Mary Kay Cosmetics is a common household brand that most people identify with their skin care products and pink Cadillacs. Mary Kay Ash started her successful company with many odds against her. With a business plan she created from her previous sales experience and a recipe for a skin care system purchased from a tanner, the doors to Mary Kay Cosmetics opened September 13, 1963.
Many thought a company based on the Golden Rule and priorities of God first, family second and career third were doomed for failure. Not to mention that it was the 60s and the company was based on the idea of women working. But now, with the celebration of forty-five years in business and the expansion of thirty-five markets worldwide, we can see that it worked.
Mary Kay Cosmetics offers a wide variety of products such as: skin care for women and men, color cosmetics, fragrance, sun care and body care. Mary Kay focuses on product quality, product safety, and customer service. The company offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on all products. Mary Kay is also one of the few cosmetic companies that have never tested products on animals.
In 1996 Mary Kay Cosmetics started a nonprofit foundation, Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation with donations going to fund research on women’s cancers and help women who have been victims of domestic violence. Many women who work with and for Mary Kay Cosmetics have been victims of both causes so it is a cause that is very close to the hearts of Mary Kay.
Mary Kay is a home based business with more than 1.8 million sales force worldwide. With many levels in the company, the highest is National Sales Director. As many as 500 women have achieved that level. The National Sales Director leads hundreds of women with classes, workshops and leadership weekends. They also get to drive the prestigious pink Cadillac.
The next level is the Independent Sales Director who builds their team with at least thirty women. Providing leadership and training like the National Sales Director but on a smaller, more personal level. They also can earn the use of a Cadillac, Saturn Aura, or the Saturn Vue.
The Independent Beauty Consultant is the beginning position in Mary Kay Cosmetics. They mostly build a customer base while selling Mary Kay products. Some women just want to earn a few extra dollars to help support their families while others begin to replace full-time positions with their Mary Kay career.
However, not everyone has found success in Mary Kay Cosmetics. The launch of a blog in the summer of 2004 titled Pink Truth, shares many stories from previous Mary Kay directors and sales force that are less than positive about this cosmetic company. The founder, Tracy Coenen, a previous sales force member herself, began to blog about the “real story” of Mary Kay Cosmetics. Quickly more and more women who had once achieved great status in Mary Kay Cosmetics began to share their unfortunate experiences as well.
Quickly her blog, which started with the quirky name Mary Kay Sucks, has now begun to look into the marketing strategies of many direct sales companies. With posts that include information on companies such as Tupperware, Pampered Chef and many others. Many readers are flocking to Pink Truth for research into these types of businesses.
References:
- Mary Kay Cosmetics. Mary Kay 2008 Press Kit. (Online).
- Pink Truth. About Pink Truth. (Online).
