Spark Foundry Wins Global Avon Media Business

Avon is consolidating its global online and off-line media buying and planning under Spark Foundry after a formal review. 

Previously the beauty company split those duties between the Publicis Media agency and WPP's Group M.

The consolidated assignment is effective January 2019 and will be managed from the agency's London office. Key markets outside the U.S. include Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the Philippines and the UK. 

The brand spun off its sputtering North American operations into a separate company as part of a $605 million private equity deal in 2015.  

Avon spent $118 million on global advertising last year according to its latest annual report.

The consolidated media assignment is part of a broader brand overhaul that includes initiatives to market more premium products and introduce bundled product offerings. 

Avon is also moving beyond person-to-person and mail order sales to provide Avon Products through digital and e-commerce. 

As part of the refresh, Spark Foundry will focus on APAC since Avon is "underrepresented" in that region, accounting for only 10% of its total revenue. And James Thompson, previously chief marketing and innovation officer at Diageo North America, has joined as chief beauty and brand officer at the beginning of this month.

"We are in the reset phase, restoring the basics, injecting new talent, building a performance culture with rigor, while we roll out our new repeatable models," stated Jan Zijderveld, CEO, Avon Products during a third quarter conference call with investors. "In some cases, this means making very significant changes. Next, we will move into the stabilization phase, and then accelerate and grow, but as I said, this will take time."

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