Avon Visual Strategy Guide

WHERE WE WERE

Visual Strategy Guide

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AVON

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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

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Visual Strategy Guide

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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

WHERE WE WERE

“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.”

—BLAKE LIVELY, AMERICAN ACTRESS

CONTENTS

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WHERE WE WERE

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WHERE WE ARE

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Overview & History

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Who We Were

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The Founder

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Who We Are

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The First Avon Lady

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Our Mission

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Women’s Causes

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Avon’s Journey

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AUDIENCES

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COMPETITORS

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Personas

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Current Competitors

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Outliners

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Adjacent Competitors

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Aspirational Competitors

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01 WHERE WE WERE 8 10 12 16 18

Overview & History The Founder The Avon Lady Women’s Causes Avon’s Journey

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OVERVIEW & HISTORY Avon Products, Inc, know as Avon, was founded by David McConnell in 1886.

Avon started as a perfume company and became a cosmetics company later on. Avon invites women as their representatives to sell the products. It allowed the housewife to earn their own money when there were not many women worked outside the home at that time. The sisterhood relationship is the core of the business networking.

After several decades success with the direct selling business model in over 100 countries, in 2008, Avon had been investigated for possible violations of the law in China, including possible bribery and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Avon began a probe of its China division after allegations of bribery in June 2008. At least four executives, both in Asia and in the United States, were suspended in 2010.

Avon has spent over $170 million on legal fees and costs related to the investigation.

However, It is still the fifth-largest beauty company. With 6.4 million representatives, it’s also the second largest direct selling enterprise in the world.

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THE FOUNDER Avon’s Founder David McConnell offered women a rarity in 19th century America: a chance at financial independence.

In 1886, it was practically unheard of for a woman to run her own business. Only about 5 million women in the United States were working outside the home, let alone climbing the ranks of any corporate ladder. That number accounted for just 20% of all women.

On the heels of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, women were mainly confined to jobs in agriculture, domestic service and manufacturing, not exactly glamorous lines of work; the manufacturing sector, in particular, was notorious for its dangerous working conditions. On top of that, women’s wages across the board were a fraction of men’s.

David H. McConnell (1858–1937)

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For many women, McConnell would radically alter that scenario. The man behind the company for women was the son of Irish immigrants and grew up on a farm. Yet, it was this young man from rural New York, a visionary leader decades ahead of his time, who would become a pioneer in empowering women. McConnell, a bookseller-turned-perfume entrepreneur, would offer women the opportunity to create and manage their own businesses through what later became known as direct selling.

WHERE WE WERE

“If we stop and look over the past and then into the future, we can see that the possibilities are growing greater and greater every day; that we have scarcely begun to reach the proper results from the field we have before us.”

—DAVID H. MCCONNELL, AVON’S FOUNDER

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“With her good business sense, Persis welcomed the chance to sell perfume.

Earning income with which to raise her two children during a time when there were few employment options.

The face-to-face direct selling approach relied on Persis' social skills and her reputation in the community, in addition to the quality and desirability of the products she promoted.”

—THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY

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WHERE WE WERE

THE AVON LADY Before women had the right to vote of had a true means of financial independence, there was one woman from within Avon’s history that defied conventions—the first-ever Representative, Mrs. Persis Foster Eames Albee.

This New Hampshire lady, born in 1836, was known for her style and savvy, which attracted the attention of Avon founder David H. McConnell. He asked her to be the company’s first traveling salesperson, and the rest is history.

Whether you’re working to rise through the corporate ranks or are an entrepreneur about to launch the next great idea, we can all learn a thing (or five) from this one-woman powerhouse.

Persis Foster Eames Albee (1836–1914)

Imagine this: A confident and in-control Albee wraps up one successful sale, and off she goes up the street to greet the next customer and close the next sale. Albee leaned in to her new gig, and the hard work paid off in all sectors of her life.

In a letter to McConnell, she wrote, “I know of no line of work so lucrative, pleasant and satisfactory as this.”

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1. TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH. Call it the original startup. In 1886, Mrs. P.F.E. Albee took a risk and accepted an offer from founder David H. McConnell (then transitioning out of the book business) to work as a door-to-door salesperson for what was then called the California Perfume Company. “Mrs. Albee was one of the most successful General Agents I had in the book work, and it was in her hands I placed the first sample case, or outfit, in the perfume business,” McConnell wrote in 1903. Known for her genteel nature and voracious ambition, Albee traveled by horse-drawn wagon, train, or by foot, offering perfumes to those she encountered—talk about some serious hustle.

2. HAVE A GAME PLAN. Her determination paid off, and Albee was soon hired to take over the daily operations of perfume sales. Of course, she went full throttle with her mission. Capitalizing on the growing popularity of perfume, she expanded her travels beyond her tiny New Hampshire town to the entire Northeast. Albee developed a business plan in which she recruited women to serve as “depot agents,” selling products in their own neighborhoods. “It is, therefore, only befitting that we give her the honorary title of Mother of the California Perfume Company,” McConnell wrote. The strategy was so successful it became one of the key identifiers of the company that’s still used today.

3. LOVE WHAT YOU DO. Imagine this: A confident and in-control Albee wraps up one successful sale, and off she goes up the street to greet the next customer and close the next sale. Albee leaned in to her new gig, and the hard work paid off in all sectors of her life.

In a letter to McConnell, she wrote, I know of no line of work so lucrative, pleasant and satisfactory as this.”

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4. ALWAYS DRESS FOR SUCCESS. Talk about power dressing! Much like she lived her life, Albee dressed with no fear, making style statement after statement in ensembles such as lavender taffeta gowns with tiered layers, exaggerated sleeves and look-at-me trains. A seasoned and stylish traveler, she saw no reason to dress down while on the road. In 2015 speak, her outfits went viral when the famously elegant attire later inspired a Mrs. P.F.E. Albee special edition Barbie.

5. SPREAD THE LOVE. Albee’s enthusiasm was entirely contagious. As Avon’s first traveling saleswoman, she recruited other determined ladies to work for the company. In fact, Albee succeeded in empowering women by incorporating them into the mainstream business world 34 years before women even had the right to vote! One of the company’s first employees, Ann Meany, gave Albee a solid endorsement, writing in her memoirs: “She was about 60 in 1985 and was still making trips, working almost entirely under Mr. McConnell’s direction.

She was the daughter of a minister and so sweet and lovely she deserves a whole volume just to herself. Today, Avon Representatives have really placed her on a pedestal —literally. Since 1969, the company has awarded highly coveted 10-inch tall porcelain figurines of Albee to the company’s top sales representatives. And yes, it’s still a Very Big Deal to receive one.

WHERE WE WERE

Porcelain figurines of Albee as an award to top sales representatives.

Mrs. P. F. E. Albee and other Avon ladies.

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WOMEN’S CAUSES AVON FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN In addition to its corporate pursuits, in 1955, Avon created the Avon Foundation for Women with the mission of improving the lives of women and their families. The first grant is a single $400 scholarship.

Since 1955, the Avon Foundation for Women has promoted or aided charitable, scientific, educational and humanitarian activities, with a special emphasis on activities that improve the lives of women and their families.

In 1886, Avon founder David McConnell committed his company “to meet fully the obligations of corporate citizenship by contributing to the well-being of society and the environment in which it functions.” Today, these words are still central to Avon’s business and its success at Avon Products, Inc. Avon is the company that seeing beauty much deeper than the surface. It’s the company that puts mascara on lashes and food on tables. That fights wrinkles with one hand and breast cancer with the other. That knows the value of a perfect lip, but still opens its mouth and speaks out against gender-based violence and for women’s financial independence.

Beginning in 2018, the Avon Foundation shifted its geographic focus to more than 50 markets worldwide, working in partnership with affiliate Avon Foundations and Avon markets around the world.

Its efforts to eradicate breast cancer and to end violence against women worldwide have helped move these issues out of the shadows and into the public dialogue. And as attitudes continue to change—from fear and isolation to knowledge, action and empowerment—so do the lives of countless women everywhere. To date, Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women have contributed more than $1 billion to causes that matter most to women.

AVON BREAST CANCER PROMISE Beginning in the early 1990s, Avon began donating towards breast cancer research and care, through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, a series of U.S. based charity walks. Before 2003, the Walk was a function of Pallotta Teamworks, with Avon being the beneficiary. Since 2003, the charity reports that more than 180,000 Walk participants have raised $472 million for the cause.

AVON PROMISE TO HELP END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS In 2004, the Avon Foundation for Women launching the Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. Speak Out aimed to bring awareness to this issue, to educate, and to develop and implement prevention and direct service programs.

Since 2004, Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women have contributed more than $60 million globally to support these goals.

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AVON 39 The Walk To End Breast Cancer, Santa Barbara, 2017

The Justice Institute on Gender-Based Violence Launched in Colombia, 2017

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AVON’S JOURNEY

David H. McConnell founds the California Perfume Company (CPC) and hires Mrs. P.F.E. Albee to be his first Representative.

Operations begin in Montreal, Canada, marking the company’s first international expansion.

1896 1886

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1929 1914

CPC issues its first brochure.

The company is renamed Avon.

1946 1939

The Avon name and logo are first used on a cosmetics line.

Avon goes public and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1946.

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The “Ding Dong, Avon Calling“ campaign launches and runs through 1967, making it one of the longest and most successful advertising campaigns in history.

Avon U.K. launches the Breast Cancer Crusade by selling a Crusade pin to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

1955 1954

1998 1992

The Avon Foundation is founded in the U.S.

Avon names its first female CEO: Andrea Jung

2014 1999

The Company holds its first Walk to raise funds for breast cancer.

Avon continues empowering women to achieve their full potential with confidence.

2020 The Avon Foundation introduced the Justice Institute on GenderBased Violence.

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Who We Were Who We Are Our Mission

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WHERE WE ARE

WHO WE WERE McConnell Initially fostered a supportive environment with a familial feel in the company. And to him, the product and the people were everything to the company, so he dedicated himself to ensuring that both would be successful. In addition to inspiring the Representatives, McConnell also wanted to encourage the company’s employees with the same positive spirit. The old look of Avon is full of familial feeling and it’s also friendly-spirited with positive and cheerful vibes.

Friendly-spirited Familial Positive Cheerful

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WHO WE ARE While keeping the founder’s vision, we try to give Avon an upgrade. We will bring this brand to where it haven’t been before. Beyond the beauty/cosmetic industry, we’d like to empower women to take more social responsibilities to influence others and be more confident to achieve their full potential. The new Avon will be more conscious, confident, and influential.

Conscious Confident Optimistic Influential

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OUR MISSION Avon empowers women to be more confident and encourages them to seek opportunities to take more social responsibilities and achieve their full potential.

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03 AUDIENCES 32 38

Persona Outliners

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A DREAMER Anna Cook Age: 26 Job: Columnist Education: Master’s degree _She loves to write and is currently working on a book about how globalism destroys local community culture. She is looking for a publisher to publish her book. _She reads news during commuting. _Her dream is to become an independent journalist and stand for weak groups. However she lacks of experiences and her parents are against her. _She is conscious about environmental issues and has been supporting Greenpeace since she started to work. She is a vegetarian. _She is thinking about quitting her job and joining an international non-profit organization as a reporter. _She usually puts on light and natural make up because she thinks confidence is the best make up.

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AUDIENCES

FASHIONABLE WIFE Amy Godman Age: 27 Job: Vlogger Education: Bachelor’s degree _Amy Just got married for a while, no kids yet, because she is pretty busy on developing her vlog on Youtube. _She knows how to achieve different looks and how to complete a style by makeups because she start styling herself since she’s in middle school. _She likes to have her own career instead working for the others because she values the freedom of doing what she likes. _She has friends working in fashion, so she always know what’s trendy on street, which helps her get a great number of subscribers. _Spending time at a cafe for a Sunday noon with close friends is a must because it makes her feel connected. _She creates contents for several different social accounts because she knows having social impact is key to success today. _She is a Vogue subscriber because she knows a trendy handy outfit will bring her success.

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SINGLE DAD David McCoy Age: 36 Job: Driver Education: High School _He loves his five-year-old daughter and hopes she can grow up strong and independent. He tries not to over-protect her. _After his daughter born, he spent more time with his family because he doesn’t want to miss any moments of his daughter’s growing up. _He takes the education of his daughter seriously because he has already experienced the hard time of not having higher education level. _He scolds his daughter sometimes for her improper behavior but also explains the reason to educate her. _He takes his daughter to participate social events on weekend because he thinks learning from others is a good way to educate his daughter. _He starts living healthier because he feels he needs more energy to take care of his daughter.

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AUDIENCES

HOME-STAYED MOM Lora Gray Age: 34 Job: Event Planner Education: Bachelor’s degree _Two kids are Lora’s focus. She spends money on their outfits and skincare products. _Lora used to be an event planner, so her cosmetics are organized by colors and brands. _She is a Fast Company and Forbes follower on Twitter. _Makeup is necessary for the social life and the career success. She dress up professional style during the weekdays, and she never repeats same dress in a week. _She is a decision maker to her family. She prepares her husband’s outfits for the big days. _She sends her kids to go dance class for the body shape training.

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HARD-CORE RUNNER Kim Liu Age: 42 Job: White Collar Education: Bachelor’s degree _Kim’s beauty comes from her stories and experiences. _She stands for her voice and she rarely asks for helps. _She is a inner beauty believer. So reading and traveling are the best cosmetics. She said, be responsible for yourself. _She buys things for the brands, because it tells quality.

Details are the key for the styles. _She is honest to her age. She never makeup for hiding the age. _She feels great to help others. Therefore, she is the mentor for few young college girls.

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PEACEFUL ARTIST Karen Johns Age: 40 Job: Pottery Artist Education: Master’s degree _She was an architect and worked for the government, however she didn’t like the bureaucratic atmosphere so she quit her job even though it offered a good salary. _She went traveling in Asia fro half a year and fell in love with making pots. After the trip she quit her job and started to do pottery. _She is interested in Chan philosophy and tries to apply it to her daily life. She believes creativity is paying attention to every details in normal items and finding their uniqueness. _She grows organics vegetables in her backyard and hates processed food. She always says to her friends:”You are what you eat.” _She built a little studio in her basement and sometimes holds workshops for neighbors. She makes a lot of new friends through it. _She doesn’t use much makeup but she put on organic natural skincare products after showers. Sometimes she even makes soap or lotion by herself.

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SLACKER TEENAGER Diana Evans Age: 14 Job: Middle school student Education: Middle school _She always has her phones in her hand to check social media notifications. She feels anxious when she isn’t with her phone. _She doesn’t know what her passion is. So her parents make decisions for her sometimes. _She could eat same meal for a week only because she is too lazy to think. _She likes her friends’ make up and want to be like that, but she never make any changes for herself. _She like fashion but she doesn’t know what else she can do with it because she thinks working in fashion industry is hard.

She doesn’t want to do a hard job. _Her parents give her anything she wants, so she never experiences making efforts to gain what she want.

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LUCKY MILLIONAIRE Louis Wells Age: 38 Job: Trade company owner Education: Bachelor’s degree _He hates wasting time because he believes time is money. _He luckily being a millionaire in his early twenties and has his own company, after years of developing, the company is now becoming an international company. So Louis always uses his social impact to raise publics’ awareness of social issues. _He believes that everything depends on human effort. _He makes big decisions for company’s future development, and he loves that because he loves taking on responsibilities which makes him feel he is important. _He is often invited to attend economy summit and commercial conferences to give speeches. To him, it’s a good way to gain reputation and build network. _He likes to wear casual cloth because he’s so confident that appearance won’t influence his impact and abilities.

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04 COMPETITORS 42 44 46

Current Competitors Adjacent Competitors Aspirational Competitors

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CURRENT COMPETITORS

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COMPETITORS

Our current competitors are companies that offered the same or similar services and products provided by Avon.

The companies listed here advocate to provide beauty products or have the same business model—relationship-based direct selling.

NU SKIN, MARY KAY and Amway NU SKIN, MARY KAY and Amway operate their business model by direct selling and compete with Avon because their model are all relationship-based. NU SKIN sell skincare products, MARY KAY sell make up products and Amway sells everything you can use at home. Being direct selling companies, their pricing are much higher than Avon’s.

Clinique, Olay and Estee Lauder Clinique, Olay and Estee Lauder are middle high-end brands.

Their target audiences are women between 40–50, who are in higher social statues and willing to spend money on high quality skincare products to stay beautiful. Their pricing are way more expensive than Avon’s.

Revlon and L’Oreal Paris Revlon and L’Oreal Paris are bot popular beauty brands whose target audiences are sophisticate women between 30 to 40.

Their major products are make up products. Compared with Avon, these two are more flash and sexy. They are also more focused on glamorous beauty.

Pond’s and Neutrogena Pond’s and Neutrogena are more delightful brands. Their major products are skincare products, therefore these brands look more natural and freshed. Their pricing are cheaper than Avon’s.

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ADJACENT COMPETITORS

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COMPETITORS

For adjacent competitors, the brands listed are that not selling cosmetics but still involved in the beauty industry. For example, brands are selling personal cleaning products, fitness or weight-loss products. All of them are brands to satisfy women’s needs and build their self-esteem.

Curves Curves is a women only exercise center specifying 30 minute exercise and weight loss with locations worldwide.

LUSH LUSH is a company selling handmade cosmetics, mainly soaps.

They claim that LUSH products are made 100% vegetarian, with out animal testing and ethical bought ingredient.

Victoria’s Secret Victoria’s Secret is the largest American Designer, manufacturer and marketer of women’s premium lingerie, women sleep wear and beauty products. Their models are known as VS angels are ideal beauty images in many modern girls mind.

The Body Shop The Body shop offers Skincare, makeup, body butter, aromatherapy, haircare and bath & body products. Its products are nature oriented and ethically made.

BEACHBODY BEACHBOY sells exercise DVDs for every level of fitness and nutrition products. The brand image is more muscular and bold.

Herbalife Herbalife is a direct selling company that sells weight-loss products such as meal replacement and protein supplements combined. However, its reputation turned down because of vague product ingredients and company scandals.

ALDO ALDO is the world wide destination for on-trend fashion footwear and accessories at accessible prices. There are over 1,550 ALDO stores in over 90 countries, making it the global fashion footwear brand in terms of global reach.

Coach Coach is an American luxury brand selling leather bags and accessories. In recent years, Coach regain their reputation by changing their products to younger and more artistic design.

Chanel Chanel is a top luxury brands created by Coco Chanel. It have been fashion icon since a hundred years ago. It is the brand that most women dream to own. Coco Chanel is also a role model for many women in workplaces.

Women’s health & fitness magazine Women’s health & fitness magazine is to provide many informations to women about how to live their lives healthily and stay fitted.

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ASPIRATIONAL COMPETITORS

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COMPETITORS

Knowing future competitors are important. Avon takes empowering women globally as our top priority through these decades. For further extension of the brand based on this ethos, I choose some competitors as references to get inspired and try to differentiate Avon’s new look from them.

Lean In Lean In is a nonprofit organization and online community dedicated to helping all women achieve their ambitions.

ASSEE American Scandinavian Student Exchange was established in 1976 as the American Scandinavian Student Exchange by the Swedish Government to organize student exchange programs between Sweden and the United States. Now it serves for over 30 countries in the whole world.

Ban Bossy Ban Bossy is a self censorship campaign launched in 2014 by Leanin.org. The campaign criticizes the use of the word ”bossy” to describe assertive girls and women, proposing that the word is stigmatizing and may discourage girls and women from seeking positions of leadership.

Peace Corps Peace Corps volunteers travel overseas and make real differences in the lives of real people. The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated change makers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.

Girls Inc. Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, providing more than 140,000 girls across the U.S. and Canada with life-changing experiences and solutions to the unique challenges girls face.

WEDO Women’s Environment & Development Organization is a global women’s advocacy organization for a just world that promotes & protects human rights, gender equality and the integrity of the environment.

Girl Scout Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

Zonta Zonta international is a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy.

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“All success lies in one’s self and not in external conditions. …Misfortunes are only a discipline, and there are possibilities which often are awakened by them which suggest to us the power and strength we possess, that perhaps otherwise would never have been recognized.”

—DAVID H. MCCONNELL, AVON’S FOUNDER

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Visual Strategy Guide DESIGNER Yiyang (Lucy) Lu

This book is non-commercial project for educational purpose and not intended to represent the Avon company.

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