they’ve acquired, skills that they articulate confidently, and publish as advice for their team in comprehensive coloured leaflets stacked on their dining table, skills that seem to have risen to the surface recently, like bodies suddenly floating up from the bottom of a muddy lake.

The future is bright for the Reynolds. Each year stands for another incentive – in the Drive Your Dream scheme they’ve won their car, now bright with Avon logos (bronze level gets you a car worth £16,500, silver £25,000 and gold £35,000) and next year they’ll win another. Gail is writing a business book. Brian is taking flying lessons. In the Avon newsletter he’s pictured in black tie on a trip they won to Mallorca, a blond streak in his fringe, his brilliantly white teeth shining. In the background the blue sea shivers seamlessly into a blue sky, and a caption to the right details the home they’ve bought, the holidays they’ve won. “However,” he says, the best part of his involvement in Avon, “has been the friends I have made, genuine people who are all living the dream.”

Empowering Women Awards Launch

I was at the launch of this amazing Event.

Meeting the stars was an amazing experience but being amongst people who are passionate about helping women that suffer at the hands Domestic Violence was even more powerful experience.

Take a look at the link and help raise awareness for both the Women’s Aid and Refuge charities

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You should have a strong mind and heart to be able to watch this short clip and not be moved to do something about domestic violence towards women today.

Join Avon and help raise awareness and create an Income for your family too

Watch the clip CUT MOVIE

And help the cause

What is International Women’s Day? March the 8th is International Women’s Day, where women around the world celebrate the economic, social and political achievements of women, past, present and future.

To mark the occasion, we invited customers, experts and celebrities to share their tried and tested beauty secrets with us – look out for their tips throughout Brochure 6.

Avon is dedicated to empowering women and supporting their causes, such as the fight against breast cancer and domestic violence. We believe that every woman should have a voice, so we are supporting International Women’s Day, and want you to celebrate with us!

8th March Avon Celebrates International Women