Avon Turkey: "139-Year Legacy Rewritten Through the Power of Women"

Report: Gamze Ünal

In the interview we conducted, Hasan Uluturk, General Manager of Avon Turkey, discussed the brand's 139-year-rooted history, its operations in Turkey, its mission to support women's economic independence, and its ambitious sustainability targets. Uluturk also provided information about work carried out within the scope of digitalization and corporate responsibility. 

We would like to introduce you to our readers; could you provide information about your educational background and professional career?
I graduated from Sakarya University Faculty of Engineering. Subsequently, I completed my academic education by pursuing a master's degree at Yildiz Technical University Faculty of Business Administration. I started my professional career in 2007 at Tchibo Turkey. During this period, I held management positions in various areas such as logistics, business development and sales. 

In 2020, I was appointed General Manager of Tchibo Turkey. There, I successfully implemented the brand's multichannel growth strategy. As of June 2024, I took office as General Manager of Avon Turkey. Over the past year, I have led Avon's transformation vision and directed the brand's new period strategies.

Avon has been a pioneering brand in the beauty sector for 139 years. What are the most significant turning points for the company on this long journey? How long has Avon Turkey been operating?
Avon's 139-year history contains many turning points. One of the most important beginnings is when, in 1886, it provided women with the opportunity to earn through direct selling, thus presenting its vision of economic independence in those very years. Launching the first training programs for female representatives in the 1960s enabled the brand to evolve into a structure that offered not just products but also competencies. In the 1990s, it took significant steps in corporate responsibility, launching pioneering campaigns in areas such as fighting breast cancer, preventing domestic violence, and advocating for women's rights. Today, it offers a more flexible, accessible and powerful system to both its representatives and consumers through a multichannel sales strategy.

Avon Turkey's journey began in 1993. Since then, we have built strong bonds with thousands of women in Turkey. As much as the quality of our products, we have become a trusted and beloved brand through the opportunities we offer and the social impact we create. With our direct sales model supporting women's economic independence, we offer women of all ages a flexible career field where they can realize their potential. We also continue to stand by women in Turkey through our work on breast cancer awareness campaigns and gender equality.

Supporting women's economic independence and offering entrepreneurship opportunities is one of Avon's core values. How do you contribute to strengthening women in the workforce in Turkey today?
Supporting women in gaining economic independence and having stronger presence in the workforce is at the top of our core values. We transform this vision into reality not just in words, but through concrete opportunities. 

Today, we have more than 2 million independent representatives globally; thousands of women in Turkey are part of this powerful network. We offer them not just products, but the opportunity to start and grow their own businesses. Beyond supporting our representatives with earning opportunities, we provide comprehensive training to help them develop as true entrepreneurs. 

We support them in many areas from sales techniques to digital marketing, from personal development to leadership. We continuously develop our technological infrastructure so that they can manage their businesses from wherever and however they wish using social media and digital tools. We also believe it is important to make success visible. We appreciate our representatives not just for their earnings but also for their efforts; we support them through reward programs and incentive systems. With our retail franchise opportunities, we are also opening new paths for representatives who wish to take their businesses one step further. In short, Avon offers women in Turkey not just a job, but a sustainable future where they can stand on their own feet.

Avon's 2030 targets for sustainability and environmentally conscious practices are quite ambitious. What concrete steps have been taken so far to reach these targets, and what innovations will we see in the coming period?
As Avon, we define beauty not just by outward appearance, but also by our responsibility to the world. In line with this understanding, sustainability is not just a goal for us, but one of the cornerstones of our business. By 2030, we aim for more than 95 percent of our rinse-off product formulations to be biodegradable. At the same time, we continue our efforts to ensure that all our packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable. We are proud that 83.8 percent of our packaging materials are already recyclable, reusable or compostable. This shows that we are making progress towards our 2030 target. We adopt environmentally conscious production models in order to protect natural resources and save water. We design some of our perfume bottles for reuse, offering consumers the opportunity to repurpose the bottles for different purposes such as vases or planters. We also take bold steps to reduce plastic use. We aim to further reduce carbon emissions in the future. To this end, we are developing environmentally conscious product formulations and working on new methods to create supply chains with lower environmental impact.

What process is followed regarding the safety of Avon products? What scientific and ethical tests do products undergo before being brought to market?
Every product we offer to our consumers is meticulously tested within the framework of Avon's scientific expertise and commitment to ethical values. The safety of our products is evaluated in detail from the formulation stage. Each product undergoes dermatological tests and clinical evaluations in accordance with global safety standards. Furthermore, the safety of our products is monitored not only on the basis of content, but also in terms of ethical and environmental impacts. Our supply chain is regularly monitored in accordance with internationally recognized certifications such as the Leaping Bunny Program within this framework. Thus, we ensure that we provide our users with both safe and responsible products. 

With your no-animal testing policy, you are a pioneer in the industry. How do you assess the impact of this approach on consumers and the industry?
Animal-free testing methods are an approach that Avon has been steadfastly embracing for many years and has pioneered across the industry. Avon is the first global beauty brand to end animal testing worldwide. This stance is not only ethical; it is also a reflection of our scientific and social responsibility understanding. Without ever compromising on product safety, we ensure the highest quality and safety standards through alternative testing methods. In other words, we provide our consumers with both effective and environmentally conscious products. The younger generation in particular is more sensitive to ethical values. Twenty percent of our representatives in Turkey come from the younger generation, and for this segment, working with animal-friendly brands is of great importance. Through our Leaping Bunny-certified products, we meet these expectations; we provide an experience that aligns with the values of our representatives and consumers.

How has digitalization and technological transformation changed Avon's business model? How do you ensure your representatives and customers adapt to this transformation?
As Avon, we blend our traditional direct sales model with the opportunities offered by the digital world to provide both our representatives and customers with a much more effective and accessible shopping experience. We organize comprehensive training programs to increase our representatives' digital competencies. Through the training we provide on social media use, online sales channels and digital marketing strategies, we enable especially our younger representatives to quickly adapt to technological transformation.

For our customers, we prioritize providing a secure, fast and personalized shopping experience. Products are easily accessible through our online platforms; by analyzing customer data, we develop campaigns and products suitable for their needs and expectations. This digital transformation has brought flexibility and innovation to the forefront of Avon's business model. While supporting our representatives in growing their businesses, we also provide a richer and more satisfying experience to our customers. By making technology an integral part of our business processes, we continue our journey with modern marketing strategies.

Among Avon's corporate responsibility projects, fighting breast cancer and raising awareness against domestic violence stand out. Could you provide information about the impact of these projects on society and your future plans?
As Avon, we always prioritize our sensitivity to social issues faced by women. At the center of our business lies not just beauty, but also corporate responsibility. We have implemented long-term and impactful projects, particularly in the areas of breast cancer awareness and combating violence against women. Since 1992, we have educated more than 180 million women worldwide on breast cancer awareness and financed more than 20 million screenings. 

Believing in the life-saving power of early detection, it is very important for us to take responsibility on this matter. Similarly, we display a determined stance in combating violence against women. To date, we have supported more than 15 million women and girls worldwide. We strengthen this struggle not just through outward-facing projects, but also through in-house awareness training. We believe that the awareness training we provide to our employees and representatives is critical for social change.

As Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women, we have donated more than USD 1.1 billion to date in these areas. With these resources, we have supported many projects that create impact at both local and global scales. In our future plans, these two issues will continue to be at the center of our focus. In the future, we will continue to prioritize fighting breast cancer and combating violence against women. Our goal is to reach more women, transform their lives and create lasting social awareness. Because we know that the power of beauty lies not just in outward appearance, but in touching lives and improving society.