Kristof Neirynck, CMO at Avon: How to Reinvent a Heritage Brand (August 2023)

·53 min·5 clips

Avon's CMO shares the 'trinity' that revived the brand, turning door-to-door reps into digital beauty advisors.

The episode begins with hosts Daniel Torres and Christina Nicolaou introducing Kristof Neirynck, CMO of Avon, noting his impressive career and the challenge of turning around the heritage brand. Neirynck explains his unique role at Avon, which combines traditional CPG marketing with retail merchandising responsibilities due to Avon's B2B2C model. He discusses his background as an engineer who learned marketing at P&G, where he developed brand-building and P&L management skills. Neirynck describes leaving P&G after 13+ years to join Walgreens Boots Alliance, where he gained experience in retail, first-party data, and building a CPG business within a retailer. He shares his leadership philosophy centered on humble leadership, collaboration, and creating psychological safety for constructive challenge, referencing Jim Collins' 'Level 5 Leader' concept. Neirynck reveals why he joined Avon: the turnaround challenge of a brand that had declined from $11 billion in 2011 and the company's purposeful mission of empowering women through economic opportunity. He details Avon's transformation strategy, starting with redefining the brand's positioning through the 'Avon trinity' of aspirational beauty, community, and high-touch beauty advice. This repositioning unlocked digital innovation, with representatives now using TikTok, WhatsApp, and live streaming to drive sales. Neirynck provides specific examples, including a rep in the Philippines who secured 6,000 orders via TikTok and another in Italy who segments customers on WhatsApp. He explains how Avon is expanding into physical stores in Turkey and enabling reps to open franchises. The conversation covers personalization initiatives like virtual try-ons and skin diagnostics through partnerships with Perfect Corp. Neirynck notes that Avon's beauty business has returned to growth, with Brazil up over 6% and international up about 3%. He discusses attracting talent by emphasizing Avon's purposeful mission, turnaround challenge, and unique data potential from its network of 5 million representatives. Neirynck concludes with career advice, encouraging curiosity and avoiding boxing oneself into a single path. The hosts reflect on his humble leadership style and Avon's successful return to its roots through transformation.

As heard by us

A practical conversation about Avon, adaptive leadership, and the company's distinctive sales-rep model.

Avon's push to return the business to its former strength gives the episode a clear commercial spine, with the sales-rep model and Christophe Nairink's FMCG, retail, marketing, and general management background setting the frame.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a candid conversation on Christophe Nairink's move into Avon and the work of helping a legacy beauty name find momentum again.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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