I just returned from Avon’s annual Representative conference where I revealed my latest new launch – Live Out Loud. Engaging with everyone at the conference about this new Fragrance reinforced to me how important it is that brands live their truth when it comes to new concepts. When a product idea conveys the core brand message it is all the more powerful.

The people in the Avon community are full of energy, soul and positivity. They are filled with hope, joy and an open mind to take on a challenge and make it work. Central to their attitude and belief is that the Avon opportunity offers freedom, a chance to live life fully, an opportunity to chase a dream, and to do it all on their own terms.

I met many women and heard so many stories of how a flexible beauty gig like Avon gave them freedom and fueled their confidence. One remarkable woman shared the story of how she went from her house-cleaning job to build her own $2Million Avon business and team. Her Avon business supported her as she weathered many life obstacles including living through hurricane Katrina and sustaining her when her son was critically burnt and put in a coma when electrocuted in a work accident. She had to take 6 months out to care for him. During that time not only was her Avon business something that was flexible enough to enable her to come back to work on her own terms, but the community of women around her in the team she’d built helped her sustain it throughout. Being part of Avon has built her confidence, enabled her financial freedom and supported her to live her life in good times and through life’s challenges.

So many of these stories are what makes Avon the brand it is, but aren’t always surfaced. They form part of the brand DNA and purpose – to provide freedom, fuel confidence, and enable lives to be lived fully. It prompted me to think about how our new products live this truth in the concepts and message they put out in to the world.

That’s precisely the central thought and insight I pounced on when conceiving the concept for the new fragrance. I wanted to create a new signature, a scent that embodies a brand truth, reflecting back to the community a contemporary, exciting expression of the very values they hold dear and live by.

Live Out Loud is an affirmation, a point of view. It’s a statement that conveys the identity of the Avon brand and community – pure confidence, fierce independence and vibrant energy. Live Out Loud is about embracing whatever comes your way, tackling it head on, chasing dreams and living your own life to the max, on your own terms.

I’m so proud of the team when it comes to the product design to bring this idea to life.

• The name effectively captures the feeling and mantra of this concept.
• The scent exudes vibrancy. A fruity floral crafted incorporating modern olfactive trends with wild strawberry and airy, soft vanilla to provide a feeling of freedom and empowerment. It has the power to be highly commercial, sitting squarely in the category of scent profile that appeals to the largest amount of women in the USA.
• The packaging is modern, with the perfect fusion of simple details that cue the concept and scent with a strong bold ‘shout’ of the name, executed in an elevated, balanced and contemporary way.
• The advertising visuals are fun, free-spirited and create a happy and liberating feeling from the audience. Executed with a glamorous flair and tonality that is not too serious and starchy, allowing us to connect with a broad range of women.

The best thing though? The response we received when we revealed this to our Representatives this weekend. This is a perfume for them, inspired by them, designed to represent them and all the people in the Avon Nation. They loved it, and really connected with the idea. Witnessing the delight in their reactions, and hearing their positive feedback was unbelievable.

The excitement didn’t stop there either. I wanted to fuel this launch with something exciting, we’ve never done before. A move that shows the world how innovative we can be, something that would excite our community and draw people in, something that embodies the ‘go for it’ vibe of the concept overall.

Introducing our first Fragrance Ink Body Pen… ‘Drawing’ from the insight that fragrance is not a visual category, and so it can be a challenge to inspire people to post in social media about it, we’ve created our first visual fragrance.

Scented ink allows you to write your own affirmation, and share with the world just how you are Living Out Loud!

Again, the community loved it. It really fired up so many people who learnt about it this weekend and starting drawing their own affirmations straight away and sharing on Instagram.

Creating Live Out Loud has been a major highlight for me on my Avon journey. It has prompted me to focus on key insights that matter and be inspired by them; it has made me delve in to our community and become entranced and moved by the stories that lie within such a powerful community of women; and it has made me appreciate the power of living your truth – which applies for a brand as much as it does for a person!