Watches Add Sizzle To SSSSales

Sometimes a product enjoys an unexpected popularity surge. Take Avon Products, for example. A few years ago it was discovered the company’s Skin So Soft (SSS) skin-care products also repelled certain insects, notably mosquitos, giving the line an added sales dimension.

A large part of Avon’s sales success stems from the fact that it sells only through independent reps as opposed to retail. However, it has discovered over the years that buyers prefer to receive products right away instead of waiting a week or so. In the case of Skin So Soft, it sold well in general year-round, but sales spiked in summer, when bugs are at their worst.

As a result, Avon wanted to encourage reps to buy additional quantities of SSS products so they’d be able to fill customer orders instantly – and thereby encourage future orders. “Essentially, Avon wanted to stress the idea of reps’ providing immediate gratification to those buying SSS products,” explains Jeff Gordon, the counselor involved. “So it was decided to go with an incentive that acted as a rep loader, to encourage reps to stock up on SSS.”

The offer, purposely limited to a specific timeframe, offered various extras to reps based on how many units they bought. Those taking 10 or 20 got a certain number of sunblock sprays and customer contact cards. Those buying 40 or 60 units also got a fashion watch exclusively designed for Avon reps.

Made of green plastic that matched the SSS packaging, the watch also featured a striped wristband, the SSS logo on its face and a transparent rotating disc picturing a mosquito. One watch was awarded for every 40- or 60-unit order. “Watches have a high perceived value, and are a wearable of sorts, so they’re seen by many people,” Gordon explains. “In addition, the design was exclusive, available only by buying the necessary number of SSS products. To this end, it became coveted by reps as a kind of badge of honor."

The program far surpassed Avon’s anticipated results. All told, 32,000 watches were distributed, representing sales of 1.2 million bottles of Skin So Soft.