“You can do it.” - Check out how this businesswoman’s cosmetics company and pink Cadillacs became an iconic duo!

Monday: MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Can you guess the feature of the day? Here’s some hints: it’s pink, it’s makeup, and involves a sporty Cadillac. The answer: It’s Mary Kay Ash the American businesswoman and the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. As of 2018, Ash’s company is the sixth largest network marketing company in the world, with a wholesale volume of over USD 3.25 billion. That’s massive and impressive! Are you wondering about how Ash was able to establish such a huge business and grow its network over the years? Keep reading to know about some of the things Ash and her team did to market their brand and attract more customers in the long run. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

“You can do it.” - Check out how this businesswoman’s cosmetics company and pink Cadillacs became an iconic duo! Mary Kay Ash: The founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. Are you the type of person who doesn’t get content by just sitting around and relaxing? If you are, then you’re probably like Mary Kay Ash. If there’s one adjective I can use to describe Ash, it would be dynamic. Here are a few reasons why: Her unique business idea began one week after she retired. Her get-up-and-go energy was too strong to ignore. She was able to efficiently assess her work experiences over the years. In other words, Ash wouldn’t just sit still and look pretty. She wanted to do something more. During this thinking phase, she made a life-changing decision… Armed with knowledge in the direct sales department, Ash established Mary Kay Cosmetics in 1963. Her passion? To see women become much more than they ever thought they could be! Ash had a desire to help women and budding professionals overcome the hurdles she herself experienced in her career. In fact, her enthusiasm for supporting women is evident in the motto she created for her business―“You can do it.” As a pioneer of multilevel marketing, Ash’s marketing innovations included giving expensive gifts, offering incentives, and emphasizing direct sales through family and friends. One of the objects strongly associated with her brand? Pink Cadillacs! Here’s how this iconic vehicle started gaining prominence… In 1967, Ash ordered her first pink Cadillac Coupe DeVille from a Dallas dealership and asked to have it painted to match the pale pink Mary Kay lip and eye palette she carried in her purse. The pink vehicle became such a hit and Ash realized how the eye-catching car could be powerful, both as a company symbol and as a source of motivation for her growing network of consultants. That was why in 1969, Ash rewarded her top five independent sales force members with a brand new blush-colored Cadillac Coupe DeVille. That gave birth to a new American icon! After giving away 5 pink Cadillacs to her most excellent employees, Ash launched the Mary Kay Career Car Program. In this program, those consultants whose teams sold USD 75,000 in six months would receive a pink BMW, Chevy Equinox, or Chevy Cruze. This car program tradition continues until today, although the shade of pink has changed over the years. Also, if a qualified consultant isn’t interested in having a brightly-hued car, he or she can opt for other color choices. Since the inception of the Mary Kay Career Car Program, over 165,000 top-performing independent sales force members have qualified or re-qualified for a Mary Kay pink Cadillac. In 2019, there were over 4,000 Mary Kay career cars on the road in the US. According to Nathan Moore, President of Mary Kay Cosmetics’ North America Region, “If these wheels could talk, they would tell you about the many adventures of Mary Kay’s top independent sales force members―from bringing babies home from the hospital to delivering countless Mary Kay products to brand lovers nationwide. The Mary Kay Career Car Program is an integral part of not only our company’s story but also the stories of thousands of successful Mary Kay entrepreneurs.” Meanwhile, General Motors Fleet’s Vice President Ed Peper said, “The exclusive Mary Kay Pink Pearl Cadillac is an iconic part of both General Motors’ and Mary Kay’s past, present, and future. This is one of our strongest and longest-lasting customer relationships. Over the years, we’ve been honored to include other Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles in the Mary Kay Career Car Program.” Just imagine how critical these pink Cadillacs are to Mary Kay Cosmetics’ branding! Not only do these vehicles capture the attention of consumers on the road, but also motivate more Mary Kay employees to do their jobs better. … and the more employees are motivated, the better their performances will be. The better their performances are, the better they’ll serve Mary Kay customers. The better experiences customers have, the more positive their impressions about Mary Kay will be. When these happen, there’s a high chance customers will share their feel-good experiences with their family, friends, and colleagues. This could lead to a wider network for Mary Kay! Awesome, right? This shows how good business relationships and a healthy work culture are important in building and strengthening your brand. Get inspired with Mary Kay’s marketing tactics! This doesn’t mean you also have to reward your colleagues with pink Cadillacs as that may not be suitable for your brand. What I mean is you should consider different ways to motivate your team of independent professionals and cultivate a healthy work environment. By doing so, you’ll be able to develop good and lasting relationships with your team and naturally attract more clients and customers to your brand. Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn.     Stay tuned for next Monday’s MicroBusiness Marvels! Who would’ve thought that a scientist could make up a great marketer? Learn more about Conrad Gessner and Word of Mouth Marketing through the “Tulipmania” on xnext week’s MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels!