Last October, after three decades in the Chinese beauty market, Avon China welcomed its seventh leader — Mr Huang Yonghong, Avon's Managing Director of Asia Pacific Region and Avon China's General Manager. At the beginning of 2021, Huang Yonghong also shared his vision for Avon China in 2021.
For the past few years, Avon China has been experimenting ways to localize the brand for China's domestic market, as a response to Avon Worldwide's "Open Up AVON" strategy.On the one hand, Avon China is continuing to prioritize its own "China First, Chinese Characteristics" strategy, while further implementing "In-depth Open Up" in various aspects including R&D, manufacturing and retail, to help strengthen the brand's competitive advantages with more flexible and efficient operation; on the other hand, the Avon Headquarter has also confirmed a "China First" policy, exemplified by the priority given to Avon China in both communication and authorization.△ Avon's Managing Director in Asia Pacific and Avon China's General Manager, Huang YonghongCurrently, Avon China has established an omni-channel sales system in China, covering brand stores, online shops, cosmetic stores and supermarkets. Revolving around the three major product categories (skincare, fragrance and cosmetic), Avon China will continue to expand its product lines that are "customized for China".Through a series of innovative measures, Avon China has laid a solid groundwork for the company's continuous growth and transformation in the country. As we have entered the year of 2021, we will see what steps Huang Yonghong will eventually take to achieve medium and long-term success for Avon, a brand with over 30 years of history in the Chinese market.CBO：Describe your most impressive moment/event in 2020.Huang Yonghong: Personally, it's joining back the dynamic beauty industry after 8 equally interesting years in the wines & spirits industry, particularly in the year when Avon joins the Natura & Co group now.From a business perspective, I am impressed the many stories of companies that have quickly adapted & been agile in this unprecedented times of global lockdowns.CBO：What do you think are the biggest changes last year in the industry, in Avon and in your personal life?Huang Yonghong: Undoubted the biggest change across all industries, including the Beauty industry is the acceleration of digitalization. We also see a change in consumption patterns & habits fueled by digitalization especially in the rapid adoption of technology by rural and mature consumers.For Avon, 2020 marks a new beginning as we are now being part of the Natura & Co group and now have access to synergies and expertise we previously didn't have. This is important whereas we embark on transforming Avon globally.Personally, the biggest change is the time spent on Video Conference Calls!CBO：Use one sentence to bid farewell to 2020.Huang Yonghong: While it was a challenging year, thank you 2020 for teaching us to adapt to new ways of living and for helping us treasure relationships even more.CBO：In your opinion, how the beauty business will be look like in 2021? What trends will exist in the market?Huang Yonghong: The Beauty industry will continue to grow further in 2021. Against the backdrop of national policy on consumption stimulation, the industry will benefit from a rebound in consumption of cosmetic products in the post-COVID-19 stage. Also, consumers are getting even more knowledgeable in what products works for them and thus we owe it to our consumers to be more transparent and sincere in our communication. The new Cosmetic Regulations will also help fuel this transparency.The industry will be further diversified due to the changing consumption patterns. Diversification of consumption scenarios and channels lead to changes in consumption behaviors. Only with continuous developments in omni-channeled marketing and sales can we truly meet the ever-changing needs of our consumers.CBO：What plan does Avon have in 2021?Huang Yonghong: China market occupies a significant position in AVON's global growth strategy. We will continue to support our business development in China by increasing investment to build better access to Avon products and information.Moreover, we further actively promote Watch Me Now campaign, which includes anti-gender-based violence and other topics to empower Chinese consumers.In the future, based on the global strategy of "Open up AVON", AVON is determined to support localized development in China with global vision and unveil more tailored innovative and in-trend products. We will continue to explore Chinese market and sustain efforts in building omni-channel strategy, creating a long-term recognizable brand.
