Avon takes to Facebook with social sales boutique

The door-to-door approach may have been the best way to reach Avon customers of yesteryear, but those days are gone. That’s even more true for Mark, Avon’s sister brand targeting a younger, trendier audience. Makes perfect sense, then, that Avon recently launched an e-tailing platform that allows its Mark representatives to sell on Facebook. Using Mark’s new direct-sales widget for online social media, reps for the brand—primarily high-school and college-age girls—can now sell products via the Facebook boutique online. To make that possible, the Mark page features not just the standard “wall” and “info” tabs but also a “shop” tab that lets users browse and purchase products. Customers on the site can search for and make friends with reps in their area, and they can also sign up to be reps themselves. Combining community, marketing and sales, the Facebook boutique can be customized by each representative and used to sell products without ever leaving home. Mark also has a free iPhone application that lets reps view products on their phones rather than page through a traditional paper catalog, StyleList reported. Forthcoming applications will reportedly allow users to create online wish lists and post shopping widgets directly into reps’ blogs. With more than 350 million users around the globe, there’s no denying the power of Facebook to reach young, tech-savvy consumers. Time to brainstorm on the social-sales possibilities for your progressive brand…? Spotted by: Racked via Raymond Kollau